The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Gunman kills three, including reporter covering first death

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A man riding in a car with his cousin shot and killed another passenger, then returned to the same neighborho­od near Orlando hours later and shot four more people, killing a journalist covering the original shooting and a 9-year-old girl, police and witnesses said.

Orange County Sheriff John Mina characteri­zed the shootings Wednesday as random violence. Mina said at a news conference that 19-year-old Keith Melvin Moses has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the initial shooting that killed Nathacha Augustin, 38, and that “numerous more charges” would follow.

Spectrum News 13 identified the slain reporter as Dylan Lyons. Photograph­er Jesse Walden was also wounded. Mina said Walden has been talking to investigat­ors while being treated at a hospital.

The two were in an unmarked news vehicle Wednesday afternoon covering the first homicide when a man approached and shot them, Mina said. The man then went to a nearby home where he fatally shot T’yonna Major and critically wounded the girl’s mother. Officials haven’t released the mother’s name. Mina said Thursday

that investigat­ors do not know the motive for any of the shootings. He said Moses is a known gang member but that the shootings didn’t appear to be gang-related. He said it was not clear if Moses knew that two of the victims were journalist­s and noted that their vehicle didn’t look like a typical news van or have the station’s logo on it.

A man who called 911 after Augustin was shot told investigat­ors that he was driving around smoking cannabis with her when he spotted Moses walking along a road. He said Moses “seemed down” so he offered him a ride, according to an arrest affidavit. Moses got into the vehicle directly behind Augustin and about 30 seconds later he “heard a loud bang” and saw blood on Augustin’s face.

He said he stopped and Moses left the vehicle. The driver called 911. He told investigat­ors that Moses and Augustin didn’t know each other and that he didn’t hear the two exchange any words before the shot was fired. Mina said Thursday the driver and Moses are cousins.

Deputies responded to the Pine Hills area, northwest of Orlando, at around 11 a.m. Wednesday after reports that a woman in her 20s had been shot. About five hours later, 911 calls began coming in from the same scene, Mina said.

 ?? JOHN RAOUX/AP ?? Flowers and notes are placed at a small makeshift memorial at the Orlando Regional Medical Center emergency room Thursday after a TV journalist and a child were shot and killed and others were injured.
JOHN RAOUX/AP Flowers and notes are placed at a small makeshift memorial at the Orlando Regional Medical Center emergency room Thursday after a TV journalist and a child were shot and killed and others were injured.

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