Families of Pine Hills shooting victims say DeSantis, Scott ‘exploiting’ deaths

PINE HILLS, Fla. (FLV) – Two families of the victims of the Pine Hills shooting held a press conference Thursday expressing their frustrations with Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., after both officials began pressuring the area’s state attorney.

Keith Melvin Moses, 19, allegedly shot five people in Pine Hills, including three fatalities, which included Spectrum 13 reporter Dylan Lyons, 24, Natacha Augustin, 38, and T’Yonna Major, 9, on Feb. 22.

Attorney Mark NeJame, who is representing the Major and Lyons families, said the families have decided they cannot stand silent while they are grieving their loss, and believe that they are being used as “tools and political pawns” by DeSantis and Scott.

“Both families are unified in their quest to bring attention to gun violence in America and the insanity that has gripped some politicians and others over this issue. They are sickened over what they believe has been the exploitation of their children’s deaths by Governor Ron DeSantis and Senator Rick Scott,” said NeJame.

“Nobody on this planet wants this murderer convicted and sentenced to the maximum more than these families, I assure you. However, easy access to deadly firearms, including people such as this killer, who was apparently legally allowed to have one – is the issue that DeSantis and Scott are avoiding and deflecting,” he said.

Scott sent a strong statement last week condemning prosecutors involved in Moses’ prior cases. DeSantis also spoke out on the shooting at a press conference and sent a letter to State Attorney Monique Worrell demanding answers.

“I cannot believe they let this guy – you have to hold people accountable. This idea – and, I know the district attorney, state attorney in Orlando thinks that you don’t prosecute people and that’s the way that you somehow have better communities – that does not work,” DeSantis said during a press conference on Monday.

As the families grieve, they said they have yet to hear from DeSantis or Scott.

“He [Desantis] was there taking back to Disney district but he couldn’t call for 30 seconds?” said Gary Lyons, referring to a press conference held by DeSantis last week.

Lyons said he doesn’t know the solution to gun violence, but thinks politicians and legislators need to “create tougher gun laws and not worry so much about political ambitions or affiliations.”

Moses has at least eight felony and 11 misdemeanor arrests, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Monique H. Worrell said Moses’ only adult offense was a possession of marijuana in 2021 – that her office did not charge.

NeJame said politicians are twisting the facts to mislead the public as to the reality of the situation.

“Even if the killer had gotten a year in jail from when he was first arrested, which is the maximum penalty in Florida, for a misdemeanor and in which nobody in the entire state of Florida would or should receive 4.6 grams of marijuana, he would have been out of jail months before his killing spree began,” said NeJame.

Earlier in the week, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said prosecutors should have looked closer at Moses’ criminal record, according to Spectrum 13.

The deputies did not charge anyone with possessing the stolen firearm. Mina stated that the case should have warranted a closer look by prosecutors, due to the totality of the circumstances.

The sheriff said he would have “preferred the case move forward with prosecution,” however, deputies never filed gun charges. 

“It should be noted that all three subjects have multiple prior firearm possession charges, to include Attempted First Degree Murder and Armed Robbery with a Firearm and all had ski mask style masks on them or in the vehicle,” the arrest document said.

According to arrest affidavit, the deputy said he would be authoring DNA warrants for all three subjects to compare against the recovered firearm, although that never happened.

“It does not appear the DNA warrants were obtained by the patrol deputy who wrote that initial report and arrest affidavit,” a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said to the news outlet, calling it a “misstep” in the investigation.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives tested the firearm in August 2022 to see if it was used in other crimes, but no test results were available.

Worrell previously spoke out on why her office did not charge for Moses’ possession of 4.6 grams of marijuana at a press conference last week.

“When you have a quantity that low, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement does not test the substance, and that means the State Attorney’s Office cannot prove the case,” Worrell said.

She also said Florida law prohibits her from discussing the details of any juvenile dispositions.

“Tragically, despite the clear threat that Mr. Moses posed to our community, you apparently made the decision to not pursue charges against him,” Executive Office of the Governor general counsel Ryan Newman said in the letter to Worrell.

“The failure of your office to hold this individual accountable for his actions – despite his extensive criminal history and gang affiliation – may have permitted this dangerous individual to remain on the street. Clearly, Mr. Moses should never have been in a position to commit those senseless crimes of last week,” the letter said.

NeJame encouraged people to donate to the families’ GoFundMe accounts and said a vigil will be planned next week.