Sunday Favorites: The Barker Gang in Florida

The longest gun battle in FBI history erupted in the rural community of Ocklawaha, Fla., an unincorporated vacation retreat southeast of Orlando. Here, the Barker Gang sought refuge in an unassuming lakeside hideout—only to meet their violent demise.

On the brisk morning of January 16, 1935, 14 federal agents known as “The Flying Squad” quietly surrounded a two-story, Cracker-style house overlooking Lake Weir. As darkness lingered, they waited for dawn, relying on the first light of day to illuminate their target before launching their assault.

At approximately 6:00 a.m., the quiet stillness of the lakeside was abruptly interrupted when Special Agent Earl "E.J." Connelley loudly announced that the home was surrounded, according to the FBI document “Bremer kidnapping, part 75.”

“Come out one at a time with your hands up,” he said. 

He singled out Freddie Barker, specifically asking him to be the first to surrender. 

Freddie was a cold-blooded killer. During the 1920s and 1930s, he was part of a notorious crime family known for bank robberies, kidnappings, and violent confrontations with law enforcement. While Freddie and his brother Author “Doc” Barker were the muscle behind the operation, they relied heavily on the influence of their mother, Arizona Donnie "Ma" Barker. Ma Barker’s involvement was crucial, as she is thought to have planned the attacks, though her direct involvement was never proven. Together, the deadly trio became known as the Barker Gang. 

Anyone who followed their trail of destruction in the news knew all too well that they wouldn’t be captured without a fight. Yet, Connelley was confident he would come out on top.

“Come out, or we will shoot tear gas in the house,” Connelley reiterated. 

Instead of initiating an exit as he’d hoped it would, Connelley’s threat incited retaliation from within. 

"What are you going to do?" asked a female voice. It was Ma. 

Connelley couldn’t tell if the message was meant for him or Freddie, but either way, it sparked a sudden rush of tension. Without hesitation, he signaled for the tear gas to be launched into the house—but the move went wrong. The grenade slammed into the side of the building, exploding on impact and sending plumes of toxic smoke into the air. As agents choked and gasped for air, the tenants opened fire, according to the Friends of the Bradford-Ma Baker House.

The agents dove for cover, barely evading the rapid fire from Freddie’s machine gun. Positioned at the upstairs window, he had a clear advantage. But then, more gunfire erupted from the kitchen.

Until that moment, it was unclear whether the matriarch of the Barker Gang played an active role in their crimes—now, she was defending her turf with a ferocity that was wild and unrelenting, her bloodlust unmistakable.

The FBI was tipped off about the hideout a few days prior, but the details of how they obtained the information vary. Some believe that it was the landlord, Carson Bradford, who rented the house to them. He became suspicious of the occupants as they paid in cash and lived an unusually secluded lifestyle. He alerted authorities, and through further investigation, the FBI confirmed the identities of Ma and Fred Barker, leading to the deadly raid.

However, it was likely Doc Barker’s arrest in Chicago on Jan. 8, 1935, that ultimately led to the demise of his family members. Doc had a map in his possession at the time of the arrest indicating other gang members were in Ocklawaha. Additionally, a letter sent to Doc contained references to a local alligator named "Gator Joe," which helped the FBI identify the specific house the gang had rented under the pseudonym "Blackburn."

The Ocklawaha shootout lasted five intense hours—two hours of relentless gunfire followed by a three-hour standoff. When it ended, the bodies of Ma and Fred Barker were found inside, surrounded by 641 shell casings. Hundreds of bullet holes marked the walls and furniture, a grim testament to the chaos that had unfolded.

(Doc Barker was later sentenced to life in prison for his crimes. In 1939, he was shot and killed while attempting to escape from Alcatraz.)

The Scene of the Crime 

Before the Barkers came along, Bradford had never rented out his house. It was late in 1934 when he received an unexpected offer from a representative of a potential renter, "Kate Blackburn," described as “a sweet little old lady,” looking for a quiet cottage where she and her sons could escape the harsh northern winter and unwind in peace.

At first, Bradford refused, insisting the house wasn’t for rent. But the Blackburns, who were the Barkers, weren’t easily deterred. They offered to pay cash upfront for the entire season, a deal too good to pass up. According to Carson Good, Bradford’s great-grandson, it was the only time the house was ever rented. (I bet they wished they had asked for a security deposit!).

Until it was donated in 2016, it remained under the same family’s ownership. It still stands exactly as it did on the morning of January 16, 1935, when it became the site of a dramatic FBI shootout. In 2016, the house—along with its bullet-riddled contents—was floated via barge to its current location at the Carney Island Recreation and Conservation Area, a county-owned park. It is now set to serve as a museum, showcasing exhibits about its history and the events that transpired there.

Would you visit this historic site and see the house where the Barker gang's violent end unfolded? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!