A Florida man is accused of gunning down three tourists after they became stranded at a rental home in a town frequented by Walt Disney World visitors, authorities say — a shocking incident that has sent ripples through the popular vacation hotspot.
Ahmad Jihad Bojeh, 29, was taken into custody Saturday for what authorities described as the “cold-blooded” killing of three tourists staying next door to his Kissimmee home, Osceola County Sheriff Christopher Blackmon revealed at a press conference.
Ahmad Jihad Bojeh, 29, is accused of fatally shooting three tourists after they became stranded at a rental home in Kissimmee, turning a routine vacation stay into a scene of horror. Osceola County Sheriff's Office
Police rushed to the rental home on Indian Point Circle in the Indian Hills subdivision after multiple 911 calls reported gunfire around 12:14 p.m. Saturday, Sheriff Blackmon said.
A responding deputy found the three men shot dead in the yard and immediately called for backup, a grim discovery the sheriff described to reporters.
Two of the victims were identified as brothers — Robert Lewis Kraft, 70, of Holland, Michigan, and Douglas Joseph Kraft, 68, of Columbus, Ohio. A third victim, a 68-year-old friend from Ohio, has not yet been publicly identified, Sheriff Blackmon said.
Authorities said the name of the 68-year-old victim will be released once his next of kin have been notified.
Less than an hour after the deadly shooting, police found Bojeh inside his home next door to the rental property and quickly took him into custody on three counts of first-degree murder, authorities said.
“It was cold-blooded, it was premeditated, there was absolutely no issues. There was no conflict between these people. This was just random. And this happened to be the person who lived next door,” Blackmon said.
Police recovered two firearms from Bojeh’s home while executing a search warrant, and investigators are now working to determine whether the weapons were used in the killings of the two brothers and their friend.
The three tourists had been stranded at the rental property due to car trouble, forcing them to extend their stay on Saturday. Fox 35 Orlando
The three tourists were stranded at the rental property on Saturday after car trouble forced them to extend their stay. Sheriff Blackmon added that another guest who had been staying with the group had already left the day before.
Authorities have not yet revealed why the tourists were in the area or how long they had been staying at the rental property.
Sheriff Blackmon described Bojeh as a troubled local who had become a “frequent visitor” to the sheriff’s office.
Bojeh was previously arrested in 2021 for firing at a person and random vehicles in a Kissimmee gas station parking lot, injuring one man, according to court records obtained by ClickOrlando.
Sheriff Blackmon described Bojeh as a troubled local who had become a “frequent visitor” to the sheriff’s office. Fox 35 Orlando
The outlet reported that he was later acquitted of the charges by reason of insanity.
“I can tell you he was a threat to that neighborhood all the time,” Blackmon said.
“As of right now, we have nothing. Just looks like a random, but again, the investigation, you know, it’s ongoing. It’s fresh, it’s new. We’re just a little bit over 24 hours into it, so we’re trying to gather the facts,” Blackmon said of the investigation.
Kissimmee is a lively community packed with rental homes and golf courses, just a 30-minute drive from Walt Disney World.
Court records show that a judge has ordered the alleged killer to be held without bond at the Osceola County Jail.
