Bill Gwatney

Infobox_Politician


name = William "Bill" Gwatney
width = 173
height = 209
caption =
birth_date = August 26, 1959
birth_place =
death_date = Death date and age|2008|8|13|1959|8|26|
death_place = Little Rock, Arkansas
residence = Jacksonville, Arkansas
office = Chair of the Arkansas Democratic Party
term_start = 2007
term_end = August 13, 2008
predecessor =
successor = Karla Bradleycite news|author = Andrew DeMillo|title = Widow of slain Demo chairman to attend convention|date = 2008-08-21|publisher = The Associated Press|url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jVDAXk1vdGDlwdFiX3Ljp4_2Mf0QD92MSCD80|accessdate=2008-08-25] cite news|author=Rob Moritz|title=Gwatney's widow to serve as superdelegate at Democratic convention|date=2008-08-22|publisher=Arkansas News Bureau|url=http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2008/08/22/News/347610.html|accessdate=2008-08-25] (interim)
office2 = Arkansas State Senator
term_start2 = 1993
term_end2 = 2002
predecessor2 =
successor2 =
party = Democratic
religion =
spouse = Rebecca Gwatney
children = Christian and Chase (from previous marriage) & stepchildren Zachary and Emily
website =

Bill Gwatney (August 26, 1959cite news|url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gPVnNUxQEMPdG0NhPC9qLgSsGxogD92HNSGG1|title=Bill Gwatney, Ark. Dem. chairman, shot dead at 48|date=August 13, 2008|publisher=The Associated Press|accessdate=2008-08-13] – August 13, 2008) was an American politician who served as the State Chair of the Democratic Party of Arkansas. [ [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jZT13WqlQ9i-8LZpa2zR-f0t9YSwD92HI3CG1 AP story] ] Prior to being State Chair, he was a State Senator for 10 years. He had also been the financial chair for Mike Beebe's run for Governor of Arkansas in 2006. He owned three car dealerships in Pulaski County. [ [http://www.thecabin.net/stories/072608/opi_0726080020.shtml The Cabin article] ] Gwatney was selected as a superdelegate at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, and replaced by his widow Rebecca Gwatney following his death.

Death

On August 13, 2008, Gwatney was fatally wounded when a man, identified in news reports as Timothy Dale Johnson, 50,cite news |url=http://www.rttnews.com/Content/PoliticalNews.aspx?Node=B1&Id=684606 |title=Arkansas Democratic Chairman Gwatney Killed In Shooting |publisher=RTT News |date=2008-08-13 |accessdate=2008-08-13] cite web |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26181389 |title=Gunman wounds Ark. Dems' party chairman |publisher=The Associated Press |date=2008-08-13 |accessdate=2008-08-13] entered Democratic Party headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas and shot Gwatney three times.cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/14/us/14arkansas.html?hp |title=Gunman Critically Wounds Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman |publisher=The New York Times |author=Shaila Dewan |date=2008-08-13 |accessdate=2008-08-13] The Arkansas Democratic Party chair was taken to a hospital, but died at 3:59 pm CDT.cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/08/13/arkansas.shooting/index.html|title=Arkansas Democratic chairman killed in shooting|date=August 13, 2008|publisher=CNN|accessdate=2008-08-13]

The gunman had said he wanted to speak with Gwatney about volunteering, but sidestepped his secretary when she said he was busy.cite web |url=http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DEMOCRATIC_PARTY_SHOOTING?SITE=MITRA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT |title=Wounded suspect in Ark. shooting dies after chase |publisher=The Associated Press |date=2008-08-13 |accessdate=2008-08-13] After the shooting, the gunman fled the scene in his truck and led police on a convert|30|mi|km|adj=on chase out of Little Rock. Johnson was fatally shot by police after a PIT maneuver forced him off the road into a field near Sheridan.cite web |url=http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/2008/08/capitol_ave_crime_scene.aspx |title=UPDATE: Bill Gwatney shot;; assailant dead |author=Max Brantley |publisher=The Arkansas Times |date=2008-08-13 |accessdate=2008-08-13] No motive was discovered, except Johnson quitting his Target job earlier that day.

ee also

*List of Democratic Party (United States) superdelegates, 2008

References

External links

* [http://www.arkdems.org/ Democratic Party of Arkansas]