ORANGE COUNTY COULD LEAD TO A NEW LAW THAT WOULD HELP WARN PEOPLE WHEN THERE’S IMMINENT DANGER IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. IT’S NICKNAMED THE YAYA ALERT AFTER NINE YEAR OLD TIANA MAJOR, WHO WAS MURDERED IN 2023. AS WESH 2’S GREG FOX EXPLAINS, THE CENTRAL FLORIDA COMMUNITY IS PRESSING LAWMAKERS TO PUT THIS WARNING SYSTEM IN PLACE. NOW. IT WAS A SERIES OF VIOLENT CRIMES THAT ROCKED NOT ONLY PINE HILLS IN ORANGE COUNTY, BUT THE GREATER CENTRAL FLORIDA COMMUNITY. NINE YEAR OLD TIANA MAJOR WAS FATALLY SHOT, HER MOTHER WOUNDED. DILLON LIONS, A LOCAL NEWS REPORTER, WAS KILLED AND A PHOTOJOURNALIST WOUNDED. NATASHA AUGUSTINE WAS THE FIRST MURDERED IN WHAT INVESTIGATORS DESCRIBED AS A KILLING SPREE BY KEITH MOSES. THE STATE IS SEEKING THE DEATH PENALTY. WE ARE HURT. ANGEL GRANT LEE IS TIANA’S AUNT AND AT THIS RALLY TO STOP GUN VIOLENCE HOSTED BY LOCAL CONGRESSMAN MAXWELL FROST. GRANT LEE PLEADED WITH PEOPLE TO URGE STATE LAWMAKERS TO PASS A NEW BILL IN TIANA’S NAME TO WARN OTHERS WHEN DANGER IS NEAR. WE DO KNOW WE COULD TRY TO STOP THIS DOMINO EFFECT, THAT WHEN A CRIME IS ALREADY BEING COMMITTED, THAT THIS ALARM IS RINGING, AND THAT THE SCHOOLS AND CENTERS AND DAYCARES ARE GETTING THIS ALERT. THE ALERT FORMALLY CALLED THE SCHOOL AND CHILD CARE FACILITY EMERGENCY ALERTS, WOULD BE ACTIVATED IF THERE IS AN IMMINENT THREAT TO TERMINATION, SUCH AS A GUNMAN ON THE LOOSE. IT WOULD AUTHORIZE LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ALERT PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY CENTER, AND YES, THEY HAVE CLASSROOM SPACE HERE. AND SO IF IN BUILDING C, THERE WERE KIDS, THERE WAS AN EMERGENCY NEARBY, IT WOULD BE THE REQUIREMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT TO NOTIFY ADMINISTRATORS HERE SO THEY COULD PROTECT THE KIDS. REGARDLESS OF WHAT SCHOOL YOU GO TO, THAT YOU’RE SAFE AND THAT THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY IS SAFE. CONGRESSMAN FROST TELLS ME THE ALERT SYSTEM IS VITAL IN REACTING TO ACTIVE SHOOTER AND OTHER EMERGENCIES. A LOT OF TIMES IF YOU’RE IN A POOR ZIP CODE, THERE’S LESS MECHANISMS TO ALERT PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR COMMUNITY VERSUS, YOU KNOW, MORE AFFLUENT ONES. THAT’S NOT RIGHT. EVERYONE DESERVES TO BE SAFE. A LITTLE GIRL’S LOVED ONES SAY IT’S TIME TO BE MORE THAN TIANA STRONG. IT’S TIME TO ACT NOW TO PROTECT OTHERS IN THE FUTURE. COVERING ORANGE COUNTY GREG FOX WESH TWO NEWS. MOSES TRIAL IS SET FOR SEPTEMBER. COMING UP ALL NEW AT SIX. WE’LL EXPLAIN WHY THIS WARNING SYSTEM W
Orlando family of slain 9-year-old girl says ‘YaYa Alerts’ could save lives
Updated: 6:08 PM EST Jan 16, 2026
A tragic shooting on Feb. 22, 2023, in Pine Hills left three people dead, including a 9-year-old girl, and has prompted the community to advocate for “YaYa Alerts” to warn of imminent threats.Nine-year-old T’Yonna Major was fatally shot, and her mother, Brandi Major, was wounded. Dylan Lyons, a local reporter for Spectrum News 13, was killed, while a photojournalist he was working with, Jesse Walden, was critically wounded. “We are hurt,” said Angel Grantley, T’Yonna’s aunt and one of the leaders of the “T’Yonna Strong” movement to stop gun violence. T’Yonna’s nickname was YaYa.Grantley joined a larger group, organized by Democratic Orange County Congressman Maxwell Frost, for a news conference to discuss a range of legislative and congressional bills to stop gun violence. Grantley is urging people to reach out to state lawmakers to persuade them to vote for a bill branded “YaYa Alerts.” If it becomes law, it would establish a warning system to alert others when danger is near.Grantley added, “We do know that we can try to stop this domino effect, that when a crime has already been committed that this alarm is ringing and that the schools and centers and daycares are getting this alert.”The “YaYa Alerts” bills (HB 715 and SB 814), formally called the “School and Child Care Facility Emergency Alerts,” would be activated if there is an imminent threat determination, such as a gunman on the loose. It would authorize law enforcement to alert public and private schools and daycare centers within a three-mile radius, prompting them to lock down.”Regardless of what school you go to, that you’re safe and the surrounding community is safe,” said Congressman Frost. He said the alert system is vital in reacting to active shooters and other emergencies, adding, “A lot of times, if you are in poorer zip codes, there are fewer mechanisms to alert people about what is going on in your community versus more affluent ones. That’s not right! Everyone deserves to be safe.”The alerts bill is similar to another one that was prompted by a 2017 WESH 2 News investigation into the manhunt for convicted cop killer Markeith Lloyd. In January of that year, Lloyd was wanted for the execution-style murder of Orlando Police Lt. Debra Clayton and another woman weeks earlier.During the search for Lloyd, a lot of police presence was focused on an apartment complex near Orange Blossom Trail in Rosemont. Right next door, there’s a daycare center, and according to administrators inside, who spoke with WESH 2 Investigates, they saw lots of police activity but had no idea what was going on and were not advised to lockdown.The daycare’s security cameras showed police rushing to the apartments, but no officers told the daycare about the potential danger.Twenty-six public schools nearby were locked down after being notified by the school district. But WESH 2 Investigates identified 37 private schools and daycares within several miles of the apartments that were not notified by law enforcement.”Which was a matter of major concern in the Central Florida area,” said then-Republican State Senator David Simmons to fellow lawmakers in February 2018. He’d proposed a bill establishing an alert system similar to the “YaYa Alerts” bill being proposed now, after seeing our reports. He said then, “When you’ve got an emergency situation, it’s critically important.”While Simmons’ efforts were not successful, perhaps this time, the face of a little girl gunned down in front of her mother will persuade lawmakers to pass it this year.While they consider it, Moses is set to be tried for the murders and attempted murders in September.
, Fla. —
A tragic shooting on Feb. 22, 2023, in Pine Hills left three people dead, including a 9-year-old girl, and has prompted the community to advocate for “YaYa Alerts” to warn of imminent threats.
Nine-year-old T’Yonna Major was fatally shot, and her mother, Brandi Major, was wounded. Dylan Lyons, a local reporter for Spectrum News 13, was killed, while a photojournalist he was working with, Jesse Walden, was critically wounded.
“We are hurt,” said Angel Grantley, T’Yonna’s aunt and one of the leaders of the “T’Yonna Strong” movement to stop gun violence. T’Yonna’s nickname was YaYa.
Grantley joined a larger group, organized by Democratic Orange County Congressman Maxwell Frost, for a news conference to discuss a range of legislative and congressional bills to stop gun violence. Grantley is urging people to reach out to state lawmakers to persuade them to vote for a bill branded “YaYa Alerts.” If it becomes law, it would establish a warning system to alert others when danger is near.
Grantley added, “We do know that we can try to stop this domino effect, that when a crime has already been committed that this alarm is ringing and that the schools and centers and daycares are getting this alert.”
The “YaYa Alerts” bills (HB 715 and SB 814), formally called the “School and Child Care Facility Emergency Alerts,” would be activated if there is an imminent threat determination, such as a gunman on the loose. It would authorize law enforcement to alert public and private schools and daycare centers within a three-mile radius, prompting them to lock down.
“Regardless of what school you go to, that you’re safe and the surrounding community is safe,” said Congressman Frost. He said the alert system is vital in reacting to active shooters and other emergencies, adding, “A lot of times, if you are in poorer zip codes, there are fewer mechanisms to alert people about what is going on in your community versus more affluent ones. That’s not right! Everyone deserves to be safe.”
The alerts bill is similar to another one that was prompted by a 2017 WESH 2 News investigation into the manhunt for convicted cop killer Markeith Lloyd. In January of that year, Lloyd was wanted for the execution-style murder of Orlando Police Lt. Debra Clayton and another woman weeks earlier.
During the search for Lloyd, a lot of police presence was focused on an apartment complex near Orange Blossom Trail in Rosemont. Right next door, there’s a daycare center, and according to administrators inside, who spoke with WESH 2 Investigates, they saw lots of police activity but had no idea what was going on and were not advised to lockdown.
The daycare’s security cameras showed police rushing to the apartments, but no officers told the daycare about the potential danger.
Twenty-six public schools nearby were locked down after being notified by the school district. But WESH 2 Investigates identified 37 private schools and daycares within several miles of the apartments that were not notified by law enforcement.
“Which was a matter of major concern in the Central Florida area,” said then-Republican State Senator David Simmons to fellow lawmakers in February 2018. He’d proposed a bill establishing an alert system similar to the “YaYa Alerts” bill being proposed now, after seeing our reports. He said then, “When you’ve got an emergency situation, it’s critically important.”
While Simmons’ efforts were not successful, perhaps this time, the face of a little girl gunned down in front of her mother will persuade lawmakers to pass it this year.
While they consider it, Moses is set to be tried for the murders and attempted murders in September.