Dylan Lyons: A Tribute to the Slain Orlando News 13 Reporter

Dylan Lyons was named as the Spectrum News 13 reporter who was shot and killed while covering a homicide in Orlando, Florida, on February 22, 2023, his family confirmed. A 9-year-old girl and a 38-year-old woman were also gunned down, while two other victims were wounded, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said. The suspected gunman has been arrested, the sheriff’s office said.

Lyons’ fiancee, Casey Lynn, tweeted a link to a GoFundMe campaign set up to his family 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.”

Spectrum News 13 has also identified Lyons.

“He took his job very seriously. He loved his career. He loved what he did,” said Spectrum Sports 360 reporter and friend, Josh Miller in the News 13 tribute. “He loved the community, telling the stories of people, reporting on the news, and he was just passionate about what he did.”

Lyons’ sister, Rachel, who started the GoFundMe, wrote, “He was an acting father to his niece and nephew who he loved so much. He loved his fiancé and 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.”

Megan Turner, who worked with Lyons at the University of Central Florida student news organization, also shared a link to the GoFundMe, confirming Lyons’ death, and tweeting, “If you knew Dylan, you knew he embodied journalism. Integrity. Passion. Ethics. Speed. He meant so much to so many people. I was his editor at UCF. He inspired me & always rooted for those around him — pray for his loved ones & colleagues.”

UCF Knight News tweeted photos and videos from his time working there, “We’ll remember Dylan Lyons for how hard he hustled while covering #UCF in the Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix. We had a little contest for who could ask the best question at the press conference. Dylan won. He knew how to ask tough questions and get answers. He really did love the job.”

The Knight News added, along with a video of Lyons, “Here’s Dylan Lyons doing what he loved – covering the news back when UCF played in the 2019 @Fiesta_Bowl.”

According to News 13’s website, Lyons “joined the Spectrum News 13 team as a multimedia journalist in July 2022.” According to his LinkedIn page, Lyons was a television journalist in Gainesville, Florida, before coming to Orlando. He was a leader in campus media and had several internships while he was at the University of Central Florida, according to his LinkedIn page, which says he once “received a scholarship for being the top blood donor in my class.”

“Born and raised in Philadelphia, Dylan’s journey to journalism was fueled by his desire to tell stories that impact local communities,” the Spectrum News 13’s website says. “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.”

Orange County Sheriff John Mina said in a February 22, 2023, news conference that Keith Melvin Moses is accused of shooting five people, including Lyons. They are Lyons, a 38-year-old woman, and a 9-year-old girl, the sheriff said.

The sheriff said Moses shot a News 13 reporter and photographer who were on the scene reporting on the homicide of the 38-year-old woman he’s also accused of killing. Moses then went into a random home and shot the girl and her mother, according to the sheriff, who said the News 13 photographer and mother are in critical condition.

The Orange County Sheriff identified the other deceased victims as 38-year-old Nathacha Augustin and 9-year-old T’yonna Major.

T’Yonna Major, the 9-year-old girl who was killed, was an aspiring gymnast, according to NBC News. You can read about her life here.

The Sheriff’s Department also released video showing the arrest of suspect Keith Melvin Moses.

Here’s what you need to know about Dylan Lyons:

A Fellow Orlando Journalist Broke Down in Tears While Discussing Dylan Lyons’ Death

WESH reporter Luana Munoz said the News 13 employee who died was a reporter who leaves behind a fiancee. She broke down emotionally as she reported on the shootings outside the hospital. “It is very emotional here,” she said.

She did not name Lyons in that report, however.

“This is every reporter’s absolutely worst nightmare,” Munoz said. “We go home at night afraid that something like this will occur, and that is what happened here.”

She said “a fellow reporter has died while out covering a shooting.”

“It is with deep sadness that @RTDNA learns of the death of a @MyNews13 journalist in Orlando,” Radio Television Digital News Association CEO Dan Shelley tweeted. “He was 1 of 2 of the station’s journalists shot covering a previous crime in a residential area. Sending thoughts of peace and comfort to their families, friends & the other victims.”

According to his LinkedIn page, Lyons was president of the Radio Television Digital News Association from 2017 to 2019 in Orlando.

‘I Can’t Wait for What the Future Holds,’ Dylan Lyons Wrote on Twitter in a Tribute to His Fiancee

Lyons’ posted on Twitter about his relationship.

“November 7th, 2021 changed my life forever! It is the day you became my girlfriend! That was one of the easiest decisions of my life! You’re a remarkable, beautiful, kind, loving, and caring girl Case! I love you so much! @Caseyswim1996 ❤️😍💕😘👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏻💍🎉🥳🎊,” he tweeted in November 2022.

He added, “The relationship you have built with everyone in our family, especially my mom, your best friend, is something that I love very much! Loving you is one of the easiest things in the world and it’s because you are such a special girl! I love you, Case Lynn.”

Continued Lyons in the Twitter thread, “One year down and a lifetime to go! I can’t wait for what the future holds! I love you!”

Before He Died, the Television Station Said That One of Dylan Lyons’ ‘Most Impactful Stories’ Was About the Murder of a Young Girl

According to the television station’s website biography for him, Lyons spent his career in Florida. “Before joining the News 13 team, Dylan reported and anchored for WCJB TV20, a local ABC affiliate in Gainesville,” News 13’s website says.

“In 2020, Dylan was awarded the best ‘Politics/Elections Series’ by the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists. In 2021, he was a finalist for Investigative Reporting,” it reads.

According to News 13, “One of the most impactful stories Dylan had the opportunity to cover 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.”

On LinkedIn, Lyons wrote that he was a reporter at Spectrum News 13 for eight months.

Previously, he was an anchor and reporter for WCJB TV20 in Gainesville for more than three years, according to his LinkedIn page, which says he was also a news intern for WKMG News 6 in Orlando.

Lyons worked as an anchor and reporter for the University of Central Florida, his LinkedIn page says.

“Reported on news, human interest, feature stories at The University of Central Florida,” he wrote

He was a sports editor and reporter for Knight News before that, was a news intern for WFTV and was a news intern for WMFE 90.7, according to his LinkedIn page.

Dylan Lyons Graduated With Degrees in Journalism & Political Science From the University of Central Florida

Lyons was “a proud University of Central Florida graduate with a degree in Journalism and Political Science — go Knights! During his time at UCF, Dylan reported and anchored for the UCF Knightly News, the student-run news station,” the television station reported.

“When Dylan’s not at work, you can find him taking advantage of the Orlando area’s many different dining experiences and cuisines. He especially loves exploring Winter Park, Winter Garden, Celebration and or Downtown Orlando with his family and dog,” according to News 13.

He was also an executive producer for the Dreyfoos School of the Arts Today Morning Show, according to his LinkedIn page.

According to his LinkedIn page, he also studied communications and theater at the Dreyfoos School of The Arts and was pursuing a master of scene degree in criminal justice in 2020 from the University of Central Florida.

Dylan Lyons’ Last Tweet Was About an Active Shooter Scare

On Twitter, Lyons’ final tweet on January 6, 2023, was about an active shooter scare on a Florida campus.

He frequently found himself covering crimes or other dangerous situations.

He also recently covered a hurricane, tweeting, “My photographer Joh and I are heading to Lakeland as we continue following Hurricane Ian. We have our game faces on ahead of our 12-hour shift which starts this evening at 10PM. We will start bringing you live reports on @MyNews13at 12AM from Lakeland. #Dontbescared #BePrepared.”

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