Two journalists killed in Libya; two others wounded
Journalists Tim Hetherington, left, and Chris Hondros, right, were killed in Libya on Wednesday.
April 20th, 2011
07:20 PM ET

Two journalists killed in Libya; two others wounded

[Updated at 7:20 p.m. ET] Acclaimed photojournalist Chris Hondros has died of wounds he suffered in an incident in Libya that killed a second Western journalist and wounded two other journalists, Getty Images said Wednesday evening.

The other journalist who died was Tim Hetherington, an Oscar nominee for a gritty and harrowing documentary about the Afghan war, the president of the agency that represented him said Wednesday.

"The only thing we know is that he was hit by a [rocket propelled grenade] with the other guys," CSPR agency president Cathy Saypol said about Hetherington.

Hetherington's last Twitter entry appears to have been made on Tuesday: "In besieged Libyan city of Misrata. indiscriminate shelling by Qaddafi forces. No sign of NATO."

FULL STORY

[Initial post, 1:30 p.m. ET] A Western journalist has been killed and another wounded in the Libyan city of Misrata, journalists in the city said on Wednesday.

CNN is not identifying them by name at this time because their families have not yet been notified. Cathy L. Saypol, president of the agency that represents the deceased photojournalist and the Panos Pictures photo agency who employed the victim, also confirmed the death. The circumstances of death and injury are not yet clear.

Before these casualties were reported, the Committee to Protect Journalists documented more than 80 attacks on the press in Libya since political unrest erupted. Its website has a running list of attacks on media people since February 16. "They include two fatalities, a gunshot injury, 49 detentions, 11 assaults, two attacks on news facilities, the jamming of Al-Jazeera and Al-Hurra transmissions, at least four instances of obstruction, the expulsion of two international journalists, and the interruption of Internet service. At least six local journalists are missing amid speculation they are in the custody of security forces. One international journalist and two media support workers are also unaccounted for," CPJ said. In one well-publicized incident, four New York Times journalists were abducted and freed last month.

They described "beatings and abuse while in captivity."

The Times' journalists are Beirut Bureau Chief Anthony Shadid, reporter Stephen Farrell, and photographers Tyler Hicks and Lynsey Addario. The team's driver, identified by the Times as Mohamed Shaglouf, is unaccounted for," CPJ said.

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Filed under: Libya
soundoff (45 Responses)
  1. han

    Wait! People died in war!? Amazing.

    These 2 people died covering a bloody conflict in a area they had no business in. People who are fighting this conduct either because they are forced to fight for their lives and their families is much more important than these 2 schmucks who were most likely trying to make a quick buck.

    April 21, 2011 at 12:34 am | Report abuse |
  2. ole Lady

    Wow han that was sooooo cold.

    April 21, 2011 at 2:16 am | Report abuse |
  3. sandyk

    NOT that I am comparing the jobs but....I think trying to stop a journalist or reporter (not sure of correct term) from going to report on something they are passionate about would be like telling a fireman not to go into a burning building. the dedication would HAVE to be the same to go to some of these places. my beloved is a police officer so i am choosing my words carefully!! dont want anyone to misunderstand the meaning behind the comparision.

    April 21, 2011 at 8:02 am | Report abuse |
  4. TvNYC

    Okay, I do feel bad for these two guys that got killed. I'm sorry to their families also. But, they shouldn't have been there, the Libyan government is so crazy that the NATO nor USA did not want to send ground troops there, which was smart, just bomb the fudge cakes. The Libyan government is pure evil and I don't know why these journalists or any other journalists are even there in the first place. Gaddafi is going to HELL if he doesn't surrender now!

    April 21, 2011 at 8:35 am | Report abuse |
  5. Ken in Texas

    It's a sad story to be sure, but what saddens me more as a military veteran is that this story received so much media attention. When was the last time the media paid this much attention when one of our young men or women in the Armed Forces was killed in a combat situation? Where were the testimonials then?

    April 21, 2011 at 9:01 am | Report abuse |
  6. Toad

    Thank you Princess! But Mario is in another castle!

    April 21, 2011 at 12:00 pm | Report abuse |
  7. noelle

    This is extremely heart breaking to hear. I wish the best for their families and hope they know... these men are heros in my eyes and those of my classmates who have admired their work for many years now.
    God Bless,

    April 23, 2011 at 7:59 am | Report abuse |
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