The names of the journalists who were shot while reporting a homicide close to Orlando have been confirmed by Spectrum News 13.
Around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, photographer Jesse Walden and journalist Dylan Lyons, 24, were shot as they were out in the field covering the murder of a 20-year-old woman. Lyons died in the accident, and Walden is still in serious condition.
Also Read: Who was Dylan Lyons? News 13 reporter killed covering Pine Hills mass shooting scene
Who is Jesse Walden?
Jesse Walden was a 29-year-old photojournalist who was working with Spectrum News 13. He was gunned down along with Dylon Lyons by 19-year-old Melvin Moses while reporting on an earlier shooting. The tragedy happened while the journalists were near their car in the Pine Hills neighborhood on Wednesday afternoon.
Walden remained in the hospital on Thursday, where family members said that he was awake and able to speak. Walden had recently transferred to the Sunshine State. He had previously worked for KSTU in Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as WOFL-TV, a Fox affiliate in Orlando. On his LinkedIn profile, he stated that his job was “using visual storytelling to show human connection.”
Prayers were extended for Walden by his fellow reporters. Walden formerly worked from 2016 to 2020 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“Please say a prayer for Jesse Walden this morning,” WOFL reporter Amanda McKenzie wrote on Twitter. “I had the opportunity to work with Jesse last year and I am hoping that he pulls through and recovers.”
Journalist Ryan Elijah wrote: “Say a prayer for Jesse Walden this morning. The News 13 photojournalist was critically injured in the shooting that killed his colleague Dylan Lyons Wednesday.”
Several videos are shown in Walden’s professional portfolio on YouTube, including ones from Orlando, where he recently featured subjects about a millennial purchasing her parents’ home and the homeless on Christmas.
Walden was shot while performing work-related duties near the spot where Melvin Moses is accused of fatally shooting a 20-year-old woman sitting in her car earlier on Wednesday. A few hours later, Moses reportedly came back to the site and started shooting at the reporters from Spectrum News. He then allegedly entered a random house on Hialeah Street, where he killed a 9-year-old child and severely injured her mother.
