‘Stunned and heartbroken’: Officials react after journalist and 9-year-old killed in Orlando shooting

By WESH Staff

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    ORANGE COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — An Orlando journalist and a 9-year-old child were killed and two others were shot in Pine Hills Wednesday afternoon, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Following the shooting, different law enforcement agencies have spoken out, including Orlando police and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

“We send our condolences to (Spectrum News 13) and all families impacted by this tragedy. We value the relationships we have with our media partners as we all serve our communities together providing critical information,” Orlando Police Department said in a statement.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office wrote in part: “We extend our deepest condolences to all of their families. This is a sad day for our community.”

Superintendent of Orange County Public Schools Maria Vazquez acknowledged the 9-year-old victim was a student with the district.

“Words cannot express the disbelief & anger I feel about the senseless violence that led to 3 deaths, including one of our precious students. My deepest sympathies & prayers go to their families and friends. We must work together as a community to end these horrible tragedies,” she wrote.

Polk County Grady Judd also released a statement.

“We are stunned and heartbroken hearing the news out of Orange County that three people were fatally shot, and two others are fighting for their lives,” Judd wrote.

Judd also said deputies will work to make sure new media members reporting in Polk County are safe.

“Tonight, my heart is with the victims of this senseless tragedy and the families mourning the inexplicable pain that comes with losing a loved one to gun violence. Our Central Florida community has once again been devastated at the hands of a gun. Tonight, an innocent person who was simply trying to do their job doesn’t get to go home. Tomorrow, a 9-year-old child won’t get to wake up because someone with a gun decided their life had to end,” Rep. Maxwell Frost wrote in a statement.

Frost said he’s saddened by the recent gun violence.

“When will the loss of life be enough for us to take meaningful actions? When will this stop being our new normal? Tonight, alongside Central Florida, my heart aches,” Frost said.

“Our prayers are with all of the families affected by this horrific event. We would like the news media who report in Polk County to know that if you ever find yourselves in a situation or an area where you feel unsafe, to please call us and we will send deputies out to your location to protect you. We appreciate the jobs that you all do, and we will always be here to ensure you are safe while doing them,” Judd said in a statement.

“This is a tragic and sad day, especially for those in the Orange County community. 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,” the Florida Sheriff’s Association wrote in a statement.

“A Spectrum News 13 (employee), a young lady and a 9-year-old child lost their lives. We are sad beyond words. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s families, colleagues, and friends in this difficult time,” Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma also joined the law enforcement officials reacting to the shooting, saying it’s “incredical tragic”.

“Simply unimaginable news out of Orange County this evening. It is hard to put in words when a child is a victim of a homicide, and on top of that, a member of our local media is also killed while covering a homicide investigation scene,” Lemma wrote in a statement. “This is incredibly tragic. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved, including the friends, families, as well as all of our partners in the media who are affected by this senseless tragedy.”

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