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More than seven years after a deadly mass shooting at a newsroom in Annapolis, the city is honoring the five people who lost their lives with a new roadside dedication that thousands will see as they travel in and out of Maryland’s capital.
On Rowe Boulevard, just blocks from the State Capitol building, a newly unveiled sign reads:
“The Capital Gazette Five.”
It honors Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith and Wendi Winters. They were killed in June 2018, when a gunman entered the Capital Gazette newsroom.
Marty Padden with the Capital Gazette said the sign is a powerful reminder of those the community lost.
“As thousands of people travel along Rowe Boulevard, they will see this sign and be reminded of the lives taken far too soon and of the resilience that defines this community,” Padden said.
Families of the victims watched as the sign was unveiled. Among them was Winters Geimer Larca, Winters’ daughter.
“I don’t want people to forget that these were journalists and staff members who died because someone didn’t like what was written about him in the paper — even though it was true,” Larca said.
Paul Gillespie, a former Capital Gazette photographer, hopes the sign sparks curiosity and remembrance.
“They’re going to, hopefully, want to know what it’s about, and then look into it more — and keep Rob, Gerald, Wendi, John and Rebecca’s names alive, and their legacy alive,” Gillespie said.
The Maryland Transportation Commission approved the dedication.
“This dedication, while for the Capital Gazette Five, is not honoring the tragedy that happened. It is honoring those five individuals for each being a Marylander of significance,” said Commissioner Justin Towles.
The Capital Gazette Five will ‘live on’
Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley, who was in office when the shooting occurred, said the highway marker is not solely about the tragedy or the essential role journalists play in defending democracy through a free press.
“It’s also, more and more, a far more personal thing. It’s the story of who they were, all that they achieved and stood for, and all the ways they shaped us,” Buckley said.
He added that the highly visible highway marker helps keep their memories alive.
“They live on — still speaking to us, still shaping our stories, still and always part of our community,” Buckley said.
For the families, friends and colleagues of those lost, the pain still lingers.
“I can’t believe it’s been seven years,” said Gillespie, who worked alongside Fischman, Hiaasen, McNamara, Smith and Winters.
Gillespie, who still works for the paper, said the memories of his colleagues remain close.
“I don’t think I can go on assignment without someone bringing up Wendi.”
He said he thinks of the five almost constantly — and the fun times they shared.
While some staff have moved on, those who were there the day of the shooting remain bonded.
“I think those of us that were there that day are always going to have a special bond,” Gillespie said.
Personal tragedy for grandson
Winters’ daughter, Larca, sat with her 5-year-old son Orion.
“She just wrote and wrote and wrote,” Larca said of her mother, a prolific and beloved community journalist.
But for Orion, the tragedy is deeply personal.
“He’s come to some of these remembrances and maybe heard some of the same platitudes or stories or sympathies, but that’s the only way he gets to know his grandmother,” Larca said. “And that’s a personal tragedy for him, that he’s not even going to know what he’s missing.”
Larca said her son will have to learn about his grandmother through stories.
“She’s the one that gets forgotten because she’s the one who doesn’t send Christmas presents or recognize his birthday.”
Andrea Chamblee, the widow of sports writer McNamara, says the loss of her husband pushed her to run for office and continue advocating for press freedom. She currently serves on the Howard County Public Schools Board of Education.
She and McNamara’s friends also created a lasting tribute to his legacy.
“After he died, lots of young women said they would never have been able to go into sports if John hadn’t introduced them around and taken them under his wing,” she said.
They established a scholarship for sports journalists at the University of Maryland to help the next generation carry on the work McNamara loved.
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