Orlando shooting – live: Suspect pretended to be asleep during police interview, sheriff says
Shooter returned to scene and killed Spectrum News 13 reporter covering earlier homicide as well as young girl before being taken into custody
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A 19-year-old gunman accused of killing a nine-year-old girl and a local journalist reporting on his earlier homicide in Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday had a “lengthy” criminal record, local authorities have said.
A 20-year-old woman had been shot dead earlier on Wednesday, prompting a crew from a local news channel reaching the spot in the Pine Hills area to cover the incident on the same day, where a journalist and a videographer was shot when the suspect returned to the scene.
Sheriff John Mina said during a press conference on Thursday that the suspect Keith Melvin Moses pretended to be asleep during an interview with police.
He added that he was taken to hospital after saying that he was unable to breathe. There, he fought with medical staff and had to be restrained. He then also become physical with detectives and had to be restrained again, the sheriff said.
Sheriff Mina said it was a “random act of violence” and that the Sheriff’s office is still working to establish why the shooting take place.
“This was not gang-related,” he added.
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Welcome to The Independent’s liveblog on the Orlando shooting where we bring you the latest on the mass shooting
TV journalist and girl, 9, shot dead at scene of previous homicide crime scene in Florida
Four people were shot, two of them fatally, at a homicide crime scene outside of Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday, according to police.
The victims included a nine-year-old girl and an Orlando-based TV journalist who was producing a story about a woman who was found shot dead at the location in Pine Hills earlier in the day.
Read the full story by Josh Marcus here:
TV journalist and 9-year-old shot dead at previous homicide crime scene in Florida
Gunman allegedly attacked Spectrum News 13 personnel covering crime scene
19-year-old suspect taken into custody
Orange County sheriff John Mina said during a news conference yesterday evening that they’ve detained Keith Melvin Moses, 19, who they believe is responsible for both shootings in the Orlando-area neighbourhood.
One TV journalist and a 9-year-old girl were fatally shot by the gunman around 4pm yesterday. 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,” Mr Mina told a room full of reporters. “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.”
Mr Mina said they don’t immediately have a motive for any of the shootings.
TV channel says 'terrible tragedy for Orlando community'
The death of a journalist who was among the three people shot dead at the scene of an earlier homicide in Orlando was mourned by the news channel.
Charter Communications, the parent company of Spectrum News 13, shared a statement on Twitter. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague and the other lives senselessly taken today,” it said.
The statement also voiced concern for a photographer employed by the news channel who was in a critical condition after the shooting.
“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.”
Florida Sheriffs Association issues statement on shooting
The Florida Sheriffs Association has issued a statement over the Orlando shooting that led to five people being shot at the scene of an earlier homicide, leading to three deaths, including one of a local journalist.
“This is a tragic and sad day, especially for those in the Orange County community,” tweeted the association.
“Hard to put all of this into words right now, but we ask for your prayers for the impacted families and for those that are injured fighting for their lives.”
Orlando shooting suspect has ‘lengthy’ criminal history, sheriff says
Keith Melvin Moses, a 19-year-old identified as a suspect in the Orlando shooting that killed three, including a nine-year-old, has a “lengthy” criminal history, according to Orange County Sheriff John Mina.
The sheriff listed out the charges against Mr Moses, including gun charges, aggravated battery, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and grand theft charges.“It is unclear if [the suspect] knew if they were news media or not,” Mr Mina said.
“We’re still trying to work all of that out. That vehicle was almost exactly in the same spot as the vehicle from the homicide this morning. So it’s unclear why exactly they were targeted.”
“I want to acknowledge what a horrible day this has been for our community and our media partners,” Mr Mina said.
“I work closely with all of you... no one in our community — not a mother, not a 9-year-old, certainly not news professionals — should become the victim of gun violence.”
The alleged gunman knew the homicide victim from earlier in the day, according to media reports.
It’s unclear why the other victims were shot at.
Timeline of Orlando shootings
A woman in her 20s was shot and killed on Hialeah Drive in Pine Hills around 11am on Wednesday.
“Our homicide detectives responded to that scene, conducted follow-up, collected evidence, and developed good leads on a suspect, in that case, this morning,” said Orange County deputies.
Around 4.05pm in the evening on the same day, deputies again received calls reporting two shootings on Hialeah Drive and on nearby Harrington Street.
The sheriff’s office said that on Hialeah Drive, two Spectrum News 13 journalists – a reporter and a photographer – were shot. Both were in the area covering the shooting of the 20-year-old woman.
The reporter died, while the photographer is in critical condition.
On Harrington Street, a nine-year-old girl and her mother were shot inside their home by the gunman. The nine-year-old lost her life while her mother was taken to the hospital and remains in critical condition.
White House expresses condolences over Orlando shooting
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has tweeted her condolences to the families of the victims of the Orlando shootings.
The alleged gunman had opened fire on the crew of news channel Spectrum News 13, killing a local journalist and a photographer who were employed by the organisation.
“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 13 team,” she tweeted.
Reporter breaks down over killing of TV journalist
Tearfully reporting on the loss of one of the TV journalists that lost their life in the Orlando shooting yesterday, a journalist from another channel said that it was “every reporter’s absolutely worst nightmare”.
In a video that has since been widely shared, she says: “We go home at night afraid that something like this will occur and that is what happened here.”
ICYMI: A timeline of Orlando shootings
A woman in her 20s was shot and killed on Hialeah Drive in Pine Hills around 11am on Wednesday.
“Our homicide detectives responded to that scene, conducted follow-up, collected evidence, and developed good leads on a suspect, in that case, this morning,” said Orange County deputies.
Around 4.05pm in the evening on the same day, deputies again received calls reporting two shootings on Hialeah Drive and on nearby Harrington Street.
The sheriff’s office said that on Hialeah Drive, two Spectrum News 13 journalists – a reporter and a photographer – were shot. Both were in the area covering the shooting of the 20-year-old woman.
The reporter died, while the photographer is in critical condition.
On Harrington Street, a nine-year-old girl and her mother were shot inside their home by the gunman. The nine-year-old lost her life while her mother was taken to the hospital and remains in critical condition.