The family of a television journalist who was tragically killed while reporting on a homicide in central Florida in 2023 has initiated a negligence lawsuit against his former employer, asserting that the media organization failed to take adequate safety measures to protect him.

The complaint was filed on Tuesday in an Orlando state court on behalf of the parents of Spectrum News 13 reporter Dylan Lyons. The lawsuit aims to secure financial compensation against Charter Communications, the parent company of Spectrum News 13, representing the estate of the deceased journalist.

According to the suit, Lyons was not provided with any security or protective gear despite being present at a crime scene where a woman had been shot and where the assailant was still unapprehended.

In a response to the lawsuit, Spectrum issued a statement claiming the allegations were baseless and announcing its intent to seek dismissal of the claims. “Dylan’s murder was a tragic and unforeseeable event,” the company stated, adding that he fell victim to an “utterly senseless act of violence.”

During the incident, Lyons, accompanied by cameraman Jesse Walden, was reporting on the homicide of a woman when the perpetrator confronted and shot them both. While Lyons lost his life in this attack, Walden sustained injuries. Just prior to this incident, authorities reported that the suspect had entered a nearby home, resulting in the tragic death of a 9-year-old girl and injuring her mother.

The suspect, identified as Keith Moses, is currently facing murder charges for the deaths of Lyons, the woman, and the child, to which he has pleaded not guilty.

The lawsuit further details that, although Spectrum mandates its employees to cover high-crime areas, it does not provide them with personal safety measures or security personnel to safeguard them.