Orlando TV news journalist, 9-year-old girl killed in shootings near earlier homicide scene
An Orlando TV journalist and a child were shot and killed on Wednesday evening near a crime scene where a woman was found shot to death earlier in the day, in a brutal spate of violence in Pine Hills that prompted widespread shock and grief.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina said at a news conference that the journalist for Spectrum News 13 and the 9-year-old girl were among four people who were shot. The others were another member of the News 13 crew and the mother of the girl.
Charter, a cable giant, operates Spectrum news channels in markets across the U.S. My wife works at NYC's. These TV crews are the epitome of local news — young, tenacious, creative journalists who walk the streets at all hours and tell the stories the rest of us need to know.
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) February 23, 2023
Mina said a suspect, Keith Melvin Moses, 19, was in custody — and he was also suspected in the earlier shooting of the woman.
The other Spectrum News 13 journalist shot was listed in critical condition according to Mina. The journalists were working on a story about the previous shooting in the Pine Hills neighborhood.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague and the other lives senselessly taken today,” Charter Communications, the parent company of Spectrum News 13, said in statement shared on Twitter.
“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. This is a terrible tragedy for the Orlando community.”
According to WFTV-Channel 9, which also had journalists at the scene who were not injured, the shooter walked up to the News 13 vehicle and opened fire.
“The man walked by our crew who was working in their car. Our crew ducked,” WFTV’s Nick Papantonis tweeted. “The man then walked up to the other crew working in their car and opened fire.”
The Channel 9 reporters rendered aid as first responders were called. Multiple ambulances reportedly left the scene and took the victims to Orlando Regional Medical Center.
Mina said the suspect walked up to the News 13 vehicle around 4:05 p.m. and fired into it, hitting the photographer and reporter. Both were taken to the hospital where one was pronounced dead.
