Orlando reporter shot to death and attended Dreyfus School of the Arts, school district confirms
WEST PALM BEACH, FL – An Orlando TV news reporter shot Wednesday attended the Alexander W. Dreyfus School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, confirmed by the Palm Beach County School District.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina said Spectrum News 13 reporter Dylan Lyons, 24, and photographer Jesse Walden were shot and killed around 4 p.m. while covering a murder in the Pine Hills area northwest of Orlando.
Lyons died tragically from his injuries, while Walden was badly injured. according to a posting on the Spectrum News 13 website.
A dedicated and dedicated reporter, Dylan was shot and killed while working at the scene of a murder. Spectrum News remembers our fallen colleague. https://t.co/264x3y8Lup
— News Spectrum 13 (@MyNews13) February 23, 2023
“Jesse Walden remains in the hospital. But he talks to our detectives and provides information,” Mina said at a press conference on Thursday afternoon.
A mother and her 9-year-old daughter, who live nearby, were also shot to death when a gunman identified as Keith Melvin Moses, 19, entered their home. The child has died, but the mother is still in critical condition.
According to Lyons’ LinkedIn profile, he attended the Dreyfus School of the Arts in West Palm Beach from 2012 to 2016, where he studied communications and theater.
The Palm Beach County School District confirmed on Thursday that Lyons attended and graduated from Dreyfus.
Eric Pasquarelli/WPTV
Dreyfoos director Blake Bennett released the following statement Thursday regarding Lyons’ passing:
“The Dreyfus family is saddened by the tragic and senseless loss of our former student. According to the teachers who worked with Dylan, he was a bright, shining star and was adored on our campus. He will forever be in our thoughts and prayers. “
“He was a great kid, very motivated and a real doer in high school,” Michelle Petrucci, dean of the Dreyfus theater department, said in a written statement to WPTV. “He knew that he would use his acting skills on camera and we were all very proud of his success. We express our sincere condolences to his family.”
While at Dreyfoos, Lyons was an executive reporter, director and broadcaster for DSOA Today, and a member of the National English Honor Society and the National Society of Senior Scholars, according to his LinkedIn profile.
This is reported by Spectrum News 13. Lyons, who was born and raised in Philadelphia, joined the station as a multimedia journalist last July.
Lyons graduated from the University of Central Florida and previously worked for WCJB TV20, an ABC television station in Gainesville.
Spectrum News 13 released the following statement regarding the tragedy:
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague and other meaningless lives today. Our thoughts are with our employee’s family, friends and colleagues at this very difficult time. We remain hopeful that our other colleague, who was injured, makes a full recovery. This is a terrible tragedy for the people of Orlando.”
The Florida Television Journalists Association released the following statement:
“Words alone cannot describe our overwhelming sadness after the loss of Spectrum 13 journalist Dylan Lyons, a 20-year-old woman and a 9-year-old girl in Orlando.
We are heartbroken to see that yet another senseless act of gun violence has taken the lives of more of our community, including a colleague of ours who is dedicated to making the world a better place.
Our thoughts are with the families and entire Spectrum News 13 newsroom affected by this tragedy, including photojournalist Jesse Walden, who was injured in the shooting. We will continue to provide support during this difficult time.
Dylan had a lot to give and something to live for.
“Dylan was truly the most dedicated professional and the happiest spirit,” said Spectrum News 13 host Greg Angel. “Always optimistic, really. Thirsty for knowledge; seeks to communicate and build relationships.
Dylan joined Spectrum News 13 in July 2022. Prior to joining Spectrum News 13, he worked for WCJB TV20 in Gainesville.
“He had a big personality and was never afraid to ask tough questions,” WCJB TV20 news director John Levy said in a statement. “Dylan has also been active in TV20’s philanthropic and community activities during his time in North and Central Florida. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and the Spectrum News 13 team.”
A graduate of the University of Central Florida, Dylan has interned at a number of Orlando’s newsrooms, including WKMG-TV, WFTV-TV and WMFE-FM.
“Dylan wanted so badly to be a TV journalist,” WKMG reporter Erik Sandoval shared in an online post. “He was excited about his future and we were happy for him. When I saw him last year at the awards ceremony (where he won), I gave him a big hug. Dylan was talented. Dylan was electrified. Dylan had a future.”
Dylan was awarded the Best Political/Election Series by the Florida Television Journalists Association. In 2021, he became a finalist in the investigative journalism competition.
The attack on our colleagues weighs heavily on our hearts. We are reminded of the fragility of life and once again our deepest condolences go out to our colleagues and all the families involved.”
Mina said on Thursday that a news colleague from WFTV, the Orlando-based ABC television station, assisted Lyons and Walden after they were shot dead.
“I just want to express my condolences to the victims, their families, our media partners with whom we work so closely,” Mina said.
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texasstandard.news contributed to this report.
