A 77-year-old Baker County woman shot and killed a man who attacked her early Monday morning in the parking lot of Macclenny Veterinary Hospital, according to deputies. The man, identified as 57-year-old Alvin Tyrone Tisdale of Macclenny, was taken to UF Health in downtown Jacksonville, where he later died from his injuries.
Deputies responded to the scene at the clinic Monday, according to the Baker County Sheriff's Office. The woman called in to report the shooting herself and has been cooperative with investigators throughout the process, per the agency's account.
Preliminary findings from the sheriff's office indicate the woman acted in self-defense, and the investigation remains ongoing. Florida law offers context for why she was not taken into custody: under Florida Statutes § 776.012 and § 776.013, a person lawfully present in a location has no duty to retreat and is justified in using deadly force if they reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent imminent death, great bodily harm, or a forcible felony, according to the Florida Legislature. Florida Statute § 776.032 goes further, granting those who lawfully use force in self-defense immunity not just from conviction but from arrest, detention, and even civil lawsuits, as explained by George Law.
How a 77-Year-Old Could Legally Carry a Firearm
Florida's permitless carry law, House Bill 543, has been in effect since July 1, 2023, allowing qualifying residents age 21 and older to carry a concealed firearm in public without a state-issued permit or mandatory safety training, according to Carlson Hayslett, P.A. That law offers a legal explanation for how a private citizen could lawfully be carrying a concealed handgun in a business parking lot in the pre-dawn hours.
Still, self-defense immunity in Florida is not automatic or unconditional. In a separate Baker County case from July 2026, a circuit judge denied Stand Your Ground immunity to two Macclenny men in a fatal shooting, ruling that self-defense protections dissolved once the victim began to retreat — a decision Hoodline covered in prior reporting. That ruling shows that Stand Your Ground immunity can be denied in a separate case.
A Shooting in Baker County
Macclenny is where Tisdale lived. He was transported to UF Health in Jacksonville for emergency care.
Anyone with information about Monday's shooting is asked to call the Baker County Sheriff's Office at (904) 259-0251.
