29-year-old Ahmad Jihad Bojeh, a Florida resident, is being charged in connection with the brutal murder of three tourists not far from Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Osceola County, Florida.
The incident occurred shortly after 2 p.m. local time on January 17, when Osceola County Sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of shots fired and found three men dead from gunshot wounds in front of the property.
Police described the shooting as random, with no prior interaction or conflict between the victims and the suspect. The victims were waiting for roadside assistance due to trouble with their rental car when the suspect approached and opened fire.
The location is approximately 8–15 miles from Walt Disney World Resort, depending on the entrance, with a drive of about 20–30 minutes to areas like Magic Kingdom.
Victims were identified as Douglas Joseph Kraft, 68, of Columbus, Ohio; his brother Robert Lewis Kraft, 70, of Holland, Michigan; and their friend James John Puchan, 68, also from Columbus, Ohio.
The group originally consisted of four men, but one had departed the day before the incident. The three victims had extended their stay by one day because of the car trouble.
In a joint statement, the families described the men as beloved husbands, fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and friends, noting they were facing “unexpected and unimaginable pain.”
“This was a random, tragic act,” the statement added. “Our families are left with an unexpected, unimaginable loss that cannot be put into words. We ask for privacy, prayers, and respect as we mourn and begin to process this tragedy.”
Photo: Kraft family via the New York Post
The suspect was identified as Ahmad Jihad Bojeh, 29, a resident of Kissimmee who lived next door to the rental property. After the shooting, he returned to his home, where deputies located and arrested him.
Bojeh has a troubling criminal history and history of mental illness.
In May 2021, he was involved in a shooting at a Wawa gas station in Kissimmee, where he allegedly fired into random vehicles, injuring one person. He was charged with attempted first-degree murder with a firearm and aggravated battery but was acquitted by reason of insanity in 2022 during a bench trial, local outlet WESH reported.
As part of the ruling, he was ordered to receive mental health treatment and prohibited from possessing weapons.
Court records also show earlier arrests for felony drug possession and misdemeanor resisting an officer without violence. The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office had received numerous calls for service related to Bojeh, describing him as a “frequent flyer” and “a threat to the neighborhood all the time” in a statement to the New York Post.
Bojeh is currently charged with three counts of first-degree premeditated murder and one count of resisting arrest without violence. He is being held without bond in the Osceola County Jail.
Ahmad Jihad Bojeh, 29
Photo: Osceola County Sheriff’s Department
“This was completely random. There was no conflict between these people. It just happened to be the person who lived next door,” Osceola County Sheriff Christopher Blackmon said during a press conference. “It was cold-blooded. It was premeditated. There was absolutely no issues. There was no conflict between these people. This was random, and this happened to be the person that lived next door,” he added.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier criticized State Attorney Monique Worrell, who served as chief prosecutor in Orange and Osceola counties, prior to her suspension in 2023. “Prior to State Attorney Worrell’s suspension, Ahmad Jihad Bojeh was acquitted of attempted first-degree murder with a firearm and aggravated battery. It appears she didn’t put up a fight to Bojeh’s use of the insanity defense, and he was allowed to go free,” Uthmeier posted on social media.
Bojeh faces life in prison or the death penalty if convicted.
