ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore released the following statement on the fifth anniversary of the Capital Gazette shooting, one of the deadliest attacks targeting American journalists in our nation’s history:
“Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith, and Wendi Winters were taken from us far too soon.
These exceptional Marylanders committed themselves to elevating the truth and informing the public. They built careers strengthening one of the most important institutions in American life: a free press. It’s an institution that our service members swear to protect when they deploy; it’s an institution that is central to the ideas of our democracy; and it’s an institution on which our nation’s greatness depends.
All five victims of the Capital Gazette shooting should still be with us today. My heart is with the families who mourn. No words or tribute can ease the immeasurable loss they’ve endured.
This tragedy reminds us of how much work we still have to do to build safer communities and end gun violence. We must do everything we can to protect the sanctity of our neighborhoods, protect the future of our children, and protect the safety of our journalists–whether they cover stories at home or abroad."
Governor Moore today proclaimed June 28, 2023 as
Freedom of the Press Day in Maryland.
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