Florida TV journalist shot dead while reporting on a murder: Police

Florida TV journalist shot dead while reporting on a murder: Police
A handout photo of Keith Melvin Moses, identified as the suspect in a series of shootings in Orange County, Florida, by the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
PHOTO: Reuters

A gunman opened fire on two television journalists reporting on a murder near Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday (Feb 22), killing one and wounding the other before fatally shooting a nine-year-old girl and wounding her mother in a nearby home, authorities said.

A suspect identified as Keith Melvin Moses, 19, was arrested shortly after the assaults on the television news team and the mother and daughter, about a block away from each other, in the Orlando suburb of Pine Hills, said Orange County Sheriff John Mina.

Moses was detained as a suspect in both those attacks and was formally charged in the killing hours earlier of a woman in her 20s, a shooting that the two journalists were covering when they came under fire, Mina said.

The sheriff described the two journalists as a reporter and a photographer for central Florida cable television outlet Spectrum News 13, which is owned by Charter Communications.

None of the victims were identified.

Mina said the suspect was armed with a pistol when taken into custody and has a lengthy criminal record that included arrests on charges of firearms offences, aggravated battery, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and grand theft.

Mina said no motive had been determined for any of Wednesday's shootings, but he said Moses was believed to have been an acquaintance of the first victim, who was shot while sitting in a car with the suspected gunman and another person.

The sheriff said he did not know whether the two newsmen were targeted because they were journalists, adding that their automobile lacked the logos and markings typically seen on a news vehicle.

They were in or near their vehicle when they were shot.

"As far as we know, he had no connection to the reporters and no connection to the mother or the nine-year-old, and we don't know why he entered their home," the sheriff said.

Read Also
1 killed, 3 wounded in Texas mall shooting
world
1 killed, 3 wounded in Texas mall shooting

He said both the mother and the surviving journalist were in hospital in critical condition.

"This is another tragic reminder that journalism is a dangerous business and that criminals and those that are the subject of reporting can become violent toward reporters who are doing their jobs," said the National Press Club.

The organisation urged all reporters in the field to take extra precautions and redouble efforts to work safely.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre posted a message of 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," she said.

Source: Reuters

homepage

trending

trending
    'A lesson learnt': Singapore-based woman fractures rib while attempting viral Chongqing motorcycle trend
    'Be my boyfriend tonight': Sex workers allegedly soliciting customers near Orchard Road
    Thai woman allegedly extorts $15m from senior Buddhist monks over 3 years, gambles away almost everything
    'Everyone's time is respected': ComfortDelGro to introduce new taxi cancellation, waiting fee policy
    Life-sized animatronics, 22 immersive zones and more: First look at the new Singapore Oceanarium
    'I hope Wang Xiaofei earns a lot of money': Ken Chu scolded for selling products by Barbie Hsu's ex-husband, explains his actions
    Michelin Bib Gourmand 2025: Boon Tong Kee in Balestier and Kotuwa among 11 new entries on list
    What is the best way to meet the people's needs? SM Lee, Jamus Lim debate COE scheme
    Police investigating 93 people, including 13-year-old, for unlicensed moneylending activities
    Blue Bottle Coffee opens cafe in Orchard Road, fans can expect exclusive menu items and more
    ComfortDelGro launches upskilling initiative for drivers with focus on autonomous vehicles
    'Hiding behind gangster-style bravado': Debt collection firm responds after staff member attacked with golf club

Singapore

Singapore
    • 'Thousands' of Singaporeans shopping in JB driving up food, rental prices: Johor chief minister
    • 'Against racial harmony': Singaporeans riled by Chinese menus with no English translation
    • ICA foils attempt to smuggle 60,000 e-vaporisers, related components in Malaysian lorry at Tuas Checkpoint
    • 'They downplayed the whole situation': Mum blames Ang Mo Kio pre-school after daughter's fall leads to surgery
    • Singapore Zoo breeds critically endangered Philippine crocodile for the first time
    • NEA monitoring E. coli at Sentosa after elevated bacteria levels delay World Aquatics events
    • HSA launches anti-vaping checks near 5 institutes of higher learning
    • 3 new Supreme Court judges appointed, 1 reappointed
    • Jail for drunken man who shoved stranger into Singapore River, causing him to drown
    • Man in coma after SLE accident in June; had planned to register marriage next year

Entertainment

Entertainment
    • Video-taking ban at J-rock band My First Story's debut Singapore show results in superb concert experience
    • 'Wow, who is this girl?' Pierre Png and Cynthia Koh recall first time they met at water park as teens
    • 'How long can I continue to sing for?' JJ Lin diagnosed with heart condition in 2024
    • 'It feels like a dream': F4 reunite for first time in over 10 years during Mayday concert finale
    • Emma Watson banned from driving for 6 months
    • Handler of real-life Annabelle doll that inspired The Conjuring character dies while on tour with cursed toy
    • Nick Cannon admits 'probably careless activity' led to him fathering 5 kids in 1 year
    • Ariana Grande and Josh Gad to star in Dr. Seuss' Oh, The Places You'll Go!
    • Producers of all-Asian rom-com Worth The Wait reject Hollywood pressure to cast white actors
    • Anton Lesser cast in new Harry Potter TV series

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
    • Malaysian watch brand pays tribute to king of fruits with durian-inspired timepiece
    • Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025: 5 Singapore bars make the list, a drop from last year's 11
    • Kaya toast, extra cute please: Breakfast-themed plushies with a local twist at Marina Square pop-up
    • Singapore coffee brand Alchemist debuts 2 outlets in Japan, marking first overseas venture
    • Lion cub cuddles on offer with afternoon tea in China
    • Men jailed for felling Britain's iconic 'Sycamore Gap' tree
    • Las Vegas Sands' new development part of Singapore's broader, more ambitious transformation: PM Wong
    • I thought childbirth was painful. Then I caught my baby's hand, foot and mouth disease
    • How a mother's warmth shapes a child's mental health, according to science
    • A first-time condo buyer's guide to evaluating property developers in Singapore

Digicult

Digicult
    • Slim, sleek, but slightly too short-lived: Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review
    • World's best Dota 2 teams to compete for $1m prize pool in Singapore in November
    • 'Give a positive review': Hidden AI prompt found in academic paper by NUS researchers
    • 'Report 1 shop, another 10 appear': Hoyo Fest artists on copyright struggles
    • NTU penalises 3 students over use of AI tools; they dispute university's findings
    • Australia social media teen ban software trial organisers say the tech works
    • Disney, Universal sue image creator Midjourney for copyright infringement
    • Initiative by IMDA, AI Verify Foundation tests AI accuracy, trustworthiness in real-world scenarios
    • Under siege? Helldivers 2's latest city to be invaded by aliens could be spoof of Singapore
    • Honor 400 Series launches in Singapore with first free in-device AI image-to-video tool

Money

Money
    • Up 4.3%: Singapore's economy grew in Q2 despite US tariff fears
    • US Senate passes aid, public broadcasting cuts in victory for Trump
    • Beneath China's resilient economy, a life of pay cuts and side hustles
    • France's PM wants to scrap 2 public holidays to help fix government finances
    • Retiring OCBC chief Helen Wong drives synergies among markets, business units, bank insiders say
    • Trump sets 19% tariff on Indonesia goods in latest deal, EU readies retaliation
    • US planes, cars and drinks on EU list for potential tariffs
    • China suffers $9.7b in losses from natural disasters in H1 2025
    • Best credit card promotions in Singapore (July 2025): Citibank, DBS, HSBC, UOB and more
    • Best bank offers in Singapore (July 2025): 50% cashback on public transit with Amex, win Business Class flights with HSBC and more

Latest

Latest
  • Daily roundup: What is the best way to meet the people's needs? SM Lee, Jamus Lim debate COE scheme — and other top stories today
  • Zelenskiy aims to woo both public and Trump with fresh-faced Ukraine cabinet
  • New pier completed at North Korea rocket launch site, satellite imagery shows
  • Fire at mall in Iraq leaves at least 60 dead, officials say
  • South Korea lashed by heavy rain, two dead and more than 1,000 evacuated
  • Enter the kill zone: Ukraine's drone-infested front slows Russian advance
  • Malaysia in a tight spot as pressure builds to reject Trump's 'alpha male' pick as ambassador
  • South Korea's Lee orders new investigation team to look into deadly 2022 crush
  • US aims to ban Chinese technology in undersea telecommunications cables

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It
  • I lost my daughter to Kpod addiction: Father of 19-year-old shares heartbreak and lessons
  • China mum jailed for selling 2 sons for over $14k to tip livestreamers, buy clothes
  • Organised crime groups pushing drug-laced vapes in Asia including Singapore: UN
  • Malaysian man strikes $4m lottery after betting on his, girlfriend's IC numbers for 3 years
  • Singaporean who defaulted on NS obligations used fake Malaysian passports at checkpoints over 800 times
  • JB mum forgets baby in car during shopping trip; cops, locksmith rescue infant
  • Lurid tale of China's cross-dressing 'red uncle' goes viral online
  • Climbers battle torrential waters after flash floods hit Mount Kinabalu; all 155 persons safe, says park
  • Jail for ex-auxiliary police officer who loaded 1 bullet and accidentally discharged revolver
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.