On February 22, 2023, Nathacha Augustin, a 38-year-old resident of Orlando, Florida, was fatally shot in a Pine Hills neighborhood. This incident was the precursor to a series of tragic events that unfolded later that day.
Augustin's shooting drew the attention of local news crews, including a team from Spectrum News 13. Dylan Lyons, a 24-year-old television news reporter, and photographer Jesse Walden were part of this crew, reporting from the scene of Augustin's murder.
The suspect in Augustin's shooting, 19-year-old Keith Melvin Moses, an Orlando native and acquaintance of Augustin, returned to the crime scene. Moses then opened fire on the news crew, fatally shooting Dylan Lyons and critically injuring Jesse Walden. Following this, Moses went to a nearby home and shot Brandi Major and her 9-year-old daughter, T'Yonna Major, resulting in T'Yonna's death and critical injuries to Brandi Major.
Keith Melvin Moses was subsequently arrested by the police. Moses had a prior criminal record dating back to 2018, although he had never been imprisoned due to his status as a minor at the time of his previous offenses.
The incident was widely condemned, including a statement from the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, who emphasized the importance of protecting journalists and media workers from attacks related to their duties. The community in Orlando came together to support the families of the victims, including setting up a GoFundMe page to cover funeral expenses for Lyons and T'Yonna Major.
