Community Corner
Capital Gazette Shooting: Annapolis To Remember 5 Victims On 4th Anniversary Of Attack
Four years after the Capital Gazette shooting, Annapolis will host a ceremony to remember the five staffers killed in the newspaper attack.
ANNAPOLIS, MD — On the fourth anniversary of the newspaper attack, Annapolis will host a ceremony to remember the employees killed in the Capital Gazette shooting.
Community leaders will lay wreaths at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Guardians of the First Amendment Memorial, which is located near the intersection of Newman and Compromise Streets.
That downtown monument has five stone pillars, one for each staffer killed in the assault.
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The shooting on June 28, 2018 claimed the lives of:
- Editorial Editor Gerald Fischman, 61
- News Editor and Columnist Robert Hiaasen, 59
- Sportswriter and Editor John McNamara, 56
- Sales Associate Rebecca Smith, 34
- Community News Reporter Wendi Winters, 65
This is the largest workplace mass shooting of journalists in American history, a press release said.
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"In remembering the victims, we honor their lives and work, and celebrate the love and respect they were held in," Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley said in the release.
Buckley and other Anne Arundel County officials unveiled the memorial to the victims on last year's anniversary of the attack.
The monument's pillars are situated in a semicircle that faces a rounded brick wall. The words of the first amendment are etched into the façade, guaranteeing the freedom of the press. The wall also shows the cover of The Capital from the day after the shooting.
Related: Capital Gazette Memorial Unveiled, Attendees Cheer Free Press
After the wreath-laying on this year's anniversary, Annapolis will host guests at City Hall. Officials will unveil artwork honoring the victims and serve light refreshments. The event is open to the public.
The day of reflection follows recent mass shootings in:
- Buffalo, New York
- Laguna Woods, California
- Uvalde, Texas
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Saginaw, Michigan
Buckley empathizes with the city's affected.
“We are unfortunately bound together with these places because we are communities grieving in the aftermath of gun violence,” Buckley said. "We renew our commitment to fight for gun safety.”
Related: Capital Gazette Shooter Gets 5 Life Sentences: Report
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