ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Two members of a television news station were shot, including one fatally, in a series of shootings Wednesday in Central Florida that claimed a total of three lives, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff John Mina made the announcement during an evening news conference.
Mina said a reporter and photographer who work for Spectrum News 13 responded to a shooting after a woman in her 20s was killed earlier in the day in the Pine Hills area, located northwest of Orlando.
While at the scene, a gunman shot the two employees of the television station, killing one and injuring the other, the sheriff's office said.
Spectrum News 13 on Thursday identified the reporter who was killed as Dylan Lyons, 24, while photographer Jesse Walden was critically injured, the news station said on its website.
A mother and her 9-year-old daughter who live nearby were also shot inside a home when the gunman entered their house. Those victims later died. Mina said it was unclear why the shooter entered their home.
This is 19-year-old Keith Melvin Moses, the suspect in a series of shootings today that left three dead, including a woman in her 20's a 9-year-old girl and a News13 employee. We extend our deepest condolences to all of their families. This is a sad day for our community. pic.twitter.com/whq8DfbmPR
— Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) February 23, 2023
According to Spectrum News 13's website, Lyons, who was born and raised in Philadelphia, joined the station as a multimedia journalist in July of last year.
Lyons graduated from the University of Central Florida and previously worked for WCJB, the ABC television station in Gainesville.
A dedicated and motivated reporter, Dylan was shot and killed while working at the scene of a homicide. Spectrum News remembers our fallen colleague. https://t.co/264x3y8Lup
— Spectrum News 13 (@MyNews13) February 23, 2023
"I want to acknowledge what a horrible day this has been for our community and our media partners," Mina said at the news conference. "I work closely with all of you and know many of you and know the very difficult job that you do and also the very important job that you do for our community and for law enforcement. No one in our community — not a mother, not a 9-year-old and certainly not news professionals — should become the victim of gun violence in our community."
The sheriff said they have arrested a suspect in the shootings, identified as Keith Moses, 19. Mina said Moses has an extensive criminal history.
It is currently unclear if the gunman knew that the two members of the media worked for a news agency, the sheriff said.
The sheriff said they continue to investigate the relationship that Moses might have had with the woman in her 20s and what prompted the other shootings.
Spectrum News 13 issued the following statement about the tragedy:
"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."
