A man died and a woman was injured in a shooting at a shopping mall in central Florida on Saturday. According to the police the victim was apparently “targeted” for the attack.
The suspect fled the scene and left behind the firearm, the official said.
The man was killed after he was shot multiple times in a common area at Paddock Mall in Ocala, located about 80 miles northwest of Orlando, said Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken.
The woman who was shot in the leg was taken to the local hospital, the police said.
The police personnel rushed to the mall around 3:40 pm after they received calls about multiple shots being heard at the mall.
Several other mall staffers also suffered injuries during the shooting, with one person having chest pain and another reporting a broken arm, police said.
An email inquiry was sent to the mall's owner, WPG. The mall has dozens of stores, including J.C. Penney and Foot Locker. Calvin and Diana Amos, who were shopping in the J.C. Penney store, told the Ocala Star-Banner that they evacuated the store quickly once they figured out what was going on. They described themselves as scared and apprehensive.
(With AP inputs)
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