Police said the family was followed after an earlier apartment-complex altercation, and both victims are expected to survive.
OCALA, FL — A mother and her 5-year-old daughter were wounded Monday night when someone in a vehicle following their family opened fire on their car in Ocala, police said. Both victims are expected to survive.
The shooting happened around 9:45 p.m. Sept. 14 near the 1200 block of Southeast 11th Avenue, close to Todd Prosser Park. Ocala police said the family was traveling south when the vehicle behind them began firing, striking their car several times. The man driving with the mother and child was not injured.
Investigators believe the shooting followed an altercation about an hour earlier at the Sutton Place Apartment Complex in the 500 block of Northeast 23rd Circle. Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken said officers began responding to calls about the disturbance around 8 p.m. The confrontation started among children between about 10 and 16 years old and later drew adults into the dispute, he said.
Police arrived at the apartment complex and restored order after the confrontation grew, Balken said. The family later left the area and went to a nearby apartment complex before starting home. Investigators believe another vehicle followed the family from that area before the shooting on Southeast 11th Avenue.
Balken said the mother suffered a gunshot wound to her hand. Her daughter was shot in the chest and was initially in serious condition, but police said she is expected to recover. The family continued to a local hospital after the shooting while the vehicle believed to have been involved fled the area.
Police have not publicly identified the mother, child or man who was driving. Authorities also have not released a description of the other vehicle or identified a suspected shooter. A motive for the gunfire has not been announced.
Investigators have described the shooting as an isolated incident. Police also said it was not connected to a separate homicide reported in Ocala on Sunday, Sept. 13. Authorities have not announced evidence linking the Monday shooting to any other violent incident in the city.
Detectives are seeking doorbell-camera footage, home surveillance video and information about both the earlier altercation and the shooting. Police have asked people with information to contact the Ocala Police Department at 352-369-7000. Anonymous information may also be provided through Crime Stoppers of Marion County at 352-368-7867.
As of late Tuesday, police had announced no arrests in the case. The investigation remained active, with detectives working to identify the person or people responsible and determine what led to the family being followed and shot at.
Author note: Last updated September 16, 2026.