Gunman Kills Top Arkansas Democrat

State's Chairman Bill Gwatney Shot Three Times At Party Headquarters; Shooter Dies After Police Chase

(CBS/ AP)  A man barged into the Arkansas Democratic headquarters and opened fire Wednesday, fatally shooting the state party chairman before speeding off in his pickup. Police later shot and killed the suspect after a 30-mile chase.

Police said they don't know the motive for the 51-year-old suspect, whose name has not been released. However, they said moments after the shooting, he pointed a handgun at the building manager at the nearby the Arkansas Baptist headquarters. He told the manager "I lost my job," said Dan Jordan, a Baptist convention official.

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 Hillary Clinton superdelegate.

Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, issued a statement expressing their shock and sadness at Gwatney's death:

“We are deeply saddened by the news that Bill Gwatney has passed away. His leadership and commitment to Arkansas and this country have always inspired us and those who had the opportunity to know him. Our prayers are with his family during this time.”

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 the man then pushed past employees to reach the chairman's office, where he fired three times.

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.

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.

State Rep. Janet Johnson started to cry when she talked about Gwatney.

"This is like something you would see in New York or Pennsylvania or California, but not here," Johnson 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."

House Majority Leader Steve Harrelson was at the state Capitol for a news conference on crime and that he didn't know of anyone who would want to harm Gwatney.

"You never think of something like this happening here in Arkansas," said Harrelson.

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.

It is a very sad day in Arkansas. Mr. Gwatney was well liked by many and was a good and honorable man, regardless of his politics. It was very scary as I was downtown near the building when it happened and actually saw the shooters vehicle speeding away. My thoughts and prayers go out to Gwatney''s family and friends. Those of you who are trying to make this political should be ashamed of yourselves. A good man was killed... needlessly and senselessly. There is no spin only horrible facts.

[eddynewhope]

That is the face of the anti-Christ.

----------------------------------------------------

Posted by johnbush2 at 11:03 AM

Yeah - the anti-Christ is coming to get you. Booo! You fake Christians scare easy and use religion as a weapon a lot. Pathetic and kind of sad - a sign of our times. Real Christians put no such power in a man.

[eddynewhope]

Posted by ccfsdca at 12:44 PM

Clearly you''re a disturbed person who is somehow trying to mangle a murder into your anti-Obama fixation. You should really talk to someone about that. It''s bizarre that somehow you see this through your I-hate-Obama lense.

[parrots11]

Take a good look of the face on the cover of "The Obama Nation-Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality".
That is the face of the anti-Christ.
Posted by johnbush2 at 11:03 AM : Aug 14, 2008

My only question to you is - Are you a Christian ??? You do know what the Bible says about what your party and McCain are doing right now ??

[johnbush2-2009]

Take a good look of the face on the cover of "The Obama Nation-Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality".
That is the face of the anti-Christ.

[realpatriot1]

Guns don''t kill people...people with guns kill people.

[notfooled86]

Bill Gwatney was a brave and honorable man. As a Democratic Superdelegate he stood up for Senator Clinton. I''ll bet (but few know if) he was one of the Delegates who had the courage to sign the 300 Petition. It is time for all good Americans to stand up for Bill and what he stood for. Find out. Get involved.

[leftyintexas]

and where does it say that this killer was a republican or a conservative???

Posted by libsluv2spit at 01:05 AM : Aug 14, 2008

Hahaha! If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it''s dam-ned sure a duck, BUSHITE! Only 159 days left! Enjoy!

[godzfan]

Barrack Hussein Obama can''t be the Anti-Christ.BECAUSE I AM.

[godzfan]

Obviously this man was totally confused.He walked into the Arkansas Baptist Headquarters and said "He had lost his job". The went to the Democratic headquarters and shot Gwatney. Once again he was in the wrong building. If he wanted to shoot someone over his job loss he need to be at the Republican Convention Headquarters. After all its the republican party that has created this economy and all the recent job losses.

[smurfcrusher]

Surely another RGN (Republican Gun Nut). Mark my words.

[jeffstersf]

johnbush2: YOU are a sick puppy. Please, sell your guns, commit yourself to an asylum before it''s too late and more senseless deaths occur.

[wfbdem]

Another home grown rightwing, GOP terrorists strikes again. I wonder how many books from Ann Coulter, Hannity, Rush, O''reilly and other extremists he has in his double-wide?

[leftyintexas]

Barack Hussein Muhammad Obama is the anti-Christ.
Good men will not let evil prevail.

Posted by johnbush2 at 07:47 AM : Aug 14, 2008

YOU are sooo full of IT! A typical example of trailer park trash who learned how to use a computer. Good men will prevail! OBAMA IN 08!!!

[johnbush2-2009]

Why link an infamous chapter of Nazi history to any discussion of Barack Obama''s character and political aspirations? Because the parallels of his rise in politics and that of Hitler''s in Germany are too eerie in their particulars to ignore. To be sure, Obama''s rise has been, in terms of violence, betrayal, and criminal skullduggery, entirely blameless. Never mind his early career as a "community" advocate, activist, and ward-heeler in Chicago and his somewhat lackluster but leftist record in the Illinois legislature and the U.S Senate. Obama himself is a man of no convictions, and a man of no convictions, as a consummate second-hander, will adopt the "greatest good for the greatest number" as his moral compass, whether or not he is running for office.

A man with no sense of self-identity will become what others wish him to be, or what he believes others wish him to be. The empty vessel will naturally gravitate to crowds to be filled to the brim with their hopes, dreams, wishes, sores and frustrations. Only then will he feel complete. He will become their servant, their icon, to be placed on an altar to be worshipped and prayed to in self-effacing idolatry.

[johnbush2-2009]

So it is with Obama. It helps to explain why so many Americans are excited by him, and why he exudes a confidence not evident in any of the other candidates. His admirers cannot be excited by him because of his ideas; he has not expressed anything as solid as an idea (and clichis, bromides and populist tripe are not ideas), and his confidence grows as the number of his admirers and supporters grows.

Obama has not deliberately posed as a miracle-working Messiah who promises to cure all ills for all complainants; that is how his supporters and most of the news media view him, but he is willing to meet them halfway. And his race, fundamentally, is immaterial, regardless of what importance others attach to it. Virtually every other candidate has mouthed the same bromides, clichis, and populist tripe as Obama. Why they have worked for Obama and not much for anyone else (especially not for Hillary Clinton, whose sincerity is transparently phony and calculating) can be ascribed to his "charisma," his public speaking skills, and the apparent sincerity of the "feelings" behind his words.

Edward Cline

[johnbush2-2009]

Barack Hussein Muhammad Obama is the anti-Christ.
Good men will not let evil prevail.

[johnbush2-2009]

"What is objectionable, what is dangerous, about extremists is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents."
Robert F. Kennedy, U.S. senator (1925-1968).

Posted by Interobserv at 07:16 AM : Aug 14, 2008

"The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don''t do anything about it."

Albert Einstein


"When good people in any country cease their vigilance and struggle, then evil men prevail."

Pearl S Buck


Decent Americans are called upon to speak up against evil and not remain silent. That is exactly what the supporters of anti-Christ Obama would have us do.

[johnbush2-2009]

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama is currently hiding his anti-Israel views in order to get elected, according to a well-known anti-Israel activist. The activist, Ali Abunimah, claimed to know Obama well and to have met him on numerous occasions at pro-Palestinian events in Chicago.

In an article he penned for the anti-Israeli website Electronic Intifada, Abunimah wrote:

"The last time I spoke to Obama was in the winter of 2004 at a gathering in Chicago%u2019s Hyde Park neighborhood. He was in the midst of a primary campaign to secure the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate seat he now occupies. But at that time polls showed him trailing.

"As he came in from the cold and took off his coat, I went up to greet him. He responded warmly, and volunteered, ''''''''Hey, I%u2019m sorry I haven%u2019t said more about Palestine right now, but we are in a tough primary race.

I%u2019m hoping when things calm down I can be more up front.'''''''' He referred to my activism, including columns I was contributing to the The Chicago Tribune critical of Israeli and US policy [and said:] ''''''''Keep up the good work!''''''''"

Electronic Intifada



Jews who support the anti-Christ Obama might as well put a gun to their own heads.

[interobserv]

Someone, along time ago, put it perfectly:

"What is objectionable, what is dangerous, about extremists is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents."
%u2014 Robert F. Kennedy, U.S. senator (1925-1968).