Florida gunman returns to scene of murder and kills reporter covering shooting, police say

The man suspected of killing a woman in Florida on Wednesday returned to the crime scene hours later and shot a television reporter and a nine-year-old girl, authorities said.

Orange County Sheriff John Mina said a 19-year-old man, Keith Melvin Moses, has been taken into custody and is believed to be responsible for the shooting.

The attack happened in Pine Hills, a suburb west of Orlando in central Florida. A 20-year-old woman was killed there around 11 a.m. Wednesday, the sheriff’s department said Wednesday.

A team from Spectrum News 13 arrived hours later to cover the killing, Mina said at an evening news conference.

Shortly after 4 p.m., Mr. Moses arrived and opened fire on a Spectrum camera operator and a reporter as they stood near their vehicle, killing the reporter and injuring the camera operator, the sheriff added.

The gunman then entered a nearby house and shot a woman and her nine-year-old daughter.

All of the victims were taken to the hospital, but the girl and the Spectrum News 13 reporter died, Mina said.

“We have detained the person believed to be responsible for the killing this morning, as well as the shooting this afternoon,” Mina said.

He added that the suspect had a “lengthy criminal history” that included “gun charges, aggravated battery and assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and grand theft.”

The inmate, who knew the woman killed that morning, was not related to the other victims, the sheriff said.

None of the gunshot victims were immediately identified.

Mr. Mina said the suspect was armed with a pistol when he was taken into custody and has a lengthy criminal record that includes arrests for firearms offenses, aggravated battery, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and grand theft.

No motive has been determined for any of Wednesday’s shootings, but Mr. Moses is believed to have been an acquaintance of the first victim, who was shot while sitting in a car with the suspected gunman and another man, according to the sheriff.

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The sheriff said he did not know the two newsmen were targeted because they were journalists, adding that their vehicles lacked the logos and markings normally 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 9-year-old, and we don’t know why he entered their home,” the sheriff said.

He said that both the mother and the surviving cameraman are under treatment in the hospital in a critical condition.

“This is another sad reminder that journalism is a dangerous business and that criminals and those who are the subject of reporting can turn violent towards journalists doing their job,” the National Press Club said.

The organization urged all journalists in the field to take extra precautions and redouble their efforts to work safely.

White House Press Secretary Karin Jean-Pierre posted a condolence message on Twitter.

“Our hearts go out today to the family of the reporter killed and the crew member injured in Orange County, Florida, as well as the entire Spectrum News team,” he said.