Ja’Narre Suggs Identified as Victim in West Ocala Christmas Morning Shooting
The Ocala community is mourning the loss of a young man after police confirmed that 21-year-old Ja’Narre Suggs of Ocala was shot and killed early Christmas morning in west Ocala.
According to the Ocala Police Department, officers were dispatched at approximately 4:11 a.m. on December 25 to reports of a shooting in the 800 block of West Silver Springs Place, near the intersection of West Silver Springs Boulevard and Southwest Ninth Avenue.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found Suggs lying in the roadway suffering from at least one gunshot wound. Ocala police officers and Ocala Fire Rescue personnel immediately began life-saving efforts, but despite their actions, Suggs was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities secured the area with crime scene tape as investigators documented evidence, photographed the scene, and gathered initial information. By noon on Christmas Day, detectives had completed their on-scene investigation and began conducting interviews as part of the ongoing case.
Police stated that it is currently unclear why Suggs was in the area at the time of the shooting. No suspect information has been released, and investigators have not disclosed a possible motive connected to the incident.
If the case is ultimately classified as a homicide, it would be the first murder within Ocala city limits since 2024. Police noted that officers previously responded to the November 22 shooting death of 28-year-old Cristian Oleski Contreras Leiva of Ocala; however, that case remains under investigation and has not yet been officially ruled a homicide.
Detectives are urging anyone with information related to the Christmas morning shooting to come forward. Tips may be provided to Detective Quintero at (352) 369-7000, to Crime Stoppers at (352) 368-STOP (or **TIPS), or submitted anonymously through OcalaCrimeStoppers.com.
As the investigation continues, family members, friends, and loved ones are left grieving the sudden and tragic loss of Ja’Narre Suggs, whose life was cut short on a day meant for peace, reflection, and celebration.
