Tragedy in Pine Hills: Gun Violence Claims Two Lives and Leaves Two Injured
On Wednesday, a tragic and senseless series of shootings occurred in Pine Hills, just outside of Orlando, Florida, leaving two dead and two critically injured. Dylan Lyons, 24, a reporter for Spectrum News 13, was killed in the shootings, along with a nine-year-old girl, while photographer Jesse Walden was critically injured.[0] The mother of the girl was also critically injured.[1]
Keith Melvin Moses, 19, was arrested in connection to the shootings while armed with a firearm that authorities believe links him to the incident.[2] According to Orange County Sheriff John Mina, Moses was an acquaintance of the woman killed earlier in the day but has no known connections to the journalists or mother and her daughter.[3] According to Mina, Moses has a lengthy criminal record, consisting of aggravated battery, assault, and grand theft.[4]
The news of the tragedy has reached Washington, where White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre expressed her condolences on Twitter: “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. Our hearts are also with the other shooting victims today, their families, and the entire community. Too many lives are being ripped apart by gun violence.”[5]
In response to the shooting, Spectrum News 13′s parent company, Charter Communications, released a statement expressing their condolences for the loss of their colleague and the other lives taken that day.[6]
At a news conference Wednesday, Sheriff Mina said, “No one in our community — not a mother, not a 9-year-old, certainly not news professionals — should become the victim of gun violence in our community.”[7]
The mother and surviving news journalist are both in critical condition, while Moses is being charged with murder and four other related shootings.
As the tragedy continues to unfold, Spectrum News 13 reporter Tania Munoz expressed her solidarity with other reporters during her report. “It is nice to see all the media come together in solidarity in this moment.[8] 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.[8]
0. “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
1. “Orlando journalist killed, 3 others shot in Pine Hills neighborhood, deputies say” FOX 13 Tampa, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.fox13news.com/news/multiple-people-shot-at-homicide-scene-in-pine-hills-orange-county-deputies-say
2. “Florida shooting spree leaves 3 people dead, including a child and a TV news employee covering one of the shootings” CNN, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/22/us/shooting-florida-orange-county/index.html
3. “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
4. “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
5. “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
6. “9-year-old girl, TV reporter fatally shot in Central Florida neighborhood, sheriff says” WJXT News4JAX , 22 Feb. 2023, https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2023/02/22/multiple-people-shot-in-pine-hills-neighborhood-orange-county-deputies-say/
7. “News reporter, 9-year-old killed in Central Florida shooting” WPBF West Palm Beach, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.wpbf.com/article/florida-orange-county-shooting/43032403
8. “Dylan Lyons, reporter killed in Florida, was raised in Philly area” CBS Philly, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/dylan-lyons-spectrum-reporter-killed-in-florida-raised-in-philadelphia-area
