Dylan Lyons, a television journalist, was killed while reporting on a murder scene in Orlando, Florida. The 24 year old was covering an earlier shooting, which killed a woman, when the suspect returned to the spot and started firing again.
Apart from Lyons, two others were also shot dead by the gunman, including a 9 year old girl. Photojournalist Jesse Walden was wounded in the attack. The suspect, Keith Melvin Moses, 19, has been detained by the police.
Reporter Dylan Lyons Shot Dead While Covering Earlier Shooting in Orlando
As per the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Moses first killed a 38 year old woman named Nathacha Augustin in Pine Hills, west of Orlando, on Wednesday morning. Around 4 pm, Lyons reached there with his reporting team to cover the murder.
Moses then returned to the scene and shot the journalist along with Walden. He then went to a nearby house and opened fire on another woman and her daughter. While the assailant has been arrested, the motive behind the killings remains unclear.
Lyons was working for Spectrum News 13 as a multimedia journalist. He joined the organization in July 2022. The reporter was a native of Philadelphia but had been living in Florida since his college years. As per his bio, his interest in journalism ‘was fueled by his desire to tell stories that impact local communities.’
Spectrum News 13 Releases Statement
Following the tragic incident, Spectrum News 13 confirmed that it was their employee who had been killed. “Following the shooting death of one of our colleagues and the wounding of another, Spectrum News 13 has now identified the reporter who lost his life as Dylan Lyons,” the news station said on Thursday.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague and the other lives senselessly taken today. Our thoughts are with our employee’s family, friends and co-workers during this very difficult time. We remain hopeful that our other colleague who was injured makes a full recovery,” they added in their official statement.
Lyons’ family has now set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for his funeral. “He loved his fiancee and was a devoted son to his mother and father. Dylan would have been 25 years old in March. He was a happy soul and wonderful person in life. My brother was our baby. He was taken too early from us,” reads the campaign page.
The Committee to Protect Journalists Condemned the Attack
Katherine Jacobsen, the CPJ’s US and Canada program coordinator, condemned the murder in his statement and said, “We are appalled by the killing of a Spectrum 13 journalist in Orange County, Florida, and we stand in solidarity with the newsroom.”
“It is deeply disturbing that a journalist was killed while covering the gun violence that has become a sickening reality of living in the United States. Reporters must be able to cover the news without having to fear for their lives,” he added.
Lyons’ finance, Casey Lynn, took to Twitter to post a heartbreaking message and wrote, “The love of my life was murdered. I will never be the same person ever again. Please help my family and I during this time.”
Our condolences to Dylan Lyons’ family and friends. Stay tuned for more news and updates.
