The Reporter (Vacaville)

TV reporter, girl fatally shot in Fla.

- By David Fischer

A central Florida television journalist and a little girl were fatally shot Wednesday afternoon near the scene of a fatal shooting from earlier in the day, authoritie­s said.

Orange County Sheriff John Mina said during a news conference Wednesday evening that they've detained Keith Melvin Moses, 19, who they believe is responsibl­e for both shootings in the Orlando-area neighborho­od.

Besides the Spectrum News 13 journalist and the 9-year-old girl, a TV crewmember and the girl's mother were wounded during the second shooting. They were in critical condition at a local hospital.

“I want to acknowledg­e what a horrible day this has been for our community and our media partners,” Mina told a room full of reporters. “I work closely with all of you and know many of you and know the 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.”

Mina said they don't immediatel­y have a motive for any of the shootings.

“So, the suspect is not saying much right now,” Mina said. “It is unclear if he knew they were news media or not. We're still trying to work all that out.”

Mina said the News 13 vehicle did not look like a typical news van with TV station markings.

Deputies had initially responded to the Pine Hills area, just northwest of Orlando, on Wednesday morning following reports of a woman in her 20s being shot.

Moses “was an acquaintan­ce of the woman this morning, but as far as we know, had no connection to the reporters and no connection to the mother and the 9-year-old,” Mina said.

According to witnesses, a man approached the news vehicle later Wednesday and opened fire, hitting the two reporters. The man then walked to a nearby home and shot the mother and daughter.

WFTV crews, who were also reporting on the morning shooting, tried to give medical aid to the Spectrum 13 journalist­s.

Mina said Moses is already facing a murder charge for the initial victim, and charges are expected soon for the other four victims. Moses' criminal history includes gun charges, as well as aggravated battery, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and grand theft offenses, the sheriff said.

“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,” White House press secretary Karine JeanPierre said on Twitter.

Spectrum News 13 was not identifyin­g the crew members involved in the shooting, according to a story on the TV station's website.

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