Late Thursday night, Anna Arundel County Police confirmed the names of those who died in the mass shooting at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, MD.

Among the dead was editor Rob Hiaasen.

The Baltimore Sun wrote this about Hiaasen:

Rob Hiaasen once wrote a description of his ideal job: “I would like to be paid for the occasional amusing remark or for simply showing up promptly to work and bringing in cookies from time to time,” he wrote a colleague. “Alas, there’s no market for those outstanding qualities.”

But he was wrong. His wryly observant writing style and his generous mentoring of young journalists assured him of a role in several newsrooms, from The Baltimore Sun to, most recently, The Capital Gazette, where he tragically was killed along with colleagues on Thursday.

Writer and editor Wendi Winters also was murdered in the attack.

The Baltimore Sun writes of Winters:

Wendi Winters spent a dozen years writing her way into the Capital Gazette newsroom.

After a career in fashion and public relations in New York City, the 65-year-old mother of four moved to Maryland 20 years ago and began stringing for the Annapolis news organization. She soon built a reputation as a prolific freelance reporter and well-known community resource.

John McNamara was remembered as a mentor to young journalists by the Washington Post.

John McNamara was an old-school reporter.

“Definitely a pen and paper guy,” said David Elfin, who co-wrote a book on University of Maryland basketball with McNamara. “He didn’t wear a fedora, but maybe he should have.”

McNamara worked at the Capital Gazette for more than 20 years, covering everything from local politics to professional sports. Friends, colleagues and young journalists he mentored remember him as a kind person and diligent reporter — someone who earned the trust and respect of his co-workers and sources alike.

The journalist was one of five people killed when a man with a vendetta against the Annapolis newspaper fired a shotgun through the newsroom’s glass doors and at its employees in a targeted shooting Thursday, according to police.

Gerald Fischman was noted for his “wicked pen” by The Baltimore Sun.

The first time Gerald Fischman applied for a job at The Capital, the editor passed him over.

Fischman’s personality was so quiet and withdrawn that it hid the brilliant mind, wry wit and “wicked pen” that his colleagues would treasure.

For more than 25 years, Fischman was the conscience and voice of the Annapolis news organization, writing scathing, insightful and always exacting editorials about the community.

He was the guardian against libel, the arbiter of taste and a peculiar and endearing figure in a newsroom full of characters.

“He had ability that, I thought, deserved a higher calling than The Capital,” longtime editor and publisher Tom Marquardt said.

The final victim was identified by the Baltimore Sun as recent hire, Rebecca Smith.

Rebecca Smith was a recent hire at the Capital Gazette but had already proved herself a valuable asset.

Smith, 34, a sales assistant, worked in the news organization’s office in Annapolis. She was one of the five people who were shot and killed Thursday afternoon.

Her boss, Capital Gazette advertising director Marty Padden, said she made sure the sales office ran smoothly.

“She was a very thoughtful person,” Padden said. “She was kind and considerate, and willing to help when needed. She seemed to really enjoy to be working in the media business.”

All five lost their lives when alleged shooter Jarrod Ramos opened fire at their workplace, killing them and gravely injuring others. Ramos reportedly had a long-standing feud with the paper.

[image via screengrab]

from Mediaite https://ift.tt/2Kvg9g1