At 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, the City of Annapolis will host a wreath-laying ceremony at the Guardians Memorial on Compromise Street to honor the lives of Rebecca Smith, Wendi Winters, Rob Hiaasen, Gerald Fishman, and John McNamara. The five were journalists and staff killed in a mass shooting incident at the Capital Gazette newspaper on June 28, 2018. The killing was, and is, the largest workplace mass shooting of journalists in American history.
Family members of the Capital Gazette journalists and staff, elected officials, and members of the public are invited to attend.
Following the wreath-laying, guests are invited to return to City Hall for the unveiling of artwork honoring the victims along with light refreshments.
The Guardians of the First Amendment Memorial (at Newman and Compromise Streets in Annapolis) was dedicated on June 28, 2021. The memorial unites the community and honors the freedoms established by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The memorial was initiated by the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee. The memorial’s construction was a collaboration between state and local governments as well as community organizations, nonprofits and individual donors.
The memorial is designed around the theme, “Freedom of the Press.” Situated at street level, visitors first notice the shade of tall oak trees along the perimeter of a plaza. Benches and a curved brick wall invite passersby to step into the space. Five stone pillars represent the five lives lost at the Capital Gazette. The First Amendment and the cover of The Capital newspaper from the day after the shooting are etched into the stone on opposite ends of the edifice of the wall.
“We have had a tragic few weeks in America, with mass shootings in Buffalo, NY; Laguna Woods, CA; Uvalde, TX; Philadelphia, PA; Saginaw, MI and other locations,” said Mayor Gavin Buckley. “We are unfortunately bound together with these places because we are communities grieving in the aftermath of gun violence. In remembering the victims, we honor their lives and work, and celebrate the love and respect they were held in, here in their local community; and we renew our commitment to fight for gun safety.”
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Photo credit: Visit Annapolis
