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A Florida man accused of killing three tourists near Magic Kingdom had a lengthy criminal and mental health history, including a prior attempted first-degree murder case in which he was found not guilty by reason of insanity, according to court records.
Ahmad Jihad Bojeh, 29, had multiple prior encounters with the criminal justice system before Saturday’s deadly shooting, including a 2021 case in which he was charged with attempted first-degree murder with a firearm and aggravated battery after allegedly shooting at a person and random vehicles in a Kissimmee gas station parking lot. Court records obtained by Fox News Digital show Bojeh was later acquitted by reason of insanity in that case.
Additional records show Bojeh had prior arrests for felony drug possession and misdemeanor resisting an officer without violence, reflecting years of repeated contact with law enforcement.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier referenced Bojeh’s prior case in a statement following his arrest, criticizing how the prosecution was handled at the time.
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“Prior to State Attorney Worrell’s suspension, Ahmad Jihad Bojeh was acquitted of attempted first degree murder with a firearm and aggravated battery,” Uthmeier said. “It appears she didn’t put up a fight to Bojeh’s use of the insanity defense, and he was allowed to go free.”
Osceola County Sheriff Christopher Blackmon described Bojeh as a “frequent flyer” with his agency and “a threat to the neighborhood all the time,” citing repeated calls for service involving the suspect.
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Despite that history, investigators say Bojeh was living next door to a rental home where three tourists were staying when the deadly shooting occurred.
Bojeh is accused of fatally shooting the three men outside the rental property Saturday afternoon in what Blackmon called a “horrific and senseless” act of random violence.
“It was cold-blooded, it was premeditated, there was absolutely no issues,” Blackmon said. “There was no conflict between these people. This was just random. And this happened to be the person who lived next door.”
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Deputies responded around 12:13 p.m. Saturday to reports of a shooting in a subdivision near Kissimmee, where they found three adult men dead outside the home, each suffering apparent gunshot wounds. Investigators said the victims had extended their stay by one day after experiencing vehicle trouble.
Two of the victims were identified as Robert Luis Kraft, 69, of Holland, Michigan, and his brother Douglas Joseph Kraft, 68, of Columbus, Ohio. The third victim was identified as James Puchan, 68, a friend from Ohio, FOX35 Orlando reported.
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Deputies located Bojeh inside his nearby home about an hour later and took him into custody. Online jail records show he is facing three counts of premeditated murder and one count of resisting arrest without violence and is being held at the Osceola County Jail without bond.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to [email protected].
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