CNN Airs Video Of Shootout At Florida School Board Meeting (Warning: Graphic), Clay Duke Linked To Liberal Website Media Matters

Mediaite.com:

An extremely disturbing video is hitting the airwaves showing a man named Clay Duke opening fire on a school board meeting in Florida earlier today. Duke, apparently upset over the firing of his wife, later fatally shot himself.


Anderson Cooper reported on the incident on CNN, and showed video of Duke spray-painting a red “V” with a circle around it (think the movie V For Vendetta) before telling several people in the room to leave. At one point, a woman tries to knock the gun out of Duke’s hand, but is unsuccessful. Superintendent Bill Husfelt pleads with Duke to let it go, and then Duke fires several shots. Duke is then shot by Mike Jones, a security officer for the school district (Jones was off-camera). An absolutely surreal scene.


Also disturbing, arguably, is CNN’s exploitative handling of the video. They take pains to repeatedly warn viewers how graphic and upsetting the images will be, but wait until after they’ve played the video (twice, once in slow motion) to telll viewers that all of the assailant’s shots missed. This seems to confirm the rather obvious fact that “Graphic footage!” warnings are about gluing eyeballs, not shielding them.

Major props to that lady, Ginger Littleton, who tried to knock the gun out of that crazy guy's hands with her purse--that took some major cojones.

RELATED: FL School Board Shooter Posted Suicide Note railing Against The Rich, Linking To Media Matters