A suspect sought in connection with a previous fatal shooting at the same location shot and killed a Florida journalist and a 9-year-old girl on Wednesday afternoon, according to authorities.
According to Orange County Sheriff John Mina, two additional people were hurt in the 4 p.m. shooting on Hialeah Street in Pine Hills, including a second journalist for Spectrum News 13.
The unimaginable horror allegedly started at 11 a.m. when 19-year-old Keith Melvin Moses, the suspected shooter, allegedly shot and killed a 20-year-old woman who was sitting in a car on the street, according to Mina.
Five hours after the initial homicide, Moses allegedly returned to the scene and opened fire on a Spectrum News 13 crew that was there covering the incident.
A reporter for News 13 and a photographer who were in or close to their news van were both shot. Dylan Lyons, a 24-year-old reporter, was identified as the victim by family early on Thursday. According to Mina, the photographer was critically ill and hospitalised.
A short time later, Moses is accused of breaking into a home on Hialeah Street and shooting a 9-year-old girl and her mother. According to the sheriff, the child passed away from her wounds in the hospital while her mother is battling for her life.
Moses was detained by police after the subsequent shootings, and it was later determined that he was also a suspect in the murder of the 20-year-old woman. He was charged with one count of murder for the morning shooting, and additional charges for the second and third shootings are anticipated, according to Mina.
When police caught up with him, he had a handgun in his possession, which they believe to be the murder weapon.
“At 19, he had a lengthy criminal history to [sic] include gun charges, aggravated battery and assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, and grand theft charges,” Mina said of the suspect.
Although the first victim was reportedly a friend of Moses, Mina stated that there is currently no information linking the suspect to his subsequent victims. A motive is being looked into by deputies.
The sheriff added that it’s unclear whether Moses singled out the News 13 team because they were reporters.
“The suspect is not saying much right now,” Mina said. “It is unclear if he knew they were news media or not.”
However, he claimed that the photographer’s equipment was visible and that it was difficult to tell that the team’s van was a news van.
“No one in our community — not a mother, not a nine-year-old, certainly not news professionals should become the victim of gun violence,” Mina said.
By the time of the afternoon shootings, homicide detectives and other law enforcement personnel had left the scene of the earlier morning murder.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague and the other lives senselessly taken today,” Spectrum News said in a statement.
“Our thoughts are with our employee’s family, friends, and co-workers during this very difficult time. We remain hopeful that our other colleague who was injured makes a full recovery,” Spectrum’s parent company Charter Communications said in a statement Wednesday night. “This is a terrible tragedy for the Orlando community.”
Reporter for Spectrum Celeste Springer broke down during a live broadcast from the hospital, where her coworker is still in critical condition.
“This is extremely devastating for all of us, but I’m proud to have such an amazing team backing all of us,” Springer said on air. “We really are such an incredible family here tonight and of course, we’re all praying for our news member who’s in the hospital right now.”
“A couple hours ago before we learned that our news member had passed away, we all sat in a circle here and said a quick prayer and all I can ask for anyone watching at home right now is please, please say a prayer tonight for our coworker who is in critical condition and while you’re at it, please say a prayer for every victim of gun violence in this country,” she said, tearing up.
Later that evening, a different News 13 team member reported the seriously hurt journalist was getting better.
“In one good news update – our other coworker who was critically injured in this shooting is alert and speaking to investigators and the medical team,” Spectrum News hurricane specialist Zach Covey said. “We are hopeful for a full and swift recovery.”
He asked others to keep the team in their thoughts as they cope with the loss of one of their own.
“Please – keep my News 13 family in your thoughts tonight and for the next several days,” Covey tweeted. “I’m going to pull back from social for a little while I process tonight. Please respect our distance during this time.”
Following the news, the Biden administration sent its condolences to the families of the two journalists.
“Our hearts go out to the family of the journalist killed today and the crew member injured in Orange County, Florida, as well as the whole Spectrum News team,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tweeted.
US Sen. Rick Scott called the shooting “absolutely horrible.”
“My team and I are closely monitoring the situation and keeping these Floridians and their families in our prayers,” the Florida lawmaker said.
