A television news reporter and a 9-year-old girl in Florida are dead and several others are fighting for their lives after a horrific murder in an Orlando neighborhood.
Wednesday afternoon, several television reporters from Orlando-area news stations descended on the Pine Hills area northwest of the city. He was there to cover up the murder of a woman in her early 20s, according to reports.
But around 4:00pm local time, a second tragedy struck. Two journalists working in Orlando Spectrum News 13 they were preparing to report on the incident when a gunman rushed up and shot them while they were sitting in a work van. The gunmen then fled the location of the van and went to a nearby house. There, police said, he shot a mother and her 9-year-old daughter.
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Police are close to processing the first murder since the day. So, he rushes in because the armed men are in their midst and can hold him back. Sadly, one of the journalists in the van and a 9-year-old girl in the house died at the scene. The child’s mother and another television reporter were taken to hospital in critical condition with gunshot wounds. As of late Wednesday night, he was still fighting for his life after the painful shooting.
After the arrest, police identified the alleged shooter as a 19-year-old Keith Melvin Moses (pictured above, left). They have not released the identity of the first young adult woman who died at the scene. He also did not reveal the name of the 9-year-old girl who was killed, or her mother who was shot and seriously wounded.
However, on Thursday morning, Spectrum News 13 confirmed the identity of the journalist who was the victim of this heartbreaking attack. A reporter at the station, 24 years old Dylan Lyons (pictured above, right), was identified as the man who died in the shooting. Per Fox NewsThe Lyons family initially revealed their identity on Wednesday night.
One of the station’s photographers, Jesse Walden, was also “critically injured” in the shooting and rushed to the hospital. In a press release, the outlet called it “a terrible tragedy for the community of Orlando,” and added:
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our co-workers and the other lives that have been taken for granted today. Our thoughts are with our employees’ families, friends and co-workers during this very difficult time. We remain hopeful that our other injured co-workers make a full recovery.”
After several murders on Wednesday, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference detailing the timeline of the tragedy. It all started around 11:00 on Wednesday morning, when the first woman was shot and killed in a car in the neighborhood.
Police rushed to the spot and started investigating. According to the Orange County Sheriff John Mina, officers “conducted follow-up, collected evidence, and developed leads” on the suspect. But before he can track her down, he strikes again. news crews from several stations rolled into the neighborhood to cover the shooting that evening. Several crews were on the scene at 4:00 p.m. when Musa reportedly returned to the area to commit a second crime spree.
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According to Mina, Musa has nothing to do with Spectrum News 13 shot team. The sheriff also said officers “don’t know why” the alleged gunman broke into another home in Pine Hills and shot a mother and daughter. However, Mina is convinced that Musa is the person responsible for the three shots. He insisted the teenager was “solely responsible” for the tragedy and confirmed police had formally charged him after his arrest on Wednesday evening.
Mina also reported that Musa allegedly had a pistol when he was arrested. Police hope the gun will link him to the shooting. According to Mina, Moses has “a long criminal history including gun charges, aggravated assault, burglary, and theft charges.” At the press conference, the sheriff continued:
“What a terrible day this is for our community and our media partners. No one in our community — not a mother, not a 9-year-old, certainly not a news professional — should be a victim of gun violence in our community. … We really don’t know what’s going on.” in this suspect’s mind. Hopefully at some point he will talk to us about his motives.
Here’s more on the shooting, its aftermath, and the ongoing police investigation:
So, it’s horrible.
We send our condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of Lyons, as well as the little girl and other women who died in the shooting – and wish the two seriously injured victims a full recovery.
[Image via Dylan Lyons/Twitter/Orange County Sheriff’s Office/Fox 13 Tampa Bay/YouTube]