Radio Host Fired for Joking About School Shooting

A Colorado talk radio host is out of a job after an ill-advised joke about wanting to see a "nice school shooting" to distract from the "never-ending impeachment of President Trump." Chuck Bonniwell—speaking in a studio less than 15 miles from Columbine High School—made the remark after coming back from a commercial break Tuesday on KNUS 710 AM, ABC reports. His wife Julie Hayden, co-host of the "Chuck & Julie" show, immediately objected. "No, no, don’t even say that! Don't call us! Chuck didn’t say that," she said as Bonniwell added that he wanted a shooting in "which no one would be hurt."

The remarks caused an outcry from relatives of school shooting victims, among others, the Denver Post reports. "I'm furious that anybody in media or politics would suggest a school shooting to distract from a presidential impeachment or any other rhetoric in the media," said John Castillo, whose 18-year-old son, Kendrick, was killed trying to protect others during a school shooting in suburban Denver earlier this year. "This is totally unacceptable, inexcusable, and wrong." In a tweet Wednesday evening, the station said that "given the history of school violence that has plagued our community ... a programming decision was made to end the program immediately." (More Colorado stories.)