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VANISHED: An April weekend, changed forever

Abstract:
In Athens, the last Saturday in April is reserved for revelry. College kids and townies, 8-year-olds and 80-year-olds, all venture downtown for a celebration of beer and bikes at the annual Twilight Criterium. Thousands gather in the baking sun to see friends, cheer on gritty competitors and perhaps witness a crash or two. But this year they were witness to something new - SWAT members, poised with assault rifles, walking in straight lines amidst the crushing crowds. Half a mile away - away from the fun and festivities - a man armed with two guns made time stand still. The last Saturday in April would now mean something else....

Polly Stramm

posted 4/27/09 @ 12:22 AM EST

Great reporting.
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Meredith D.

posted 4/27/09 @ 1:06 AM EST

Fantastic coverage of this tragedy. Very well-written and informative reporting. Thank you R&B!
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Erin

posted 4/27/09 @ 2:16 AM EST

You guys got some really great coverage here. I agree, great reporting.
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In our prayers

posted 4/27/09 @ 3:04 AM EST

God Bless Mr. Teague. He probably saved lives. Let us pray for all of those affected by this tragedy.
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UGA professor

posted 4/27/09 @ 7:10 AM EST

congratulations; you all have the best reporting of any of the media outlets who have covered this story. All 3 victims were amazing people. Thank you for helping us process and mourn this tragedy.
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Kelly Simmons

posted 4/27/09 @ 7:33 AM EST

This might be the best reporting I've seen in a college paper and as good as anywhere else. You own this story.
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UGA professor

posted 4/27/09 @ 8:08 AM EST

You're doing what the best journalists do - serving your community - thoroughly and with integrity. Thank you for helping us at this most difficult time.
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Edward Brumby

posted 4/27/09 @ 8:36 AM EST

An excellent job of reporting, far superior to anything in the other media.
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UGA Staff Member

posted 4/27/09 @ 8:42 AM EST

This is the most in-depth, comprehensive, and accurate account of the events that I've seen.

I live 1 street away from the shooting and I can tell you that we were quite scared knowing that there was some gunman on the loose.

When I called the police to ask if we should take any precautions (obo 1:30) they said "We're pretty sure the suspect has left the area."

Great! AKA -- they had no clue where this maniac was. No news outlets had any information for us and we were relying on good ol' fashion WOM to travel from neighbors down the street.

It's pretty sorry when the AP covers the story before any of the local news outlets. We need some actual journalists in Athens, and it's good to know that the Red & Black can put together the pieces so well -- so that we can at least attempt to reconcile our confusion and try to understand what happened and why.
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elizabeth

posted 4/27/09 @ 8:49 AM EST

Good job on the story. What a true tragedy.

I bet Jimmy Williamson is so upset he can't dress up in his suit and tie and get on TV with interviews. Has he checked Whitner Milner's house? This sort of thing would have never happened on campus as Williamson has been so diligent in getting kids with marshmellow shooters locked up.
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Student

posted 4/27/09 @ 9:09 AM EST

So, the police had his correct name and ID by 12:35, they had road blocks set up by 12:45, BUT UGA Alert was not issued until 1:55?!?!
Is there any explanation for this?
That seems like the system failed to me.
Especially since it was known by most people at the scene that Zinkhan is a UGA professor, that he was on the loose, and with thousands of people just blocks away.
I hope this question comes up at the UGA news conference today.
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UGA Alumni (in Athens)

posted 4/27/09 @ 9:20 AM EST

I agree. The absolute BEST coverage of this tragic shooting! The R&B reporters involved wrote the most comprehensive piece I've seen or heard. God bless Ben Teague - he surely saved lives! Our prayers are with his family, Mary Bruce's family (especially her two young children who now have neither parent) and Tom Tanner's family (especially his young daughter who apparently witnessed the shooting up close and his wife, who did what any mother would do and protected her child but had to leave her husband in an effort to do so - my heart aches for her!) Kudos to the Athens-Clarke County Police and the UGA Police for keeping order in a potentially chaotic situation. May God comfort all those who witnessed this tragedy.
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DT

posted 4/27/09 @ 9:39 AM EST

This is the most comprehensive information I've seen, heard or read about the shootings. Thanks for the coverage. My heart goes out to everyone at the center of this tragedy. God bless.
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Terence

posted 4/27/09 @ 10:01 AM EST

Banner Herald scooped again - they haven't even updated their story significantly since early Sunday and their website isn't even running properly. That Banner Herald isn't in bankruptcy because of the economy; clearly it's lazy reporters who can't get out and shake the trees and get some real stories, photos and interviews.
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amymengel

posted 4/27/09 @ 10:05 AM EST

R&B staff - you make me extremely proud to be a Grady grad. This coverage completely blows away anything else that's been published. Well done.

Thoughts and prayers go out to the Athens community.
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Barry Hollander

posted 4/27/09 @ 10:09 AM EST

Remarkable job of reporting, maybe the best of anyone out there trying to tell us what's happening. You prove again why journalism is important. Congrats to the staff.
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M

posted 4/27/09 @ 10:28 AM EST

Excellent coverage! I have been following this story on every news site since we receice the UGA text. This is by far the best covereage I have ssen!
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Charles

posted 4/27/09 @ 11:10 AM EST

Automatic weapons on campus? In the hands of the UGA police? Can someone please explain how this is necessary and how it makes our campus safer? Ridiculous scare mongering that could lead to an even greater tragedy by a "nervous" campus keystone cop. Very irresponsible on the part of the administration. Very Bush-like response.
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eliz

posted 4/27/09 @ 11:12 AM EST

I can't help but be worried about our Athens police force. This article mentions that it took police 4 minutes to verify the spelling of this name....and then another 5 to find the right address. Call me crazy but I can take out my iphone and find all that information a hell of a lot faster. Then later in the article it says the police missed him by mere minutes. If the police had been doing their job maybe he would have been captured as opposed to still being in hiding somewhere. Really athens police? 4 minutes to verify the spelling of a rather simple name?

I am truly disappointed.
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HotelSinRenoNevada

posted 4/27/09 @ 11:18 AM EST

wow man, write a book!! very good reading...
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C. Trent Rosecrans

posted 4/27/09 @ 11:23 AM EST

wonderful reporting and writing. it makes me proud to be an r&b alumnus. great work, great journalism. you should be very proud on this sad day for athenians everywhere
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JustSoYouKnow

posted 4/27/09 @ 12:18 PM EST

The UGA police are actually better trained than our beloved ACCPD. They're trained as bomb squad members, SWAT (essentially) team members, etc. They're WAY more qualified to handle a situation of this magnitude than the ACCPD.
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knows better

posted 4/27/09 @ 12:47 PM EST

bs. ugapd is not more qualified. this was the first time the ugapd swat team ever deployed. i might trust my life with a few of the guys on the team but not all of them. accpd swat team tho is the ****. the pictures speak for themselves. riding in the back of a pickup truck? really? way to sweep the muzzles guys.

also kudos for williamson saying "we don't have to worry about funding anymore" while the bodies were still on the ground. he tells it like it is.
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SWAT?

posted 4/27/09 @ 12:56 PM EST

Originally posted by

knows better

 bs. ugapd is not more qualified. this was the first time the ugapd swat team ever deployed. i might trust my life with a few of the guys on the team but not all of them. accpd swat team tho is the ****. the pictures speak for themselves. riding in the back of a pickup truck? really? way to sweep the muzzles guys.

also kudos for williamson saying "we don't have to worry about funding anymore" while the bodies were still on the ground. he tells it like it is.


and when has the need for the SWAT team to be deployed existed prior to Saturday when every member of the ACCPD was working and/or could not be bothered to come in and help catch a MURDER on the loose????

And the insensitivity by your last statement quoting Williamson and his quote itself blows my mind.
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austin

posted 4/27/09 @ 1:12 PM EST

there is a special area of hell reserved for monsters like this. He's going to have some serious justice coming to him whether in this life or the next
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Susan

posted 4/27/09 @ 1:14 PM EST

Great coverage! I was frustrated with the lack of details from other media outlets. The R&B really rose to the occasion. This is such an upsetting situation, but there's some comfort in knowing more about what's going on. Fingers crossed this ends soon and peacefully...
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Joseph

posted 4/27/09 @ 1:25 PM EST

I agree with the other comments here. You guys have done a fantastic job reporting on this. It makes me even more proud to be a Grady grad.
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Joe Cool

posted 4/27/09 @ 2:18 PM EST

Great reporting!! I'm so happy the Red and Black has this awesome opportunity to flex it's journalistic muscle!!!
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Adam

posted 4/27/09 @ 3:31 PM EST

Originally posted by

Joe Cool

 Great reporting!! I'm so happy the Red and Black has this awesome opportunity to flex it's journalistic muscle!!!


Let us remember that this "opportunity" was the loss of three people who ment so much to so many.
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caroline

posted 4/27/09 @ 2:30 PM EST

wow.
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Franklin

posted 4/27/09 @ 2:35 PM EST

This man has brought shame to one of the great faculties in the nation and brought tragedy to one of the most amazing cities I have ever lived in. Shameful.
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Andy Dufresne

posted 4/27/09 @ 3:08 PM EST

Does anyone else think it is ironic that "Sherlock Homes: The Final Adventure" was the production that going on at the theater or is that just me?
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FacebookFan

posted 4/27/09 @ 4:17 PM EST

I've been following all this since it started! :-S And part of that has included checking Zinkhan's OPEN facebook profile to UGA / Athens,GA networks. Check it out - recent activity coming AFTER the shooting!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1474326448&v=wall&viewas=4922281
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Appalled

posted 4/27/09 @ 4:25 PM EST

Originally posted by

FacebookFan

 I've been following all this since it started! :-S And part of that has included checking Zinkhan's OPEN facebook profile to UGA / Athens,GA networks. Check it out - recent activity coming AFTER the shooting!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1474326448&v=wall&viewas=4922281


This link is a scam to get your facebook information. This comment should be removed from the thread. Way to exploit this tragic situation
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FacebookFan says TRY AGAIN Appalled

posted 4/27/09 @ 4:39 PM EST

Try again. It's real. I'm a senior here at UGA. I posted this in a hurry as I had just discovered it and thought the public a) deserved to know and b) would be interested. I like how everyone now-a-days assumes everything is meant to be exploitive or a scam. Here's the link to his profile again:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=1474326448&v=wall&viewas=4922281

You'll see that a friend of his Susan Quinlan posts at 2:15 P.M. "George, what have you done ..." etc. He then approves 3 friend requests, then receives another comment yesterday (Sunday) from John Schubert asking him to turn himself in.

I am sorry for any confusion I may have caused by my quick post - but I decided to re-post to share this with the public.

I looked him up on facebook once receiving the text Saturday and something in me told me to go look at it again today - and that's what I found.

Sincerely,
Kristen
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Marketing prof

posted 4/27/09 @ 4:53 PM EST

GZ hasn't logged in to any of his computer accounts since this happened.

My guess is that he friended these three people on Friday (the last time he had any activity), and that they responded to his request some time on Saturday, not realizing the drama that was playing out at the same time.

Most people outside of Athens weren't aware that this happened this weekend.
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Lynne

posted 4/27/09 @ 5:35 PM EST

Thanks for all the good coverage over the weekend. The online Athens newspaper was down a good part of the time, but I found your site and kept myself updated. Good job!
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Jessica Luton

posted 4/27/09 @ 7:02 PM EST

The Red and Black did a wonderful job of covering such a tragic event with poise and detail. This is, by far, the best article I've read on the events that took place Saturday and I commend the staff for their thorough reporting.
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UGA Alum

posted 4/27/09 @ 7:32 PM EST

Thank you Red and Black, really thorough coverage. Yours was the best reporting by far, including the national news.
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incredible reporting

posted 4/27/09 @ 9:31 PM EST

As a student journalist at a Midwestern university, I'm very impressed by the reporting done on this. This is as thorough as it gets.
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Kyle

posted 4/27/09 @ 10:35 PM EST

What a tragic day. I will keep the affected families in my prayers.

Thank you, Red&Black, for giving the most concise recap I've seen about this story. I'll echo the comments about this being journalism at its finest.
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UGA Student

posted 4/27/09 @ 11:30 PM EST

I took Dr. Fran Teague's Shakespeare and Film class last semester. She is a wonderful lady and great professor. My heart goes out to her as well as the rest of the families affected by this tragedy.
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uga staff

posted 4/27/09 @ 11:31 PM EST

R&B - I just had to add my voice to those praising your work. You have been professional, thorough, and above all, more accurate than any other outlet I've seen, in your reporting. This is such a horrible event in our community, and your coverage has helped people to put some of the pieces together. Thank you.
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Katherine

posted 4/27/09 @ 11:50 PM EST

This is NOT good reporting. All of you saying it was accurate weren't there. The Red & Black ought to be ashamed with the deplorable way in which they are handling Saturday's tragedy at the Town & Gown theatre. Patric Ryan, represented as a witness in Monday's article, was no such thing; he and I arrived at the theatre within minutes of the shooting, but did not see it unfold. Rather, the Red & Black were desperately ravenous for a story, so reporter Julie Leung kept calling him asking for numbers of our friends who did indeed witness the event. Mr. Ryan repeatedly told her to stop calling, but finally reluctantly gave an interview so our traumatized friends wouldn't have to. He then ordered her NOT to use his name. She disobeyed, and Carolyn Crist then manipulated his words to fit the tone of her article AND had the nerve to go on the TV news and act like she knew a damn thing about the day's events. American journalists and reporters, as usual, has been behaving like hungry vultures, and they have utterly no respect for the families of Tom, Marie, and Ben. I suppose it's true even during tragedies: selling papers is the most important thing of all. You want "great news"? Go out in the woods and find this fuck, and THEN report it. In the meantime, you might as well talk about swine flu or something, because figuring out WHY it happened won't do shit.
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Ashes

posted 4/28/09 @ 12:02 AM EST

Most informative article I've read thus far. Thanks, Carolyn- keep up the good work!
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UGA Prof

posted 4/28/09 @ 12:12 AM EST

Red and Black - you have thoroughly exposed the riff-raff leftovers at the Banner Herald with your far better, faster, more in-depth and accurate coverage.

Looking forward to the day the big ugly "News" Building is a restaurant or apartments. I vote they nename it the "Press Release Building" or "Cut And Paste Central" or the "Late And Lazy Building."

Good job, kids. Keep up the excellent work.
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EH Cochran

posted 4/28/09 @ 1:07 AM EST

R&B, you guys have done a he$$ of a good job reporting this story as it unfolds.

kudos to you and please keep up the good work.
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Desdemona

posted 4/28/09 @ 10:44 AM EST

As a former T&G cast member, my heart is broken with this news. My thoughts are with the friends and family I have missed so much and I want them to know that I share their sorrow. Ben was always a hero to me and we could all learn what a truly loving heart can do for others. Peace be with you all, I'll be there soon.
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Meagan Riley

posted 4/28/09 @ 11:40 AM EST

I agree- much, much better story that the ABH or even the national news sources.

A true journalistic gift. Pity this is how it had to come out.
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dana

posted 4/28/09 @ 1:21 PM EST

GZ is a possessive, jealous man and stalked me for 7 years!
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