MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – The State Attorney’s Office (SAO) announced Friday they are seeking the death penalty for the man they say is responsible for killing one and injuring two at the Paddock Mall.
State Attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit Bill Gladson announced the filing of a death penalty notice in the case involving 39-year-old Albert J. Shell Jr.
He is accused of murdering 40-year-old David Nathaniel Barron at the Paddock Mall in Ocala just two days before Christmas.
Shell was indicted by a grand jury on January 26 for the following charges:
- premeditated first-degree murder with a firearm
- two counts of attempted second-degree murder with a firearm
- possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
“Given the severity of the crime and its impact on the community, the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office has filed a notice that it intends to seek the death penalty pursuant to Florida Statutes,” said Gladson in a news release.
Based on state law, some of the factors considered in a death penalty case include:
(a) The defendant was previously convicted of another capital felony or of a felony involving the use or threat of violence to the person.
(b) The defendant knowingly created a great risk of death to many persons.
(c) The capital felony was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel.
(d) The capital felony was a homicide and was committed in a cold, calculated, and premeditated manner without any pretense of moral or legal justification.”
The Ocala Police Department (OPD) says they believed the crime was a “targeted act of violence” and previously stated that Shell Jr. and Barron had a relationship prior to the shooting. They say a mall employee told them Barron pleaded for his life before Shell. Jr shot him and killed him.
In the video surveillance, a total of seven shots can be heard. Along with Barron, a woman was shot in her leg and another man was grazed by a bullet. OPD stated that “fortunately, his injury was minor, and he did not go to the hospital.” The shooting sent many others doing their last-minute Christmas shopping scrambling for safety on December 23, 2023.
According to jail records, the Shell has been booked into the Marion County jail 19 times in the last 20 years.
“The decision is reflective of the gravity of the alleged offenses and the impact on the victims and their families. The State Attorney’s Office acknowledges the sensitivity of this matter and the impact it has on the community. Our commitment to ensuring justice and holding criminals accountable for their actions remains unwavering,” stated Gladson.
MORE: Fiancée of man targeted in Paddock Mall shooting creates GoFundMe for three of his surviving sons
According to the Florida Department of Corrections, there are currently 286 inmates on death row. Seven of those on the list are Marion County inmates. Click here to view the full list of inmates on death row.