William A. Gwatney (August 26, 1959 – August 13, 2008) was an American politician who served as the State Chair of the Democratic Party of Arkansas.[3] He had previously served as a State Senator for ten years and as the financial chair of Mike Beebe's campaign for Governor of Arkansas in 2006. Gwatney was selected as a superdelegate at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, but was assassinated before the convention.[4]
Bill Gwatney | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chair of the Arkansas Democratic Party | |
| In office 2007 – August 13, 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Jason Willett |
| Succeeded by | David Pryor[1][2] |
| Member of the Arkansas Senate from the 19th district | |
| In office 1993 – January 13, 2003 | |
| Succeeded by | Terry Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 26, 1959 Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Died | August 13, 2008 (aged 48) Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Manner of death | Assassination |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 2 |
Death
editOn August 13, 2008, Gwatney was shot three times by Timothy Dale Johnson,[5][6] who entered Democratic Party headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas.[7] Gwatney was taken to a hospital, but died later that day.[8]
The gunman had said he wanted to speak with Gwatney about volunteering, but sidestepped his assistant when she said he was busy.[9] After the shooting, the gunman fled the scene in his truck and led police on a 30-mile (48 km) chase out of Little Rock.[9] Johnson was killed by police after a PIT maneuver forced him off the road into a field near Sheridan.[7][10] No motive was discovered, except Johnson quitting his job at a Target retail store earlier that day.[1][2]
Honors
editThe University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) Athletic Department posthumously inducted Gwatney into their Hall of Fame during a ceremony prior to the tip-off of the men's basketball game vs. New Orleans on February 26, 2009.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Andrew DeMillo (August 21, 2008). "Widow of slain Demo chairman to attend convention". The Associated Press. Retrieved August 25, 2008.[dead link]
- ^ a b Rob Moritz (August 22, 2008). "Gwatney's widow to serve as superdelegate at Democratic convention". Arkansas News Bureau. Archived from the original on September 24, 2008. Retrieved August 25, 2008.
- ^ AP story Archived August 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Bill Gwatney, Ark. Dem. chairman, shot dead at 48". The Associated Press. August 13, 2008. Archived from the original on August 18, 2008. Retrieved August 13, 2008.
- ^ "Arkansas Democratic Chairman Gwatney Killed In Shooting". RTT News. August 13, 2008. Archived from the original on August 18, 2008. Retrieved August 13, 2008.
- ^ "Gunman wounds Ark. Dems' party chairman". The Associated Press. August 13, 2008. Retrieved August 13, 2008.
- ^ a b Shaila Dewan (August 13, 2008). "Gunman Critically Wounds Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman". The New York Times. Retrieved August 13, 2008.
- ^ "Arkansas Democratic chairman killed in shooting". CNN. August 13, 2008. Archived from the original on August 15, 2008. Retrieved August 13, 2008.
- ^ a b "Wounded suspect in Ark. shooting dies after chase". The Associated Press. August 13, 2008. Archived from the original on August 22, 2008. Retrieved August 13, 2008.
- ^ Max Brantley (August 13, 2008). "UPDATE: Bill Gwatney shot;; assailant dead". The Arkansas Times. Archived from the original on August 19, 2008. Retrieved August 13, 2008.
External links
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