On Wednesday, October 16, at approximately 3:50 p.m., video surveillance cameras showed Barron Marion speaking to a man at a convenience store at 516 South Maryland Avenue. The man entered the convenience store while Marion watched the store. When the male left the store he then drove north on South Maryland in a black sedan, Marion was seen running toward the East Warren Street intersection, and firing shots at the sedan. Residents nearby called PCPD to inform officers their house had been damaged by the gunfire. When they arrived, officers found six .45-caliber shells at the location where Marion shot at the vehicle.
PCPD detectives quickly identified Marion as the suspect and obtained a warrant. PCPD engaged with the U.S. Marshals Task Force, who located Marion near Dade City on October 24. When U.S. Marshals, Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, and Dade City police officers entered a house to apprehend Marion, he jumped out of a rear, second-story window to escape. When officers pursued on foot, Marion evaded them by running into a heavily wooded area. Later Marion was seen getting into a vehicle and fleeing. Law enforcement deployed stop sticks to disable the vehicle. Marion and the driver of the vehicle, his girlfriend, were arrested.
At the age of 17, in Plant City, Marion shot and killed a man who accused him of stealing a bicycle. He served five years in juvenile detention, and began 10 years of probation in January 2024. Marion has been charged with criminal mischief, shooting at a vehicle, shooting at a residence, felon in possession of a firearm, public discharge of a firearm, resisting arrest without violence, and violating probation for manslaughter. His girlfriend has been charged with fleeing to elude, resisting an officer without violence, and child neglect.
“Marion…shot and killed the person he was in an argument with over that bike,” said Suzy Lopez. “I was not the State Attorney at that time. At that time our office handled juvenile gun violence very differently than we do now. I have news for Mr. Marion, things in Hillsborough County have changed under my watch. We will hold you accountable for gun violence now….This defendant is a perfect example of why we should take juvenile gun violence so seriously. History shows us that by the time a juvenile chooses to murder someone with a firearm, they have already had multiple opportunities through the juvenile justice system….Reducing gun violence is one of my top priorities as your State Attorney. We do that by making sure violent offenders are held accountable.”
The unidentified driver of the black sedan that Marion shot at has not contacted law enforcement, so it is unknown whether the vehicle or passengers were struck. The relationship between the two is unknown at this time, and there is no known motive for the shooting.
“I want to make it unequivocally clear to the residents of Plant City, the criminals of Plant City, and our community, that gun violence will not be tolerated in Plant City,” Chief Richard Mills stated.
If you have any information about this incident, contact the Plant City Police Department at (813) 757-9200.