An Ocala teenager was extradited from Lowndes County, Georgia, to Marion County Jail on Tuesday in connection with a shooting incident that occurred at a Reddick gas station in July of 2023.
Jaquavius McClain, 17, is currently being held at Marion County Jail without bond, and he is facing the following charges: attempted homicide, attempted carjacking with a firearm, and possession of a firearm by an individual under 18 years of age.
According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the above charges stem from an incident that occurred on July 5, 2023, at the Petro Travel Center gas station located at 7401 W Highway 318 in Reddick. MCSO deputies responded to the gas station in reference to an attempted armed carjacking and shooting.
Upon arrival, deputies located an adult male victim who had sustained a gunshot wound to the head. Marion County Fire Rescue personnel arrived on scene, provided trauma care, and transported the victim to a local hospital.
An MCSO Major Crimes detective launched an investigation, which revealed that the victim and his wife were targeted while parked at the Petro Travel Center’s gas pumps. At the time of the incident, a GMC pickup truck pulled alongside the victim and his wife, and two suspects exited the vehicle.
According to MCSO, the first suspect was McClain and the second suspect was identified as 29-year-old Christopher Riley.
The sheriff’s office stated that Riley took a handgun from McClain and fired two shots, critically injuring the male victim. Moments later, Riley and McClain fled the scene in the pickup truck, which was later found to be involved in an attempted carjacking in Clearwater earlier the same day.
In addition, the GMC pickup truck had been stolen during an armed carjacking in Valdosta, Georgia, in the early morning hours on July 5, 2023.
The Valdosta Police Department located the stolen pickup truck on July 7, 2023, and VPD officers arrested Riley and McClain in Lowndes County, Georgia, on the same day. Both suspects faced charges related to the incidents in that jurisdiction.
An MCSO detective secured warrants for the arrests of Riley and McClain in Marion County, facilitating their extradition once the charges in Georgia have been addressed. McClain remains at Marion County Jail while Riley still awaits extradition.
McClain is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, according to jail records.