LAKE CITY, FL – A Saturday afternoon shooting in Lake City prompted a large, multi-agency response and ended with the suspect found dead hours later, according to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
On January 3, 2026, at approximately 4:07 p.m., 911 received a call reporting a person had been shot at a residence in the 500 block of SW Journey Court. Columbia County deputies arrived within minutes and found a female victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. She was pronounced deceased at the scene and later identified as 27-year-old Tina Farmer.
Witnesses at the location provided information that allowed deputies to quickly establish a perimeter in the surrounding wooded area. Because the suspect was believed to be armed and at large, the Sheriff’s Office issued a shelter-in-place alert through its Facebook page and coordinated notifications with Columbia County Emergency Management for nearby residents.
Due to the size of the search area and worsening weather conditions, additional resources were requested. Assistance was provided by the Lake City Police Department, Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Corrections, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office. K-9 units, SWAT teams, and drone operators were deployed to assist in the search.
Shortly after 7:00 p.m., CCSO drone and SWAT teams located the suspect deceased in a wooded area near the scene. Authorities later identified the suspect as 19-year-old Tyndale M. Mullins, a cousin of the victim. Family members of both the victim and the suspect have been notified.
The investigation remains ongoing, and deputies say the circumstances leading up to the shooting are still being determined.
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