Capital Gazette reporters recall heroic colleague who charged the gunman, giving them time to hide
When a gunman opened fire on the newsroom of the Capital Gazette, in Annapolis, Maryland, last month, reporter Wendi Winters didn't hesitate, her colleagues say. The newspaper veteran charged the shooter with a trashcan and recycling bin shouting, "No! You stop that!" and "You get out of here!"
"I think that Wendi doing what she did served as enough of a distraction that maybe he didn't see us," said reporter Rachael Pacella, who was in the newsroom when the gunman, who had a longstanding grudge against the newspaper, opened fire, killing Winters and four others. "I absolutely think that Wendi Winters saved my life."
Just weeks before the attack, Winters, a 65-year-old mother of four, had attended active shooter training at her church, where she was taught "run if you can run, hide if you can hide, fight only if you must," the Capital Gazette reports. Her distraction gave three other members of the newsroom the time to respond, whether that meant hiding or hitting the floor.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"She may have distracted him enough that he forgot about me because I definitely stood up and was looking at the door," said sales consultant Janel Cooley.
The gunman killed five Capital Gazette employees; you can learn more about each of them here. Six of the 11 people in the newsroom survived, in part because of Winters' heroism; read her full story at the Capital Gazette.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
A Man on the Inside: Netflix comedy leaves you with a 'warm fuzzy feeling'
The Week Recommends Charming series has a 'tenderness' that will 'sneak up' on you
By The Week UK Published
-
Bread & Roses: an 'extraordinarily courageous' documentary
The Week Recommends Sahra Mani's 'powerful' film examines the lives of three Afghan women under the Taliban
By The Week UK Published
-
V13: a 'marvelous and terrifying' account of the Bataclan terror trials
The Week Recommends Emmanuel Carrère's work is 'absolutely gripping'
By The Week UK Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published