Homicide Suspect Returns To Crime Scene, Kills News Reporter, 9-Year-Old: Sheriff

PINE HILLS, FL — All three victims killed Wednesday in a series of shootings in Pine Hills, an unincorporated area of Orange County located west of Orlando, have been identified, the Orange County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday morning.

Nathacha Augustin, 38, T'yonna Major, 9, and Spectrum 13 reporter Dylan Lyons, 24, died Wednesday following the shootings, the sheriff's office said. T'yonna's mother and Spectrum photographer Jesse Walden were also shot and survived.

Keith Melvin Moses, 19, was formally charged in connection with the shooting death of Augustin, authorities said Wednesday, adding that they expect additional charges for the other victims.

Augustin was killed around 11:20 a.m.. Around 4 p.m., Moses returned to the scene and shot the two TV employees near their news vehicle and then walked into a home where he shot the 9-year-old girl and his mother, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said.

Authorities said Moses has a "lengthy" criminal history that includes gun charges, aggravated battery, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary and grand theft offenses.

Lyons was shot to death while working at the scene of the homicide investigation, according to an obituary released by the outlet.

He was born and raised in Philadelphia but made the Sunshine State his home when he graduated from the University of Central Florida and moved to Gainesville to become a reporter, Spectrum News said.

"He took his job very seriously. He loved his career. He loved what he did,” Spectrum Sports 360 reporter and Lyon's friend Josh Miller said, according to the outlet. “He loved the community, telling the stories of people, reporting on the news, and he was just passionate about what he did."

Lyons' family has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to cover funeral costs.

His sister, Rachel Lyons, wrote on the GoFundMe page that Dylan Lyons was an acting father to his niece and nephew. He was engaged to be married and would have turned 25 in March.

Mina said it's unclear whether the gunman knew Lyons and Walden were members of the news media and whether they were targeted.

“I want to acknowledge what a horrible day this has been for our community and our media partners,” Mina said during a Wednesday news conference. “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.”

The second TV crew member and the girl's mother were said to be in critical condition at a local hospital, Mina said Wednesday.

"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 Jean-Pierre wrote in a tweet Wednesday.

“Please, please, say a prayer tonight for our co-worker who is in critical condition," Spectrum 13 journalist Celeste Springer said during her live on-air report Wednesday evening. "And while you’re at it, please say a prayer for every victim of gun violence in this country."

The Committee to Protect Journalists released a statement Wednesday saying they are "appalled" by Lyons' death and "stand in solidarity with the newsroom."

“It is deeply disturbing that a journalist was killed while covering the gun violence that has become a sickening reality of living in the United States," CPJ U.S. and Canada Program Coordinator Katherine Jacobsen said. "Reporters must be able to cover the news without having to fear for their lives.”

The shooting was reminiscent of the 2015 killings of two Virginia TV reporters, Alison Parker and Adam Ward. Ward and Parker were killed on-air by a disgruntled former co-worker who later killed himself. In 2018, a gunman walked into the offices of The Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland and killed five people. The gunman, Jarrod Ramos, was sentenced to life in prison.

Editor's Note: Patch is a GoFundMe promotional partner.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.