A television reporter in Orlando, Florida, where a 19-year-old gunman killed three people on Wednesday, broke down in tears on camera as she reported the shooting murder of a colleague.
WESH News in Orlando reporter Luana Munoz, who has won an Emmy for her work, nearly lost it on air late last Wednesday.
With a quiver in his voice, Munoz started, “This is really difficult to cover. It is very emotional here at ORMC (Orlando Regional Medical Center).”
According to Orange County Sheriff John Mina, two persons were slain in a shooting that followed an earlier homicide in Orlando, and one of them was a nine-year-old child. The other victim was a journalist for Spectrum News 13.
A crew from a local television station went to the Pine Hills neighbourhood on Wednesday to chronicle the shooting death of a 20-year-old woman.
At 4 p.m., a suspect opened fire on the staff of local TV station Spectrum News 13, killing one reporter and critically wounding another.
While being filmed, “I am not even going to turn the camera because there are people here who knew that reporter, who knew his fiance. But I will say this: it is nice to see all the media, we come together in solidarity in this moment.”
She continued, “This is every journalist’s greatest fear.” We all fear something similar might happen at home tonight because of what just transpired. We’ve just heard that one of our own, a fellow reporter, was killed while covering a shooting, and we’re here at Orlando Regional Medical Center to hear the news.
🚨🚨🚨#BREAKING: Multiple people, including news crew, shot at scene of #Florida homicide
Listen as reporter who knew one of the victims talks live from the scene 🙏
Multiple people were shot at the scene of an earlier deadly shooting in #OrangeCounty Wednesday, according to… https://t.co/jqOPl8TzkP pic.twitter.com/JFHRkEKIDT
— Wake Up Waverly (@WaverlyWakeUp) February 23, 2023
“There are members of his family, along with his fiance who are incredibly distraught tonight.”
Social media users expressed their anguish and outrage at the shootings by sharing a video of Munoz reporting on the loss of her fellow journalist.
One user wrote: “This is absolutely sickening. The mental trauma that reporters and photographers go through in the field thinking about something like this happening is very real. To see it actually happen is heartbreaking.”
My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone @MyNews13 tonight. I am so sorry for your loss.
— Luana Munoz (@Luana_Munoz) February 23, 2023
Some people have called it “heartbreaking,” while others have condemned the “senseless” violence. For example, one tweeter said, “No journalist should ever fear for their life or lose their life reporting. Praying for Orlando and Spectrum.” Orlando and Spectrum have my prayers.
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