A 77-year-old woman called authorities after shooting a man who investigators say attacked her outside a Baker County veterinary hospital.
MACCLENNY, Fla. — A 77-year-old woman fatally shot a 57-year-old man after authorities say he attacked her in the parking lot of a veterinary hospital early Monday, a shooting that Baker County investigators preliminarily believe was an act of self-defense.
Baker County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Macclenny Veterinary Hospital at about 4:30 a.m. Oct. 5 after the woman called to report the shooting. Authorities identified the man as Alvin Tyrone Tisdale of Macclenny. He was taken to UF Health in Jacksonville, where he later died from his injuries. The sheriff’s office has not publicly identified the woman.
Investigators said the woman was in the parking lot when Tisdale attacked her and that she responded by firing at him. The sheriff’s office described its finding of self-defense as preliminary, meaning detectives were continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the encounter. The woman has cooperated with investigators, authorities said, and no arrest had been announced.
Details about what led to the encounter remain limited. Authorities have not publicly described a motive for the reported attack or released a detailed account of what happened immediately before the shooting. The sheriff’s office also has not announced whether the woman and Tisdale knew each other before the incident.
Investigators continued gathering information at and around the veterinary hospital after the shooting. Action News Jax reported that deputies canvassed the parking lot Monday and that nearby businesses said investigators asked them for surveillance footage. Authorities had not said whether any camera recorded the shooting.
The shooting happened before the veterinary hospital opened for normal business. Hospital employees said they arrived after the scene had been cleared and did not witness what happened. Staff members also said the hospital was not otherwise involved in the incident, and the business remained open Monday.
The circumstances of the woman’s presence at the property became clearer later Monday. Baker County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Dave Mancini told News4JAX that she regularly volunteers to feed community cats at local businesses and was at the veterinary clinic before dawn as part of that work. Mancini said she was known in the area for her involvement in animal rescue.
The sheriff’s office has stopped short of describing its preliminary self-defense determination as the final outcome of the case. Investigators were continuing to review evidence and seek information about the encounter. No criminal charges had been announced as of Wednesday.
The Baker County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation remains open as detectives work to establish the full sequence of events surrounding Tisdale’s death.
Author note: Last updated October 7, 2026.