Shooting leaves one dead and one injured at a shopping center in Florida

Pat least one man died and one woman was injured on Saturday, following a shooting at a shopping center in Ocala, in the US state of Florida.

The suspect in the shooting – which took place at Paddock Mall, in the city of Ocala, about 127 kilometers from Orlando – is said to have fled, police said.

Police received several calls warning of shots fired inside Paddock Mall, Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken explained in a press conference broadcast on CNN, adding that the calls described an “active shooter” scenario. with authorities responding with “a strong police presence”.

“Officers immediately entered the shopping center and discovered it was not an active shooter situation,” Balken said, explaining that officers described the incident as a planned act of violence.

The Ocala Police Department said the space was evacuated and asked people to avoid the area.

“The employees opened the storage area in the back and told everyone to run,” an 18-year-old witness, who was shopping at a store in the shopping center with her mother, told ABC News.

UPDATE: There is no longer an active shooting situation. There are multiple people injured. The suspect is believed to have fled. The mall is being evacuated at this time. Please avoid the area as police investigate. https://t.co/j8Uk5iYjob

— Ocala Police (@ocalapd) December 23, 2023

The police chief confirmed that an adult man was found dead in the shopping center from gunshot wounds and added that a woman suffered a gunshot wound to her leg and had to be transported to the hospital.

Police are still looking for the suspect.

[Notícia atualizada às 06h21]

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