Florida Shooting Spree: Teen Suspect Kills 3, Including TV Reporter and 9-Year-Old Girl

A Florida TV reporter, a woman, and a nine-year-old girl were killed in a shooting spree in Pine Hills on Wednesday, police said.

Police officers had initially responded to the 6100 block of Hialeah Street at around 11:20 a.m. after receiving reports of a woman in her 20s shot to death inside a car.

A Spectrum News 13 reporter and photographer went to the scene to cover the story. Police said a man approached the news vehicle and shot both men before walking up Harrington Street and entering a nearby house, where he then shot a woman and her 9-year-old daughter.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said the reporter and the girl died, while the girl's mom and the second news crew member were in critical condition at a hospital, USA Today reported.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Mina said, "I want to acknowledge what a horrible day this has been for our community and our media partners," adding that nobody in their community deserves to be shot and killed, not a mom, not a kid, and especially not a journalist.

Spectrum News 13 has yet to identify the crew members who were shot. In a statement, Charter Communications, the TV station's parent company, said the incident was a "terrible tragedy" for the community.

"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," Charter Communications noted.

Florida Shooting Spree

In the press conference, John Mina noted that the Spectrum News 13 employees were "in or near their vehicle," which he said did not look like a TV station's official vehicle when they were shot at around 4 p.m. local time, BBC reported.

Mina said suspect Keith Melvin Moses, 19, only returned to the scene of the homicide and went on a shooting spree. Local reporters said other journalists in the area helped provide first aid to the victims. Spectrum News 13 reportedly continued its live coverage after announcing the reporter's death.

Florida Shooting Spree Suspect Has 'Lengthy Criminal History'

John Mina confirmed that authorities arrested Keith Melvin Moses, and he was formally charged with murder from the first shooting incident. He said they expect additional charges for the shootings of four others.

According to Mina, Moses has a "lengthy criminal history" that includes charges of aggravated battery, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, and grand theft.

He said Moses knew the first woman who was shot to death but had no connection to the Spectrum News 13 employees, the mother, and the nine-year-old girl, Fox News reported. Mina noted that they still do not know the motive for the shootings, but it was also possible the suspect mistook the journalists for police.

"It's unclear why exactly they were targeted... But certainly we have seen [violence against media] around the nation and around the world. So that's something we're definitely going to be taking a look at and see if we can put the pieces together and see why this happened," he added.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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