MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – On Dec. 30, 2024, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) released a photo showing a man suspected of pulling a gun on a parked driver.
The incident originally occurred on Dec. 17, 2024, at the Qwik King convenience store on Oak Rd. in Silver Springs Shores.
According to deputies, a driver parked outside of the store was approached by a then-unidentified man.
The culprit, now identified as 15-year-old Lamont Brandon Mack, reportedly walked up to the driver’s car and asked the victim for money.
MCSO says the victim declined, to which Mack responded by pulling down a ski mask and pointing a gun at him, demanding money and for the victim to exit his vehicle.
MCSO says Mack fled the scene on a bicycle after believing the victim may have been armed as well.
An investigation was launched shortly following the incident. Detectives obtained the security footage image and shared it on MCSO’s social media platforms.
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According to MCSO, Mack’s mother saw the image on the MCSO Facebook page and recognized the person as her son. They say Mack’s mother then brought him to the Sheriff’s Office to turn himself in.
MCSO then interviewed Mack, to which he admitted to the attempted robbery. He told detectives he wanted to commit an attempted robbery, telling them he “knew what he was going to do” when he left the house.
Mack told detectives the gun he pulled on the victim was a BB gun, and said he discarded the gun after seeing himself on social media.
Mack was arrested following the interview and charged with Attempted Robbery with a Firearm. MCSO transported the teenager to the Department of Juvenile Justice.