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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鈥檚 capital.
On Rowe Boulevard, just blocks from the State Capitol building, a newly unveiled sign reads:
鈥淭he Capital Gazette Five.鈥�
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.
鈥淎s 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,鈥� Padden said.
Families of the victims watched as the sign was unveiled. Among them was Winters Geimer Larca, Winters’ daughter.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want people to forget that these were journalists and staff members who died because someone didn鈥檛 like what was written about him in the paper 鈥� even though it was true,鈥� Larca said.
Paul Gillespie, a former Capital Gazette photographer, hopes the sign sparks curiosity and remembrance.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to, hopefully, want to know what it鈥檚 about, and then look into it more 鈥� and keep Rob, Gerald, Wendi, John and Rebecca鈥檚 names alive, and their legacy alive,鈥� Gillespie said.
The Maryland Transportation Commission approved the dedication.
鈥淭his 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,鈥� 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.
鈥淚t鈥檚 also, more and more, a far more personal thing. It鈥檚 the story of who they were, all that they achieved and stood for, and all the ways they shaped us,鈥� Buckley said.
He added that the highly visible highway marker helps keep their memories alive.
鈥淭hey live on 鈥� still speaking to us, still shaping our stories, still and always part of our community,鈥� Buckley said.
For the families, friends and colleagues of those lost, the pain still lingers.
鈥淚 can’t believe it’s been seven years,鈥� 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.
鈥淚 don’t think I can go on assignment without someone bringing up Wendi.鈥�
He said he thinks of the five almost constantly 鈥� and the fun times they shared.
While some staff have moved on, those who were there the day of the shooting remain bonded.
鈥淚 think those of us that were there that day are always going to have a special bond,鈥� Gillespie said.
Personal tragedy for grandson
Winters’ daughter, Larca, sat with her 5-year-old son Orion.
鈥淪he just wrote and wrote and wrote,鈥� Larca said of her mother, a prolific and beloved community journalist.
But for Orion, the tragedy is deeply personal.
鈥淗e鈥檚 come to some of these remembrances and maybe heard some of the same platitudes or stories or sympathies, but that鈥檚 the only way he gets to know his grandmother,” Larca said. “And that鈥檚 a personal tragedy for him, that he鈥檚 not even going to know what he鈥檚 missing.鈥�
Larca said her son will have to learn about his grandmother through stories.
鈥淪he鈥檚 the one that gets forgotten because she鈥檚 the one who doesn鈥檛 send Christmas presents or recognize his birthday.鈥�
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.
鈥淎fter he died, lots of young women said they would never have been able to go into sports if John hadn鈥檛 introduced them around and taken them under his wing,鈥� 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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