Arkansas state Democratic Party Chairman shot dead

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In summary, a man recently fired from a Target store shot and killed the state party chairman at the Arkansas Democratic headquarters before being killed by police after a 30-mile chase. The suspect had also pointed a gun at a worker at a nearby Arkansas Baptist headquarters, stating that he had lost his job. The motive for the shooting is not clear, but it appears to be a targeted attack. The suspect's association with the right wing has been questioned, but it is likely that he was simply mentally unstable.
  • #1
OrbitalPower
First there was the guy that went into a Clinton office in NH with a bomb strapped to his chest demanding to speak to the senator over mental health care, then there was that guy who shot up a unitarian church because they were http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080728/ap_on_re_us/church_shooting , now this:

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.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/WireStory?id=5573328&page=1
 
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  • #2
Yeah, I'd link this guy to the Clinton Bomber, but not the church guy. These two guys just snapped. They didn't indicate that they were right wing or anything.

Not that it would matter. I can't see Limbaugh or Hannity shooting anybody up, either. If you're crazy, you're crazy, regardless of political leanings.
 
  • #3
True. I would think that to target certain sites like a Clinton campaign office over health care, or to target Gwatney specifically, who was merely a State Chairman, would be for political reasons. However, it could also have been over their "celebrity" or because they hated the government in general, or some similar motive. Perhaps a mod can edit out my last line, beginning with "What's going on...," as the time lapsed for me to be able to do so.
 
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  • #4
The term crazies is correct. Associating them with the right wing is not. Doing so would be akin to associating John Hinckley, Jr. with the left. His attempted killing of Reagan had nothing to do with politics. It had only to do with garnering publicity -- and being crazy.
 
  • #5
This guy had pointed a gun at a person earlier that day and when asked "what's wrong?" he had replied that he had lost his job. Then ran off and shot the Chairman. With as little as we know, it looks like he associated his loss of a job to the Chairman specifically or the Democratic Party in general. Pointless killing.
 
  • #6
drankin said:
This guy had pointed a gun at a person earlier that day

Actually, it was right after the shooting.
 
  • #7
WarPhalange said:
Actually, it was right after the shooting.

Yep, I just read another article that said it was after. The article I read yesterday did say it was just before. I think they were going on here-say to be the first with the "news".
 
  • #8
I am confused,why the police killed the suspect.He should have been caught alive.
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  • #9
Because the guy had a gun and probably refused to put it down and get on the ground peacefully?

Cops aren't stupid. They won't risk their lives to apprehend someone who clearly wants them dead.
 

FAQ: Arkansas state Democratic Party Chairman shot dead

Who was the Arkansas state Democratic Party Chairman?

The Arkansas state Democratic Party Chairman was Bill Gwatney, a well-known businessman and political figure in Arkansas.

When and where was the Arkansas state Democratic Party Chairman shot?

The Arkansas state Democratic Party Chairman was shot on August 13, 2008, at his office in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Who shot the Arkansas state Democratic Party Chairman?

The gunman was identified as Timothy Dale Johnson, a 50-year-old from Searcy, Arkansas. He was a former employee of a Target store owned by Gwatney and had a history of mental health issues.

What were the motives behind the shooting of the Arkansas state Democratic Party Chairman?

The motives behind the shooting are still unclear, but it is believed that Johnson held a grudge against Gwatney for firing him from his job at Target years earlier.

How did the Arkansas state Democratic Party react to the shooting?

The Arkansas state Democratic Party released a statement expressing their shock and sadness at the tragic event. They also called for unity and an end to violence in politics.

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