Florida
Florida triple murder of 3 tourists was ‘senseless,’ ‘random,’ sheriff says
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A Florida man is accused of shooting and killing three tourists stranded at a rental home on Saturday in what a sheriff described as a “horrific and senseless” act of violence.
Ahmad Jihad Bojeh, 29, was arrested in connection with the murders of three men who were staying at a property next door to his home in Kissimmee, Osceola County Sheriff Christopher Blackmon told reporters Sunday.
“It was cold-blooded, it was premeditated, there was absolutely no issues,” Blackmon said. “There was no conflict between these people. This was just random. And this happened to be the person who lived next door.”
Deputies responded around 12:13 p.m. Saturday to a shooting at a subdivision near Kissimmee and discovered the bodies of three adult males in front of the rental home. All three men suffered apparent gunshot wounds.
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Ahmad Jihad Bojeh, 29, was booked into the Osceola County Jail on three counts of premeditated murder. (Osceola County Jail)
Blackmon said the three victims were stuck at the rental home after having vehicle trouble and had extended their stay for one day to wait for service.
Two of the victims have been identified as Robert Luis Kraft, 69, of Holland, Michigan, and his brother Douglas Joseph Kraft, 68, of Columbus, Ohio, the sheriff said. The third victim was identified as James Puchan, 68, a friend from Ohio, FOX35 Orlando reported.
Blackmon said the shooting was “cold-blooded” and random. (FOX35 Orlando WOFL )
Deputies found Bojeh inside his home next door about an hour later, the sheriff said. Bojeh was arrested on three counts of premeditated murder and one count of resisting arrest without violence, according to online jail records.
Bojeh lived at a home next door to the rental where the victims were murdered, authorities said. (FOX35 Orlando WOFL )
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Blackmon described Bojeh as a “frequent flier to the sheriff’s office.”
“I can tell you he was a threat to that neighborhood all the time,” Blackmon said.
Bojeh was arrested in connection with a previous shooting incident in 2021, but was later “acquitted by reason of insanity,” according to court records obtained by WKMG-TV. (Osceola County Sheriff’s Office)
Bojeh was arrested in 2021 after being accused of shooting at a person and random cars in a Kissimmee gas station parking lot, though court records show he was later “acquitted by reason of insanity,” according to court records obtained by WKMG-TV.
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Bojeh was booked into the Osceola County Jail for the alleged triple murder and was held without bond.
The sheriff said the murder investigation is ongoing.
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Video: Injured Florida manatee rescued by authorities, receiving medical care at ZooTampa
FORT MYERS, Fla. – An injured manatee and her calf are recovering after authorities on a boat rescued them from the Orange River near Fort Myers on Thursday.
What we know:
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said its Marine Unit, Advanced Technology Support Unit, drone pilots and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helped in saving the pair after the mother was found hurt in the water and in need of medical attention.
READ: Missing Florida man found stuck in mud without food or water for days: PFD
Video shows authorities pulling the frantic manatees safely onto the boat in netting before taking them to shore.
Courtesy: Lee County Sheriff’s Office
Both animals will be taken to ZooTampa for evaluation and medical care.
What we don’t know:
LCSO did not say the extent of the mother’s injuries.
By the numbers:
As of Feb. 20, there have been 85 manatee deaths across Florida in 2026, according to the FWC. Last year reportedly saw a total of 632 manatee deaths.
Dig deeper:
Earlier this month, the FWC began investigating a spike in manatee deaths, specifically in Lee County, where officials say 25 were found dead within a week.
READ: FWC investigating spike in manatee deaths over the past week
The FWC believes these manatee deaths could be from several factors: cold stress, a lack of seagrass and polluted waterways.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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