Central Florida News
State Attorney Worrell Defends Her Office’s Dropped Charges in Jones High School Shooting
Published
3 years agoon
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) – Another real-life episode of Law & Order unfolded during State Attorney Monique Worrell’s press conference at her office Wednesday.
Worrell provided a detailed explanation for why her office has chosen not to prosecute the 17-year-old suspect in the shooting at outside a Jones High School football game that resulted in 19-year-old Gamaine Brown losing his life on November 12, 2022. She shared that her office couldn’t prosecute in the case due to insufficient evidence for a second degree murder charge.
She said the witness that spoke with law enforcement evidently didn’t recognize the suspect when shown a picture of him and, since the suspect was wearing a mask at the time, could only be identified by his clothes, but the witness’s description of what the suspect wore didn’t match the clothing the suspect was actually wearing on the night in question.
“The witness identified the shooter by a nickname that was different from the nickname that the suspect who was arrested went by,” Worrell explained. “The witness did not know the person she identified, and she had never before seen their face. Complicating matters, at the time of the shooting, the person who shot and killed Mr. Brown was wearing a mask. So, the witness must have only been identifying the shooter by their clothing,” she said.
“Although we deal with tragedy on a daily basis in our office, I can’t begin to imagine the pain that Mr. Brown’s family is dealing with right now, especially given the circumstances of the deal of their child,” Worrell said.
“I spoke with Mr. Brown’s father recently, personally, to explain our office’s decision and to encourage him that we are still willing to work with the Orlando Police Department regarding the prosecution of any suspect that is presented to us,” she said.
She also referenced her initial comments on OPD’s handling of the case and said she regrets the harshness of her criticism.
Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith issued a statement on Tuesday in response to Worrell’s initial remarks about the case.
“It is both disappointing and disheartening to see the unfair criticism coming from the State Attorney’s Office regarding the hard work of our detectives pursuing justice for the victims and their families in this case,” Smith said in his statement.
“It is difficult to obtain and maintain witness cooperation in a homicide case. In this case, we had one witness willing to come forward and received zero tips to Crimeline. It is troubling that the State Attorney’s office released active and detailed investigative information that has hindered this ongoing investigation,” Smith said. “At no point did we say this investigation was over.”
Worrell said that her office finally nailed down dates to meet with the other law enforcement agencies for training on “building better cases”: April 13th and 14th.
“Our goal is to work collaboratively with our law enforcement officers for the safety of our community,” she said.
Central Florida News
State Rep. Rita Harris Reelected Without Opposition in Florida House District 44
Published
2 weeks agoon
June 13, 2026
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — Florida State Representative Rita Harris has secured reelection to the Florida House after no opposition qualified to challenge her in District 44 during the state’s candidate qualifying period.
Harris, a Democrat representing House District 44, will return to Tallahassee for another term after neither a Republican, third-party nor write-in candidate entered the race.
Her uncontested reelection reflects continued support within the district and allows her campaign to shift its focus toward supporting Democratic candidates and legislative priorities ahead of the 2027 Legislative Session.
House District 44 includes portions of west Orange County and surrounding communities in Central Florida.
Florida’s General Election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
Central Florida News
Congressman Maxwell Frost Secures Third-Term Run Following Candidate Qualifying Period
Published
2 weeks agoon
June 12, 2026
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — U.S. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost secured an easy path to a third term representing Florida’s 10th Congressional District after no Democratic, Republican or write-in challengers qualified before the close of Florida’s candidate qualifying period Friday.
“I’m proud that the people of Central Florida continue to put their trust in me, and I don’t take that for granted,” Frost said. “Over the last term, we’ve delivered real results, and now it’s time to build on that.”
Campaign Focuses on Down-Ballot Races
Despite facing no major-party opposition, Frost said his campaign is expanding its political operation to help Democrats compete across Central Florida.
“We’re focused on electing Democrats up and down the ballot.”
The campaign has recruited 87 fellows this summer as part of its year-round organizing program for young people ages 16 to 24. Campaign officials said participants will engage in door-to-door canvassing, phone banking and voter outreach efforts while supporting Democratic candidates throughout the region.
According to the campaign, more than 162 fellows have participated in the program, helping contact more than 157,000 voters during the current election cycle.
Historic Member of Congress
Frost made history in 2022 as the first member of Generation Z elected to Congress. He represents Florida’s 10th Congressional District, which includes much of Orlando and surrounding portions of Orange County.
Central Florida News
State Rep. Bruce Antone Wins Reelection Unopposed
Published
2 weeks agoon
June 12, 2026By
Willie David
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — Florida State Representative Bruce Antone has won reelection to the Florida House after qualifying for the 2026 election cycle without opposition.
Antone, who represents portions of Orange County, remains the longest-serving Democratic state lawmaker in Orange County and one of the most senior members of Florida’s Democratic legislative delegation.
Following his reelection, Antone thanked supporters in a statement posted on Facebook.
“Today, I was reelected to the Florida House of Representatives. I didn’t have any opposition. Thank you to everyone who has supported me during my time and tenure in the Florida House of Representatives,” Antone wrote.
Under Florida election law, candidates who qualify for office without opposition are automatically elected and do not appear on the ballot.
Antone will begin another term in the Florida House as lawmakers prepare for the 2027 Legislative Session in Tallahassee.
