The Washington Post wrote Thursday the five shooting deaths at The Capital Gazette in Maryland marked "the deadliest day since 9/11 for journalists and probably the second-deadliest in U.S. history."
"We don't know who those people are or why they were killed," correspondent Philip Bump reported.
"But assuming that all five worked for the newspapers published by the parent company of the Gazette, this may be the deadliest day for journalists in American history."
However, citing information from the International Federation of Journalists, Bump disclosed six television production workers with offices in the World Trade Center died Sept. 11, 2001.
In addition, William Biggart, a freelance photographer, died when the Twin Towers collapsed.
A week later, Robert Stevens, a photographer died when he inhaled anthrax mailed to American Media Inc. in Boca Raton, Florida.
Since 1992, seven journalists have died in the line of duty — and four others died when two news helicopters collided over Phoenix in 2007.
"Numerous others have died in accidents (mostly automotive)," Bump reported. "The death toll at the Capital Gazette is larger than any of those incidents."
Other deaths of journalists include Alison Parker and Adam Ward in 2015. They were approached by a former co-worker at a television station in Roanoke, Virginia, and shot to death during a live report.
For context, Bump noted the highest decade for journalist deaths was in the 1980s, which included the 1984 shooting of Denver liberal radio host Alan Berg.
Or, "we can contextualize it in another way," he said: Fifty-four media workers and journalists were killed worldwide last year.
"As many media employees died in Annapolis on Thursday than were killed in Somalia, the Philippines and Brazil in 2017 — combined," Bump reported.
"Only Syria, Iraq, Mexico, and Afghanistan had more deaths last year than Maryland had this week."
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