Chiefland woman shoots two victims, killing one, injuring one
Photo of incident property and Barba's mugshot courtesy of LCSO.
At 4:21 p.m. on March 14, 2024, the Levy County Sheriff's Office 911 Center received a phone call that reported a shooting that had occurred at 6650 NW 100 Avenue, a location southwest of Chiefland, Florida.
When deputies arrived at the location, a witness told them that the shooter, identified as 46 year-old Kimberly Dawn Barba, who lives at the location, had possibly barricaded herself inside a nearby barn, and she was still armed. The witness also said that Barba had made a statement that she would shoot law enforcement personnel when they arrived on scene.
Deputies saw a woman, believed to be the victim of the reported shooting, inside a nearby truck, slumped over. The female victim, whose identity was not released, was removed from the truck by detectives with the Levy County Sheriff's Office and the agency's Tactical Response Unit (TRU). The victim had not survived her injuries.
Detectives verified that Barba was, in-fact, barricaded inside a nearby barn. TRU members located Barba inside the barn and took her into custody at 6:40 p.m.
Detectives learned that Barba and the victim, who were not related to one another, lived on the same property. The victim, who was accompanied by a relative, had arrived home from running errands shortly before the shooting began. Barba, who was displaying a firearm, had approached the victim and made several statements before opening fire on her. The victim had sought refuge inside of her truck after being shot, and the victim's family member had run from Barba, who'd pursued the family member, firing at her several times; one projectile had struck the family member's elbow. Barba then turned her attention toward the victim inside the truck, firing at her several more times before fleeing to the barn where she was later located by deputies and taken into custody.
Barba was booked into the Levy County Detention Bureau, charged with a single count of premeditated murder, with her bond set at none. Additional charges are expected to be filed as the investigation continues.