Tragedy Strikes Orlando Community – Gun Violence Takes Lives and Leaves Journalists Injured
On Wednesday, tragedy struck the Orlando community as a 20-year-old woman was shot and killed and a mother and her 9-year-old daughter were wounded in a series of shootings. Spectrum News 13, a local TV news station, had sent a reporter and photographer to cover the initial shooting when they were shot in or around their vehicle.[0] The reporter, Dylan Lyons, 24, was killed and the photographer, Jesse Walden, was critically injured and is still in the hospital.[1]
Police arrested 19-year-old Keith Melvin Moses, who they say is responsible for all the shootings.[2] Orange County Sheriff John Mina said that Moses had a lengthy criminal history, including aggravated battery, assault and grand theft.[3] Mina added that he had no known connections to the journalists or the mom and her daughter, but was an acquaintance of the woman killed that morning.[4]
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House Press Secretary, expressed her sympathies in a tweet, stating: “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.”[5]
Charter Communications, the parent company of Spectrum 13 News, released the following statement: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague and the other lives senselessly taken today. 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.”
WESH reporter Luana Munoz said, “This is every reporter’s absolutely worst nightmare. We go home at night afraid that something like this will occur and that is what happened here.”[6]
No one should have to suffer the tragedy of gun violence, and these senseless killings are a reminder that we must all work together to end gun violence in our communities. We must come together to ensure the safety of our journalists and our loved ones.
0. “19-year-old boy kills teen, TV employee in Orlando” Punch Newspapers, 23 Feb. 2023, https://punchng.com/19-year-old-boy-kills-teen-tv-staff-in-orlando
1. “Spectrum News 13 television employee among 3 killed in Central Florida shootings; suspect arrested” WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.wptv.com/news/state/channel-13-news-crew-member-killed-in-central-florida-while-covering-story
2. “Florida Journalist Shot And Killed While Reporting On Another Fatal Shooting” HuffPost, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/florida-journalist-killed-shooting-orlando_n_63f6bb37e4b04ff5b487dbf0
3. “Florida news crew shot while covering shooting near Orlando, 2 dead, including 9-year-old: police” Fox News, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.foxnews.com/us/florida-deputies-say-multiple-people-shot-near-orlando
4. “Keith Melvin Moses: What we know about suspect in deadly Pine Hills shooting” FOX 35 Orlando, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/keith-melvin-moses-what-we-know-about-suspect-in-deadly-orlando-mass-shooting
5. “Orlando-area journalist, child and woman killed in Central Florida shootings, deputies say” Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article272577786.html
6. “A 19-Year-Old Man Allegedly Killed A Woman, Then Returned To The Scene Hours Later And Shot Four Others, Including A 9-Year-Old Girl And A Journalist” BuzzFeed News, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/skbaer/journalist-child-killed-florida-shootings-orlando
