The 39-year-old man accused of killing another man and wounding a woman in a shooting at Paddock Mall on December 23 has been arrested by the Ocala Police Department.
Shortly before 2 a.m. on Monday, January 8, OPD officers, in collaboration with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshals Service (Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force), located and apprehended Albert James Shell, Jr.
Shell was transported to Marion County Jail shortly after 5 a.m., where he is currently being held without bond. He is being charged with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in connection with the fatal Paddock Mall shooting that claimed the life of 40-year-old David Nathaniel Barron.
Shell allegedly targeted Barron just before 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 23. OPD states that it received the first call about an active shooter at around 3:40 p.m.
Multiple law enforcement units were dispatched to the mall and found that the shooting had already taken place. Barron was found in a common area, deceased from gunshot wounds.
An unidentified woman at the mall also sustained a gunshot wound and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Her injuries were described as non-life-threatening by police.
Within 24 hours of the shooting, OPD provided surveillance photos that showed a suspect that fled the scene immediately after shots were fired. He was later identified as Shell.
Over the two weeks following the fatal shooting, a cash reward was offered by Ocala police for information leading to Shell’s arrest. The reward was increased to $20,000 several days before Shell was apprehended by law enforcement.
On Monday morning, Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken hosted a news conference to discuss the case. According to Balken, law enforcement received over 100 tips from the public that ultimately helped lead to an arrest, and the $20,000 reward will be paid out as soon as the police department finishes sorting through those tips.
Balken stated that Shell was located in a house around 20 miles southwest of Ocala in an area called the Florida Highlands. OPD became aware of Shell’s location early Monday morning, and law enforcement quickly surrounded the home.
After a several-hour standoff, Balken stated that Shell was taken into custody without incident.
“We know that the victim had a prior relationship with Mr. Shell,” stated Balken. “And I don’t want to really go into details about the motives behind this case, but [there’s] no reason to believe that this was anything other than a beef between two individuals that was resolved in a mall with a gun.”
Balken stated that the female victim who sustained a gunshot wound was a “completely innocent bystander that got caught up in this mess.” She is expected to make a full recovery.
During Monday’s conference, Balken was asked if there are plans to increase security at the Paddock Mall following the shooting incident. Balken responded by stating that officers were able to handle approximately 500 security calls at the mall during the 2023 calendar year without any increased security.
Balken added that the police department will look into the possibility of increasing security at the mall around the holiday season to make sure the community stays safe.