Three tourists were gunned down at a rental near Walt Disney World, authorities arrested a neighbor, and Florida leaders are pointing to past failures in prosecution that let the accused avoid conviction previously.
Authorities say a man identified as Ahmad Jihad Bojeh, 29, is accused of killing three tourists at a rental property near Disney World over the weekend. Deputies found the victims in the yard with gunshot wounds and quickly arrested Bojeh inside the home next door. Two of the victims were identified as brothers Robert Lewis Kraft, 70, of Holland, Michigan, and Douglas Joseph Kraft, 68, of Columbus, Ohio; the third victim is a 68-year-old male friend whose name is pending family notification.
“I’ll say this, we lost three people, which is sad, because it’s three tourists that came here to visit our area,” said Osceola County Sheriff Christopher A. Blackmon. “It’s cold-blooded, it was premeditated, there was absolutely no issues. There was no conflict between these people. This is just random, and this happened to be the person lived next door.”
“These guys are the victims, but because our deputies responded so quick, we actually flushed the guy back into his house and kept him out of the public. Because, had we not been there, there were other people out and about, they could’ve been victims as well.”
Police recovered two firearms from Bojeh’s home and are working to determine whether those weapons were used in the killings. An arrest was made within an hour of the shooting and Bojeh now faces three counts of first-degree murder. He is being held without bond at the Osceola County Jail while detectives continue to piece together a timeline and motive.
Attorney General James Uthmeier weighed in publicly and reminded Floridians that this suspect had a prior run-in with the criminal justice system. Uthmeier said Bojeh was once acquitted of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm and aggravated battery, a case handled by State Attorney Monique Worrell. The attorney general framed that earlier outcome as part of a troubling pattern under Worrell’s tenure, arguing the office repeatedly let dangerous people back on the streets.
Critics point to Worrell’s record as evidence that a softer approach to prosecution can cost lives, and they note earlier, high-profile cases where decisions not to pursue tougher charges ended badly. Governor Ron DeSantis suspended Worrell previously, and the Florida Supreme Court upheld that suspension; she later won reelection and returned to the office in 2025. Those developments feed the larger debate over accountability, public safety, and whether prosecutors are doing enough to protect communities and visitors.
Uthmeier has called for changes to the state’s insanity defense after this case came to light, arguing reforms are needed so violent offenders can’t slip through on technicalities. That push reflects a broader demand from conservatives for tougher, clearer standards when insanity is raised in violent-crime prosecutions. Lawmakers and legal advocates will likely revisit statutory language and courtroom standards as the state reassesses how earlier decisions intersect with tragic outcomes.
Local leaders stressed the randomness of the attack and the ripple effect it could have on tourism and public confidence in safety around popular destinations. Investigators continue to interview witnesses, review phone and surveillance records, and process forensics to establish exactly how the events unfolded. The community response has been one of shock and grief, and officials say they’ll share more details as the investigation moves forward.
As the criminal case advances, prosecutors will decide whether to seek capital charges or other enhanced penalties, and the public will be watching to see if past mistakes influence current charging decisions. For now, families are mourning, law enforcement is collecting evidence, and state officials are debating how to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
