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The Florida journalist killed while reporting at the scene of an earlier homicide in Orlando Wednesday has been identified as 24-year-old Dylan Lyons.
Lyons was named as the slain Spectrum News 13 reporter by his older sister and fiancée, who created and shared a GoFundMe page to raise money to cover his funeral costs.
“The love of my life was murdered. I will never be the same person ever again,” his devastated fiancée, Casey Lynn, tweeted with a link to the GoFundMe page. “Please help my family and I during this time.”
Lyons, who would have turned 25 next month, was shot along with his News 13 co-worker by a gunman accused in the earlier shooting on which they had been reporting.
Keith Melvin Moses, 19, allegedly gunned down a 20-year-old woman that morning and then returned to the scene five hours later. He allegedly fired at Lyons and a News 13 photographer before entering a nearby house, where he continued his rampage, shooting a 9-year-old girl and her mother, authorities said.
Lyons and the young girl both died, while the other two victims were rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
The journalist joined the News 13 team in July 2022 and had previously reported for several local Florida stations after graduating from the University of Central Florida with a degree in journalism and political science in 2019, according to his bio and LinkedIn page.
“Born and raised in Philadelphia, Dylan’s journey to journalism was fueled by his desire to tell stories that impact local communities,” Lyons’ bio on the News 13 website states. “As a reporter, he’s honored to have the unique privilege of being a voice for the voiceless and making sure all communities and stories are treated fairly and equally.”
In 2020, he won the best “Politics/Election Series” by the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists for his work at WCJB TV20, a local ABC affiliate in Gainesville.
News 13 evening anchor Ty Russell said Lyons shadowed him when he was an intern. He described the young reporter as “a go-getter” who was passionate about journalism.
“Our industry had a good one. This guy was supposed to go places,” Russell tweeted. “He had a huge heart.”
Lyons said one of the most impactful stories he covered was about the murder of a 13-year-old girl.
“The story was especially moving for Dylan because it illustrated the importance of ensuring proper protections for the most vulnerable in our society,” his bio reads.
Lyons’ older sister Rachel Lyons said her brother adored his family, including his niece and nephew, and was a devoted son.
“Dylan would have been 25 years old in March. He was a happy soul and wonderful person in life,” she wrote on the GoFundMe page. “My brother was our baby. He was taken too early from us.”
Many of Lyons’ co-workers said they felt like they lost not just a colleague but a family member.
“Our hearts are heavy. We lost an incredible young journalist and human. Too young,” News 13 anchor Greg Angel said on Twitter. “Our hearts are heavy for their family. And our colleague’s family still fighting. For the loss of a 9-year-old girl and her mom and their family.”
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