A Florida television journalist and a nine-year-old girl were fatally shot Wednesday near the scene of a killing earlier in the day, reports the Associated Press. Orange County Sheriff John Mina said Keith Melvin Moses, 19, was arrested in both shootings in the Orlando-area neighborhood. Besides fatalities Dylan Lyons, 24, of Spectrum News 13, and the girl, a TV crewmember and the girl’s mother were wounded during the second shooting. “I want to acknowledge what a horrible day this has been for our community and our media partners,” Mina told 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.”
“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 responded on Wednesday morning to 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. Witnesses said a man approached the news vehicle later Wednesday and opened fire, hitting two reporters. The man then walked to a nearby home and shot the mother and daughter. WFTV crews, also reporting on the morning shooting, tried to give medical aid to the Spectrum 13 journalists. Worldwide, 40 journalists were reported killed last year, plus another two this year before Wednesday, said the Committee to Protect Journalists.