A 49-year-old man wanted in connection with a shooting and the theft of two vehicles in rural Marion County may have fled dozens of miles north into the woods around Fort McCoy, according to a Wednesday update from local authorities. Leroy Parks III should be considered armed and dangerous, deputies said, and may still have a firearm in his possession as the search continues.
The case began early Thursday morning at about 5:45 a.m., when a shooting occurred at a home on Southeast 192nd Court in Ocklawaha, according to FOX 35 Orlando. Deputies said Parks left the home after the shooting and stole two vehicles as he made his escape. The shooting victim suffered injuries that are not considered life-threatening and was taken to a hospital, per the same report.
Investigators believe Parks may be driving a stolen white 2016 Nissan Titan bearing Florida license plate 31DVBK. The Marion County Sheriff's Office has identified the suspect as Leroy Parks III, a white male born on February 10, 1977, and says he should be considered armed and dangerous.
Search Shifts Toward Fort McCoy
As of Wednesday, deputies believe Parks may have moved from the scene of the shooting in Ocklawaha toward the Fort McCoy area, an unincorporated rural community roughly 30 miles north, according to the sheriff's office. Ocklawaha itself sits near Lake Weir and the Ocala National Forest, a setting whose dense woods can complicate efforts to track a mobile suspect on foot or by vehicle. The distance and terrain between the two communities illustrate the scale of ground deputies must cover in the search.
Marion County's 911 dispatch operation relies on a countywide GIS mapping system to route deputies and medical units across more than 1,600 square miles, infrastructure that becomes especially important when a search stretches across such remote, unincorporated territory. The sheriff's office has previously demonstrated its capacity for coordinated searches across the county; in June, it worked with regional and federal law enforcement partners during Operation Bad Habits, an operation that resulted in 63 arrests countywide.
Public Urged Not To Approach
The sheriff's office has urged anyone who spots Parks or the stolen Nissan Titan to call 911 immediately rather than approach. Officials have repeatedly emphasized that the public should not confront Parks or the vehicle under any circumstances, a protocol also detailed by 352today, which reported that authorities are stressing non-confrontation given the possibility that Parks remains armed.
Anyone with information can also contact Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida anonymously, with a potential cash reward of up to $5,000 available for tips leading to a felony arrest in the case. Several key questions remain open, including the motive behind the early-morning shooting, the relationship between Parks and the victim, and exactly how he managed to steal two separate vehicles during his escape.
Potential Charges Carry Steep Penalties
If captured and convicted, Parks could face significant prison time under Florida's sentencing laws. Under the state's 10-20-Life statute, committing a felony while discharging a firearm that causes bodily harm carries a mandatory minimum sentence ranging from 25 years up to life in prison, according to Valiente Law. Separately, stealing a motor vehicle in Florida is classified as third-degree grand theft auto, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison along with a mandatory one-year driver's license revocation, per the Sammis Law Firm.
The manhunt adds to a string of recent violent and vehicle-related incidents across Marion County. Hoodline previously reported on a registered sex offender tied to a stolen car chase in the county earlier this month, and on a July incident in which an Amber Alert ended in a highway shootout near Ocala. As of Wednesday's update, Leroy Parks III remained at large, and deputies said the search across Marion County's rural expanse was ongoing.
