Orlando Shooting: 3 Dead, 2 Injured; 19-Year-Old Suspect Arrested

On Wednesday, three people were killed and two others were injured in a series of shootings in Orlando, Florida.^[0] Among the victims were a 9-year-old girl, T'yonna Major, and a 24-year-old local TV reporter, Dylan Lyons.^[1] Lyons worked for Spectrum News 13, alongside photojournalist Jesse Walden, who was critically injured in the attack.^[2]

Keith Melvin Moses, 19, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of Nathacha Augustin, 38, and is the same suspect in the shooting of Lyons and Major.^[3] Orange County Sheriff John Mina said additional charges are expected to be added at any moment.^[4]

Moses has a long rap sheet with 8 felony and 11 misdemeanor arrests.^[0] Police reported that the charges encompassed possession of a firearm by a minor and robbery with a deadly weapon.^[5] Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House Press Secretary, expressed her condolences via Twitter, stating that their hearts go out to the family of the journalist who was killed and the crew member who was injured in Orange County, Florida, as well as the entire Spectrum News team.^[4]

In 2022, Lyons and Walden both began working at Spectrum News 13, being assigned to the same night shift.^[6] An affidavit revealed the suspect's demeanor before he allegedly opened fired, and deputies found Augustin shot in a vehicle around 11:17 a.m. in the 6100 block of Hialeah Street.^[7]

From his hospital bed, Walden described Lyons as a go-getter who was happy to be doing what he loved and remembered him as a “very, very wholesome person” with a great sense of humor.^[8]

The Orange County Sheriff's Office released body-worn camera footage showing deputies arresting Moses. In the footage, Moses is heard screaming, “They killing me,” and “I can't breathe,” as officers put him in handcuffs on the ground.^[9] Moses was brought to a hospital due to an injury, but he ended up engaging in a physical altercation with the hospital staff, resulting in him being restrained.^[10] During his transport to the sheriff's office for an interview, he feigned sleep and was uncooperative.^[11] At one point, he physically resisted officers and had to be subdued.^[11]

0. “Body camera footage shows suspect taken into custody after deadly shooting of Florida news reporter, child” WPBF West Palm Beach, 24 Feb. 2023, https://www.wpbf.com/article/florida-orlando-reporter-shooting-moses-custody-bodycam/43048618

1. “Body cam video shows deputies arrest suspect accused of killing reporter, 9-year-old in Orlando” WESH 2 Orlando, 24 Feb. 2023, https://www.wesh.com/article/video-pine-hills-reporter-shot/43048641

2. “Florida TV journalist and child shot dead at scene of earlier murder” BBC, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64740209

3. “Fla. Reporter Breaks Down While Covering Fellow Journalist Who Was Shot” PEOPLE, 24 Feb. 2023, https://people.com/crime/fla-news-reporter-breaks-down-on-air-while-covering-fellow-journalist-who-was-fatally-shot/

4. “Former TV20 News anchor, reporter Dylan Lyons shot while covering homicide in Orlando” WCJB, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.wcjb.com/2023/02/23/former-tv20-news-anchor-reporter-dylan-lyons-shot-while-covering-homicide-orlando/

5. “Orlando shootings: Police release bodycam footage of arrest of suspect Keith Melvin Moses” CBS News, 24 Feb. 2023, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/police-bodycam-footage-arrest-orlando-shootings-suspect-keith-melvin-moses/

6. “Florida photojournalist speaks from hospital bed about TV news reporter's killing: ‘You're losing a friend'” Fox News, 24 Feb. 2023, https://www.foxnews.com/us/florida-photojournalist-speaks-hospital-bed-tv-news-reporter-killing-youre-losing-a-friend

7. “Orlando shooting: Affidavit details start of Pine Hills spree, but not motive” Orlando Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/crime/os-ne-keith-moses-orlando-shooting-murder-arrest-20230223-oe4plv2zf5fubprog5n4ijsrja-story.html

8. “Orlando TV photojournalist critically injured in shooting opens up about loss of his coworker” WLWT Cincinnati, 24 Feb. 2023, https://www.wlwt.com/article/orlando-tv-photojournalist-critically-injured-in-shooting-opens-up-about-loss-of-his-coworker/43052877

9. “Florida deputies release bodycam of suspect's arrest in shooting of Orlando journalists, young girl” FOX 35 Orlando, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/keith-melvin-moses-arrest-body-cam-video

10. “Reporter, 9-year-old girl killed in Orlando shooting spree: What we know” WESH 2 Orlando, 24 Feb. 2023, https://www.wesh.com/article/orlando-spectrum-reporter-killed/43042862

11. “Man accused of killing Orlando TV reporter was a gang member, officials say” NBC News, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-accused-killing-orlando-tv-reporter-was-gang-member-officials-say-rcna71952