Gunman wearing mask in Ocala shot, chased by bystanders, police say

2 people shot, including suspect

OCALA, Fla. – A man was arrested Wednesday after police said he wore a mask and opened fire on an Ocala shopping center, hitting one person and being shot by a bystander who returned gun fire.

Officers said the shooting took place near Long's Grocery store on Northwest Fourth Street in Ocala at 11 a.m.

Witnesses told police that a man, later identified as Kourtland Dukes, 21, began shooting near the car wash on the west side of the grocery store. A customer returned fire, hitting Dukes in the leg and foot and another bystander chased after Dukes when he ran from the scene, Ocala police Chief Greg Graham said.

Witnesses described Dukes' as a man wearing a black Adidas sweatsuit and a clown mask. Police later clarified that it was a face mask, but not a clown mask.

A male victim was shot in the leg and suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Kourtland Dukes, 21, faces multiple charges after Ocala police say he opened fire near several businesses on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017.

An Ocala police detective arrested Dukes later on Wednesday after seeing him walking with a limp on Northwest 4th Street toward Northwest 7th Avenue. A gun and the mask were found on Dukes, Graham said.

Dukes is a convicted felon with a record dating back to 2014, according to Florida Department of Corrections records.

The suspect was treated for his injuries before being booked into the Marion County Jail on charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon.


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