New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is expressing sympathy for the families and friends of those killed at the office of the Capital Gazette, which he called his ‘hometown newspaper.’
Though born in Tennessee, Belichick was raised in Annapolis, where his father was an assistant football coach at the U.S. Naval Academy. Belichick graduated from Annapolis High School in 1970.
On Thursday, five employees of The Capital were killed by a gunman who broke into the building, opened fire and was subsequently arrested.
In a tweet, Belichick says: ‘For my entire life, The Capital has been my hometown newspaper. My family and I have enjoyed special relationships with many great people who have worked for the newspaper.
‘My heart goes out to the victims, their families and the entire Annapolis community for this terrible and senseless tragedy.’
Photos of five journalists adorn candles during a vigil across the street from where they were slain in their newsroom in Annapolis, Md., Friday, June 29, 2018. Prosecutors say Jarrod W. Ramos opened fire Thursday in the Capital Gazette newsroom. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Mary Adams, owner of The Annapolis Bookstore, stands by a sign outside her store on Saturday, June 30, 2018 in downtown Annapolis, Md. Adams, who knew two of the journalists who were killed in the attack on The Capital newspaper, said the shooting has made the entire community very sad. (AP Photo/Brian Witte)
The historic state capital of Annapolis is draped in grief from the attack at the local newspaper that killed the journalists who chronicled soccer games, art exhibits and the fabric of small-city life.
Mary Adams owns The Annapolis Bookstore and knew two of the five people killed. She said Saturday that the tragedy ‘feels so personal.’ She says a sign outside her store sums up the depth of grief. It reads: ‘There are no words.’
Annapolis is a quaint waterside town of about 40,000. With its weekly sailboat races and picturesque downtown, residents were settling into the rhythms of summer when the shooting shattered the town’s usual tranquility.
Caitlin Walls works in an interior design shop. She says it’s sad to see such violence ‘in places that you thought were the safer places.’
More than 1,000 people have streamed through Maryland’s capital to honor the five people slain in a newspaper office, quietly clutching candles or hoisting #AnnapolisStrong signs.
Mourners stand in silence during a vigil in response to a shooting at the Capital Gazette newsroom, Friday, June 29, 2018, in Annapolis, Md. Prosecutors say 38-year-old Jarrod W. Ramos opened fire Thursday in the newsroom. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
People hug as they gather for a vigil in response to a shooting in the Capital Gazette newsroom, Friday, June 29, 2018, in Annapolis, Md. Prosecutors say Jarrod W. Ramos opened fire Thursday in the newsroom. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Those who gathered Friday night remembered the employees of The Capital newspaper as a crucial piece of their tight-knit community.
David Marsters worked at the newspaper from 2008 to 2016 and said the outpouring of grief is a testament to the special bond the newspaper has with its readers.
Killed Thursday were Rob Hiaasen, Gerald Fischman, Wendi Winters, John McNamara and Rebecca Smith.
Jarrod W. Ramos has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder in one of the deadliest attacks on journalists in U.S. history.
Mourners walk during a vigil in response to a shooting at The Capital Gazette newspaper office, Friday, June 29, 2018, in Annapolis, Md. The suspect, Jarrod W. Ramos, is charged with five counts of first-degree murder in one of the deadliest attacks on journalists in U.S. history. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.