TV reporter killed live on the air.

[Adam]

But everyone knows that Adam didn't give one iota about Brandon's comments. I think that had more to do with your own feelings on the subject.

 

Generally, people mock others, whether personally or collectively to feel better about themselves, their views, beliefs, etc. We are are all guilty of it. 

Edited August 27, 2015 by Adam

[Don]

Miraculously I've gone through the whole day avoiding any of the videos. I'd rather remember the victims with smiles on their face rather than fear. Not to mention the killer flaunted the video on social media. He wants people to watch his carnage and I want no part of it. But I can't fault anyone for wanting to see the videos. It's just not for me.

I'll never watch it. I don't need to see it. I know what happened, and anything more is a bit pornigraphic in the worst way.

There was a video linked to on this site (at least a few years back) that showed an Olympic luge participant dying in an accident during his practice run. I watched it. I felt horribly guilty about it immediately. That cured me of ever wanting to see such things again. I just felt terrible for watching someone with a loving group of friends and family (presumably) die while I was just browsing around on my lunch break.

Edited August 27, 2015 by Don

[LBHalos17]

I'll never watch it. I don't need to see it. I know what happened, and anything more is a bit pornigraphic in the worst way.

There was a video linked to on this site (at least a few years back) that showed an Olympic luge participant dying in an accident during his practice run. I watched it. I felt horribly guilty about it immediately. That cured me of ever wanting to see such things again. I just felt terrible for watching someone with a loving group of friends and family (presumably) die while I was just browsing around on my lunch break.

I would agree with that sentiment.  I don't watch very many of these.  But, there are some that are necessary training tools for us in order to better understand the totality of the situation.

 

This was a horrible event, and my condolences go out to the survivors of these two news-people (who, by all accounts I've read so far, were very decent and motivated in their jobs).

 

I saw the original videos posted by the psycho, and a had a few thoughts.  The first thing I noticed is that the two victims (or anyone else around) don't notice him standing there, OR pointing his gun at her for a few seconds before shooting.  It's pretty typical for the news-people to be hyper-focused on their subject, but I was surprised the woman being interviewed didn't even notice him.

 

The most evil part of his video, is how calm and steady his hand is with the camera and gun.  This is a "person" who is about to attempt to kill people, and he's breathing and and conducting himself like Hannibal Lector.  Unfortunately, there's lots of these types out there.  He is like a "Dorner" clone; he convinced himself of his victimhood to the point that the actual final act was anti-climactic as "regular business."

 

When the female victim is shot, it looks like she is struck with at least 3 or 4 rounds.  She turns and runs away at least several yards (we don't yet know exactly how far away from the shooter she got).  This makes a point about ballistics and other factors (adrenaline, drug usage, body armor, hit-points, etc.).  A lot of Police shootings look like overkill due to the amount of rounds, but studies have shown that these factors play a big part in the effectiveness of the shots.  I don't post this info to defend all Police shootings, just to illustrate the point.

 

I saw an impressive picture this evening.  It showed the newsroom where the two murdered news people worked, and I was impressed that the station was still up-and-running.  It reminded me of how Police, Fire, and Military must continue-on with the mission even while grieving lost comrades (which our Department did today).

 

I'm glad this sack of crap saved all the costs of going to trial; I just always wish these types would take that final step as their first step and spare the rest of us trying to figure them out.

[mp170.6]

This shooting is another byproduct of the politically correct, sterile society we live in.

 

People going homicidal because they can't deal with criticism. 

[arch stanton]

People suck

[xboom28x]

The first page of this thread is full of so many incorrect facts/reports it's embarrassing

[mtangelsfan]

But everyone knows that Adam didn't give one iota about Brandon's comments. I think that had more to do with your own feelings on the subject.

 

I never said Adam was bothered by it.  I was just pointing out the dichotomy of how people feel so free to insult other's beliefs and then don't think that should effect anything.

 

and there is a huge difference between joking and a plain statement.

[Stradling]

The first page of this thread is full of so many incorrect facts/reports it's embarrassing

As embarrassing as this thread turning into another religious thread?

[Jason]

Seeing stuff like this reinforces my belief that we should treat each day like it's our last. We aren't guaranteed tomorrow

[Jason]

I wonder who will be the 1st presidential candidate to politicize this?

[Lhalo]

I wonder who will be the 1st presidential candidate to politicize this?

 

Skip back to page 3 of this thread to find the answer to your question.

[Jason]

Wow. That didn't take her long

[nando714]

I saw both angles of the video. Absolutely chilling and disturbing

On his body camera how can they not notice a 6'3 man walk up. He points the gun 2 different times for about 3 seconds. Almost looks fake but farm from it. Just plain sad and wrong. I hate some people sometimes.

[fan_since79]

As embarrassing as this thread turning into another religious thread?

 

The dude had to go off on me for not including Jehovah in one of my posts. Just for the record, I didn't intend for the thread to go that way.

[mtangelsfan]

Just let it go man.  Seriously.

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

I saw both angles of the video. Absolutely chilling and disturbing

On his body camera how can they not notice a 6'3 man walk up. He points the gun 2 different times for about 3 seconds. Almost looks fake but farm from it. Just plain sad and wrong. I hate some people sometimes.

I can tell you from being on many of these, that the photog is so laser focused on what's in viewfinder while the reporter is also the same on the lens and the guest.

This is why you get the baba booeys and pranksters. There is no producer there to warn them to defend them. Yeah it seems stupid. But that's their job. The one thing I wondered about was guest. She's a tourism expert at the water park. She would have known if anyone else should have been there.

It's terrible. All of it. He followed them, laid in wait, and the worst part is, they had done their other live shots. This one at 645 was the last one of the broadcast.

As for xboom, if you are referring to speculation I had, I can tell you that's what the newsroom chatter is like. There are theories and reports that get broken down and then you go. This forum is not broadcast, at least not in my mind. This is a group of people communicating, albeit publicly.

I can tell you that when everyone went with Michael Jacksons death, not one station in LA, or CNN had that confirmed by two sources. TMZ ran with and everyone went all in.

And as I saw yesterday, CNN, despite having conflicting and some erroneous information, was still 5-10 minutes behind the social media news. His name, his photo, all of the social media he posted.

The real information is out there from the most unlikely of sources, but you have to sift through the inaccurate stuff to get there.

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

Just let it go man. Seriously.

Seriously.

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

Skip back to page 3 of this thread to find the answer to your question.

I saw at least two on CNN last night. Gilmore and Carson.

[mp170.6]

SOTO, you said you worked in the news industry, presumably on the west coast? 

 

Could you see the same thing playing out over again with other news people?  Here in LA, they seem to go through news reporters like water and I often wonder if they leave on bad terms?

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

SOTO, you said you worked in the news industry, presumably on the west coast? 

 

Could you see the same thing playing out over again with other news people?  Here in LA, they seem to go through news reporters like water and I often wonder if they leave on bad terms?

 

There were photos, writers, producers, talent, editors, that we always thought would come back postal.  There was a dude at NBC, that was a member of the black panthers in the late 60s and early 70s.  This guy was frightening.   By the early 90s he just hated the man, and all of the man's disciples.  And you'd give him stories or assignments that he didn't like, and you thought, "man, if he comes in with the gun, he's coming for me."

 

This shooter actually reminded me of a weather guy we had, that nobody really cared for.  He replaced Christopher Nance, who was extremely popular.  He had stupid phrases like "double nickels" for 55 degrees.  He didn't last long on his temp gig, and I really felt like I was going to get capped by him.   

 

Newspeople generally live in fear.  It's a crazy personality that's in TV, everyone has a gigantic ego, and feelings get hurt quickly.   And yes, whomever said it earlier… many people can't take criticism.   I was a producer and an executive producer and I had a lot of people underneath me.   I was a bit of an arrogant tyrant too.  Not a person I liked to be.   I was despised at the stations I worked at by most of my co-workers.    

 

Everyone gets a little nervous about that writer, and whats in his lunch box or the photog and his gear bag.  You know who is written up, and who has HR issues.  It is shocking it took this long for someone to actually pull the trigger.   Lots of love triangles in news too, which I'm no stranger at either.  

 

Lots of good people in news, but people who cannot handle the criticism come unglued.    

[Tank]

a childhood friend of mine used to be a cameraman at channel 5 news. he was like the guy that was shot yesterday, doing lots of mobile stories. he's out the game now, and i'm glad he was never a victim.

 

soto, do you think this event and a few others in recent months will change the way mobile reporters do their job? do you see them having a security person go along with them to prevent anymore incidents like the one in virginia?

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

Here's a true story about the black panther guy.

One day I was in charge of the field crews and reporters and he the crews would clock in and clock out with us.

Anyway, he calls and he says, "hey clock me out at 6:30p", and I said OK.

Then my counterpart who was on the AM said to me, "I never had him on my crew sheet."

I called back down to our field shop and asked "hey, Bob what story were you on, Ellen didn't have you on our crew sheet."

He said "I called at 10:30a and said i was ready to go, and nobody called me."

He sat for 8 hours and didn't take a lunch, so he got penalty pay for the last two hours (about $80 an hour at the time.)

Of course every day you wish you had three extra crews to shoot everything you need and this fuûcker sat down there for 8 hours milking a $500 day doing nothing.

No report was sent to HR, nobody wanted to be the one on his target list.

[mp170.6]

Very interesting.  So when a reporter lasts for only a month or two, does that usually mean he/she left on bad terms? 

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

a childhood friend of mine used to be a cameraman at channel 5 news. he was like the guy that was shot yesterday, doing lots of mobile stories. he's out the game now, and i'm glad he was never a victim.

soto, do you think this event and a few others in recent months will change the way mobile reporters do their job? do you see them having a security person go along with them to prevent anymore incidents like the one in virginia?

Three times in my like career were there ever any issues. Once Doug Kriegel, my NBC reporter and his crew were mugged for their wallets in South Central. Another crew, white guy, was roughed up by Nation of Islam guys in LA, and third was our CBS reporter roughed up by police in that first May Day melee about 6-7 years ago.

When the King Riots happened ( a few years before my time in news) they used security guards in rough neighborhoods. I'd say early to mid 90s, we'd employ a security guard for crews maybe once every two Months. By the late 90s, nobody ever had security unless it was a special deal.

We had security for Katrina when we went. We've had squatters, employees that stay with the trucks during Lakers riots and crap like that.

I think for the most part, station GMs would rationalize that that could have happened anywhere. Disgruntled employees can pop at anytime and inside the walls of a fortress.

At NBC, after the David Horowitz incident, they installed keypads on our studios. Security is present at those studios, but 95% of them are rent a cops. We had one or two plain clothes cops with guns, but they usually would hover around the tonigh show studios.

You could cap off dozens of people before security got in those places.

Out in the field, anything can happen. I never liked being in the field. The first night I was in news, it was 93, and we were driving through the are where the riots were cruising for breaking news. Our transmission dropped out and we were stranded for three hours from 10p to 1a. I was crapping pants.

Some crews traveled with Kevlar in the trucks but didn't want to wear it. That gear is heavy enough and hot enough already to throw that on.

Edited August 27, 2015 by SOTO

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

Very interesting. So when a reporter lasts for only a month or two, does that usually mean he/she left on bad terms?

That's pretty rare unless you screw up quickly, especially in the smaller markets. It's tough to green light on air talent, especially when they have relocated. It's a very taxing process. Even the bad weather guy I mentioned, he last like 4/6 months. Because then it's, "oh shit... this guy sucks." And then you're contacting agents to lock up someone else who has to relocate.

Yesterday's situation is a good example of how not to handle things. He was the reporter with that crew, and the female was an intern. Ultimately, he was bounced and they gave the intern his job. That's kindling for a huge firestorm. That's not to take away from the talent of the female. It's clear the shooter was nuts.

It's small market. Look at the anchor team. They are awful. While, I never worked in a small market, I know the atmosphere. They are newbies. They become close knit. They are all kids trying to make it. They are all learning the biz together. They often live together as roommates and they go to bars and dinner together.

If this guy didn't fit in, it was inside and outside the studio. Clearly from the excerpts I read of his diatribe, he made himself out to be quite the victim.