News/Commentary

Florida reporter, 24, and child gunned down by killer returning to scene of earlier shooting

February 23, 2023 | | Print Article

A 19-year-old suspect is believed to have shot and killed a 20-year-old woman who was sitting in her car Wednesday afternoon in Orange County, Florida, later returning to the scene of the crime and shooting a local journalist in his news van and then proceeding to murder a nine-year-old girl.

(Video Credit: FOX 11 Los Angeles)

At 11 am, the suspected gunman, Keith Melvin Moses, allegedly killed his first victim in her car. At 4 pm, while 24-year-old Spectrum News 13 reporter Dylan Lyons was covering the murder of the young woman, Moses allegedly came up to the news van and opened fire hitting both the reporter and the photographer in the vehicle. According to Orange County Sheriff John Mina, Lyons died and the photographer is in critical condition.

After Moses was done there, he allegedly stormed into a home where he shot a mother and her 9-year-old daughter. The child died in the hospital and the mother is in critical condition fighting for her life according to Mina.

The suspect has been arrested and has been charged with one count of murder for the killing of the young woman in her car and is expected to face further charges for the second and third shootings, the sheriff said.

Moses reportedly used a handgun. He had it on him when the police took him into custody, according to the New York Post.

(Video Credit: LiveNOW from FOX)

“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 noted.

The sheriff stated that the young woman in her car is thought to have been an acquaintance of Moses. There is no known connection between the suspect and the other victims. Detectives are attempting to determine a motive for the killings.

It is also unknown if Moses deliberating targeted the News 13 team because they were journalists. The vehicle was not clearly distinguishable as a news van but the photographer’s equipment was visible according to the New York Post.

“The suspect is not saying much right now,” Mina reported. “It is unclear if he knew they were news media or not.”

“I want to acknowledge what a horrible day this has been for our community and our media partners,” Mina said. “I work closely with all of you … no one in our community — not a mother, not a 9-year-old, certainly not news professionals — should become the victim of gun violence,” the sheriff commented.

According to the Daily Mail, Lyons’ heartbroken fiancée, Casey Lynn, stated, “The love of my life was murdered. I will never be the same again.”

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague and the other lives senselessly taken today,” Spectrum News sadly commented 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 also remarked in a statement Wednesday night. “This is a terrible tragedy for the Orlando community.”

Spectrum reporter Celeste Springer was visibly emotional in a live broadcast from the hospital where her colleague remains 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, choking up.

“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 stated later in the evening. “We are hopeful for a full and swift recovery.”

“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.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tweeted, “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.”

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) 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 tweeted.

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