PICTURED: Photographer wounded in Florida shooting rampage which killed his journalist co-worker: He’s ‘doing well’ after surgery – as triple murder suspect, 19, in custody ‘pretended to sleep to avoid police questioning’
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A photojournalist who was injured in a Florida shooting rampage that took the life of his colleague while they were covering an earlier murder has been identified. Jesse Walden (pictured right) was photographing the crime scene on Wednesday in Pine Hills when the gunman returned and continued shooting, killing Spectrum News 13 reporter Dylan Lyons and a nine-year-old girl. Walden spoke out from his hospital bed on Thursday where he was recovering from surgery. He said Lyons was more than a co-worker — he was a friend.
Walden (pictured) and Lyons were covering the murder of Nathacha Augustin, 38, who died at the scene after being shot earlier that morning. After opening fire on reporters later that day, the gunman also shot and killed a nine-year-old girl and injured her mother. Keith Melvin Moses, 19, was taken into custody where he screamed that he couldn’t breathe and then allegedly pretended to be asleep to avoid police questioning.
Walden is expected to be released from the hospital within a day or two, but knows he faces a long road of recovery. He also faces the pain of losing his friend. ‘Dylan was a very, very wholesome person,’ Walden said from his hospital bed on Thursday. ‘Like, he had a great sense of humor too.’
Walden and Lyons (pictured) became close when they started at Spectrum News 13 around the same time last year and ended up on the night shift together. He said Lyons was happy to be doing what he loved. ‘He had a very strong sense of justice,’ he added. ‘He would really want everyone to follow the rules when it came to people with power.’ Walden said he’s going to keep his spirits up and keep on for his friend. ‘Every step of the way, I’ve been blessed. You know, just — people care,’ he said.
Walden and Lyons were in an unmarked news vehicle on Wednesday afternoon covering the first homicide when a man approached and shot them. The alleged gunman then went to a nearby home where he fatally shot 9-year-old T’yonna Major (pictured) and critically wounded the girl’s mother.
Moses (pictured) was taken to the hospital following his arrest and a motive for the killings remain unclear. After complaining that he couldn’t breathe, he then began ‘fighting with hospital staff’ and had to be restrained. Once in police custody, Moses ‘pretended to be asleep’ to try to get out of his interview. He remains in custody but is refusing to talk to detectives. ‘Moses is not speaking to us. We’re unable to determine a motive at this time.’
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office released video of Moses’ arrest that shows the deputies placing struggling Moses in handcuffs as he yells that he can’t breath and screams: ‘They’re killing me!’ Moses is charged with first-degree murder in the initial shooting that killed Nathacha Augustin, 38, that morning and officials said ‘numerous more charges’ will follow. The arrest on Wednesday came after the shooting spree that began early that morning and ended with three dead and two injured. Video released shows the moment deputies put an end to his rampage. ‘Get on your face!’ the deputies are heard yelling. ‘Let me go!’ Moses yells back. ‘They’re killing me! Let me go!’
Deputies placed him in handcuffs and then could be seen cutting open Moses’ jeans and seized a Glock semiautomatic weapon that ‘was still hot to the touch, meaning it had just been fired, and there were no more rounds.’ Orange County Sheriff John Mina characterized the shootings Wednesday as random acts of violence. Moses has since refused to speak with detectives. Pictured: T’Yonna’s mother Brandi who was also shot — and remains in the hospital.
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