Breaking: Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman Shot In Dem Headquarters And Dies With Video
Someone walked into the office of the Democratic headquarters in Arkansas and shot the Chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party, Bill Gwatney, who currently is listed as in critical condition. Isn’t Hillary from Arkansas?
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UPDATE:
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - A man recently fired from a Target store barged into the Arkansas Democratic headquarters Wednesday and fatally shot the state party chairman before speeding off in his pickup. Police later shot and killed the suspect after a 30-mile chase. Police identified the suspect as 50-year-old Timothy Dale Johnson of Searcy, a town about 50 miles northeast of Little Rock. They said that moments after the shooting, Johnson pointed a handgun at a worker at the nearby Arkansas Baptist headquarters. An official there said he told the worker, “I lost my job.”Chairman Bill Gwatney died four hours after the shooting. The 48-year-old former state senator had been planning to travel to the Democratic National Convention later this month as a superdelegate. He had backed Hillary Rodham Clinton but endorsed Barack Obama after she dropped out of the race.Clinton and her husband, former President and former Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton, issued a statement saying Gwatney was “not only a strong chairman of Arkansas’ Democratic Party, but … also a cherished friend and confidant.”
Conway police said a Target store 30 miles north of Little Rock had fired Johnson earlier Wednesday because he had written graffiti on a store wall. The age and address provided by Conway officers matched those provided by Little Rock police for its suspect.
Witnesses said the gunman entered the party offices shortly before noon and said he wanted to see Gwatney.
“He said he was interested in volunteering, but that was obviously a lie,” said 17-year-old party volunteer Sam Higginbotham. He said that when the suspect was refused a meeting with Gwatney, he pushed past employees to reach the chairman’s office.
Little Rock police spokesman Lt. Terry Hastings said the suspect and Gwatney introduced themselves to one another, at which time the suspect “pulled out a handgun and shot Gwatney several times.” Hastings didn’t say what the two discussed, but said their discussion was not a heated one.
Police said after leaving the office, the suspect pointed a gun at a worker at the Baptist headquarters seven blocks away. When asked what was wrong, the man said “I lost my job” said Dan Jordan, the group’s business manager.
After the suspect avoided spike strips and a roadblock along U.S. 167 near Sheridan, police rammed his car, spinning it, said Grant County Sheriff Lance Huey. He got out of his truck and began shooting, and state police and sheriff’s deputies fired back, striking him several times, he said.
Hastings said investigators found at least two handguns in the suspect’s truck.
There was a busy signal Wednesday night at a phone number listed under Johnson’s name. Little Rock police said they could find no criminal record for him.
According to Conway police spokeswoman Sharen Carter, Target fired Johnson before 8 a.m. Wednesday because he had written on a wall. Other store employees said Johnson’s body shook as he turned in his ID badge. A Target manager had called police because of the incident but the wall had already been cleaned.
The state Capitol was locked down for about an hour until police got word the gunman had been captured, said Arkansas State Capitol police Sgt. Charlie Brice.
Gov. Mike Beebe, a Democrat who served with Gwatney in the state Senate, had been on a flight to Springdale in northwestern Arkansas. He returned to Little Rock and joined an impromptu vigil at University Hospital after what he called a “shocking and senseless attack.” Gwatney had been Beebe’s finance chairman during the governor’s 2006 campaign.
“Arkansas has lost a great son, and I have lost a great friend. There is deep pain in Arkansas tonight because of the sheer number of people who knew, respected and loved Bill Gwatney,” Beebe said.
Karen Ray, executive director of the Republican Party of Arkansas, sent her workers home early “out of an abundance of caution.”
“Our hearts go out to everyone at the Democratic headquarters. What a tragedy,” Ray said. “This is just a very upsetting, troubling and scary thing for our staff as well.”
Sarah Lee, a sales clerk at a flower shop across street from the party headquarters, said that around noon Gwatney’s secretary ran into the shop and asked someone to call 911.
Lee said the secretary told her the man had come into the party’s office and asked to speak with Gwatney. When the secretary said she wouldn’t allow him to meet with Gwatney, the man went into his office and shot him, Lee said.
Last November, a distraught man wearing what appeared to be a bomb walked into a Clinton campaign office in New Hampshire and demanded to speak to the candidate about access to mental health care. A hostage drama dragged on for nearly six hours until he peacefully surrendered.
The confrontation brought Clinton’s campaign to a standstill just five weeks before the New Hampshire primary. Security for her was increased as a precaution. She said she did not know the suspect.
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LITTLE ROCK — The chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party was hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday after an incident at the party headquarters, Fox News has confirmed. A television station reported that three shots were fired and that a man escaped the area in a blue truck.
A suspect was shot and apprehended following a 25 mile car chase with police, Lt. Terry Hastings confirmed to Fox News.
“There has been an incident at the party and chairman (Bill) Gwatney has been taken to the hospital,” said Bruce Sinclair, the director of the state Democratic Party. He did not say how Gwatney was injured.
Sarah Lee, a sales clerk at a flower shop across street from the party headquarters, said that around noon Gwatney’s secretary ran into the shop and asked someone to call 911. She said a man had come into the party and shot Gwatney multiple times.
Lee said the secretary told her the man had come into the party’s office and asked to speak with Gwatney. When the secretary said she wouldn’t allow him to meet with Gwatney, the man went into his office and shot him, Lee said.
She said the secretary described the man as in his 40s and white and drove off in a blue truck.
Lee told FOX News: “He demanded to talk to Bill Gwatney,” and said the secretary knew the gun went off, not the extent of the injuries.
She said there were also several others in the building.
“They all left the building as quick as they could.”
(AP)
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
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Looks like the libs might get their wish for a return of the good ol 60’s days if this stuff catches on.
August 13th, 2008 at 11:01 amWas it a gun free zone?
August 13th, 2008 at 11:14 amy’all aren’t gonna make a big deal outta a good ol’ boy doin’ some varmint huntin’ now are ya?
Sorry. That’s insensitive. I hope the Dhimmi puke gets well soon and comes to his senses and changes party affiliation.
August 13th, 2008 at 11:34 amIs the revolt starting??
August 13th, 2008 at 11:49 amYou two are idiots, and should be ashamed of yourselves. It doesn’t matter what the man’s politics are. I, for one, hope he makes it ok, and I pray for the man’s family.
The comments like yours are exactly the type of thing I see on leftist websites directed at Republicans and I think it is disgusting to be used on both sides.
August 13th, 2008 at 12:20 pmIf It was a Republican Office? They would have Shot Back?
August 13th, 2008 at 12:51 pmHot Springs Mafia? Slick Willies Uncle?
August 13th, 2008 at 1:18 pmLook at the “Mob President”.
He’s died. Those of you making jokes about it sound like the Kos Kidz. Stupid, that is.
August 13th, 2008 at 1:25 pmWhile Arkansas is a concealed carry state, there is a mile long list of places and situations that you cannot carry your gun. “Meeting place of any government agency” is on the list, so yes, this guy was shot up in a “gun free zone.” Talk about your own rules coming around to bite you in the ass.
August 13th, 2008 at 1:50 pmGood observation! Seems like every time you turn around, someone is getting shot in a “Gun-Free-Zone”…..You’d think they’d have learned by now!
August 13th, 2008 at 1:57 pmsometimes you gotta learn the hard way, and take it easy sgt their just kidding
August 13th, 2008 at 2:02 pmSad to report that Bill Gwatney has died from the wounds he suffered.Prayers to his family.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:30 pmNow the left has come unhinged blaming Rush Hannity Fox and Michelle Malkin.
http://www.stoptheaclu.com/archives/2008/08/13/michelle-malkin-and-sean-hannity-blamed-for-shooting-of-bill-gwatney/
Media Lizzie was just discussing the fairness doctrine on her BTR show.The left will use this shooting and the church shooting to bring on the fairness doctrine and kill the 2nd amendment.
thanks but I don’t care what Marine Sgt. and Laura think. They have no idea who the enemy is and if they can’t handle a war of words (which is actually FAR tamer than what went on in this country 200+ years ago) then they certainly can’t be counted upon when their politically correct selves are needed later.
August 13th, 2008 at 3:01 pm“Is the revolt starting?”
Not yet.
Wait for the signal.
You’ll know it when you see it.
Probably won’t be subtle.
Whoever this shooter was he (pardon the expression) jumped the gun.
August 13th, 2008 at 5:14 pmi got you sully, people dueled to the death over small disagreements. as far as im concerned you are right on. The u.s. is under attack, a full out war from the left. If your a democrat your on the left and therefore the enemy. Someone took his right to life just like he probably took some of their rights.
August 13th, 2008 at 8:43 pmI read a report and will try to find the reference that said that the shooter was a “former employee” of Gwatney. That makes a lot more sense than anything I’ve heard anywhere else.
August 13th, 2008 at 8:52 pmSully -
So you kill all Democrats to solve the problems? Doesn’t sound like democracy - great or otherwise - to me. You could take a note right off several current and recent players’ pages in fact - Putin, Saddam, Ahmadinejad, to name a few.
August 14th, 2008 at 6:22 amLaura-
Wow… that actually is the sort of moral equivalency reach grabbed at by KosKidz. Can’t make an actual argument to support your political correctness so Sully is Putin… Bush is Hitler. Got a real point to make?
August 14th, 2008 at 7:23 amI am far from politically correct, as you have put, however, I know what a war is. I’ve been there. Have you? People like to spin everything up to be a war- a war on drugs, poverty. Whatever. Now you say we are at war with the left. No we’re not, we’re just seeing democracy in action.
Two different sides of opinion. I do not agree with anything from the left, however, I am proud and happy to defend their right to have their own views, that is what makes our country different than others. Without this difference of opinion, without disagreement, we have totalitarian society.
The only people I have ever wished death on is my enemy. My enemy, being jihadis. I don’t wish death on people on the left or people I disagree with. As fucked up as those people are and their views are, I realize that they still have families and friends and people that care for them, and their views don’t merit a death warrant.
If you feel your enemy is the left, or Democrats, or whatever else, than I guess you should pick up a gun and go out and attack. Otherwise, use your brain and think of some countries of the past with no difference of opinion, no dissent. Russia, Germany, Japan fifty plus years ago come to my mind. Look how great they are did. Now, look at our country with all the differences we’ve had and how we are doing.
The truth I see is this: The left powers us (Conservatives). As much as we hate them, if they did not exist, we wouldn’t have nothing to mobilize against, nothing to fight, and no real reason to hold up standards of thought. Conservatives are a majority in this country and will continue to be, because we are on the higher moral ground. The left is always attacking us and calling us names and wishing death on our stars, but we still stay on top. Why? Because the American people are not that way. We are mostly moral people that have values.
August 14th, 2008 at 8:05 amfunny how some people think getting fired from a Target store is the end of the world
August 14th, 2008 at 8:16 amExcept for the argument from authority that was a reasonably nice dissertation. I disagree with your view re ‘the left’ however.
August 14th, 2008 at 8:58 amAnyway, I did not wish the man dead.
And it’s still you that’s trying to circumscribe speech.
I’m not saying don’t say what you said. I never said that. I’m not trying to stop you from speaking. All I am saying is that I disagree with your view, and I was pointing out that the negative comments toward the man are characteristic of what the Left likes to do, therefore, If you don’t like the left, I don’t think it is in our best interest to stoop to their low and immoral level.
August 14th, 2008 at 12:27 pm