Florida shooter goes back to the crime scene and kills a working TV reporter and a 9-year-old
Authorities say that a TV reporter for a station in central Florida and a young girl were both shot and killed Wednesday afternoon near the scene of a fatal shooting that happened earlier in the day.
Sheriff John Mina of Orange County said at a news conference that they have arrested Keith Melvin Moses, 19, who they think is responsible for both shootings in the Orlando-area neighbourhood.
A TV crew member and the girl’s mother were hurt during the second shooting, in addition to the journalist from Spectrum News 13 and the 9-year-old girl. At a nearby hospital, they were in critical condition.
“I want to acknowledge what a horrible day this has been for our community and our media partners,” Mina told a room full of reporters. “I work closely with all of you and know many of you and know the very difficult job that you do and also the very important job that you do for our community and for law enforcement. No one in our community – not a mother, not a 9-year-old and certainly not news professionals – should become the victim of gun violence in our community.”
Mina stated that they do not instantly have a motive for any of the shootings.
“So, the suspect isn’t saying much right now,” Mina said.”It is unclear if he knew they were news media or not. We’re still trying to work all that out.”
Mina said that the News 13 vehicle did not look like a typical news van with TV station markings.
On Wednesday morning, there were reports that a woman in her 20s had been shot in the Pine Hills area, which is just northwest of Orlando. This prompted deputies to go there.
Moses “was an acquaintance of the woman this morning, but as far as we know, had no connection to the reporters and no connection to the mother and the 9-year-old,”
Witnesses say that later Wednesday, a man approached the news car and started shooting, hitting the two reporters. The man then went to a nearby house and shot the mother and daughter.
WFTV crews, who were also covering the shooting in the morning, tried to help the Spectrum 13 journalists who were hurt.
According to Mina, Moses is already facing murder charges for the first victim, and charges against the other four victims are anticipated soon. According to the sheriff, Moses has been charged with gun crimes, as well as aggravated battery, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, and grand theft.
“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 wrote on Twitter.
According to a story on the website of TV station Spectrum News 13, the crew members who were involved in the shooting were not being named.
“Please, please, say a prayer tonight for our co-worker who is in critical condition. And while you’re at it, please say a prayer for every victim of gun violence in this country,” During her live broadcast, Spectrum 13 reporter Celeste Springer said.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 40 journalists were killed worldwide last year, and two more were killed this year before Wednesday. Only one of those was in the United States.
Jeff German, who covered politics and corruption for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, was found dead outside of his home in September. He had been stabbed several times. Robert Telles, a former Clark County Public Administrator who was frequently the subject of German’s reporting, has pleaded not guilty to murder.
Alison Parker, a reporter for the CBS affiliate WDBJ7 in Virginia, and Adam Ward, a cameraman, were shot and killed in 2015. The suspect, a former TV station reporter, committed suicide while police were looking for him.