UPDATE: Woman shot and killed Friday in Marion Oaks. Here's what we know.
MARION OAKS — The Marion County Sheriff's Office said a man shot and killed a woman Friday afternoon outside a barbershop at Marion Oaks Boulevard and Marion Oaks Drive.
As of 7 p.m. deputies said they still were looking for the shooter, who left the scene in a vehicle.
The barbershop is one of several stores in a shopping plaza that includes a BP gas station.
Deputies got the shooting call at 1:57 p.m. Friday. When they arrived, they found the woman's body outside the barbershop.
At 7 p.m. Friday the sheriff's office released the victim's name: Milagros Guzman Lopez, 47, of Marion Oaks.
Gerardo Salazar, who lives in Marion Oaks, said he frequents the shopping plaza from time to time. At the time of the shooting, he was at a nearby storage unit awaiting a delivery when he heard three shots, followed by a woman's screams, followed by five or six more shots.
Salazar immediately called 911. "I could tell someone was in trouble," he said, "and I wanted to help."
Salazar visited with the victim's family, who were on site as deputies investigated, and expressed his condolences. He said the barbershop has been in business for two to three years.
This is the first homicide the sheriff's office has investigated so far in 2024. It investigated 22 in 2023, 17 of which involved gun violence.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Fatal shooting draws heavy law enforcement presence to Marion Oaks
