A radio show was canceled after a host said ‘a nice school shooting’ would break up the monotony of the Trump impeachment coverage
A Denver radio show has been canceled after one of the hosts wished for “a nice school shooting” to break up the coverage of President Donald Trump’s impeachment.
The host, Chuck Bonniwell, was opening a segment of the “Chuck and Julie” show Tuesday afternoon when he said they would be discussing the “never-ending impeachment of Donald Trump,” according to audio obtained by the Colorado Times Recorder.
His wife, co-host Julie Hayden laughed before Bonniwell added, “You know, you wish for a nice school shooting to interrupt the (monotony).”
“No, no, don’t even say that, no, don’t even say that,” Hayden said. “Don’t call us. Chuck didn’t say that.”
Bonniwell immediately said “which, no one would be hurt.”
The radio station, 710 KNUS, called Bonniwell’s comment “inappropriate” in a statement posted to its website Wednesday. The show would be canceled immediately, the statement said.
“Given the history of school violence that has plagued our community, 710 KNUS confirms that an inappropriate comment was made on the ‘Chuck & Julie’ show by co-host Chuck Bonniwell,” the statement said. “A programming decision was made to end the program immediately.”
According to CNN affiliate KDVR, Bonniwell initially issued a statement saying the comment was meant as a joke. “I’m sorry it was not received in that light,” he added.
In another statement posted to their Facebook page Thursday morning, Hayden and Bonniwell said he would “un-say” the inappropriate comment if he could. As parents of a child in elementary school, they worry about school shootings and his safety, they said.
“Violence causes too much hurt for victims and their families and we truly did not intend to add to that pain,” the statement said.
The Denver area has seen multiple deadly school shootings over the years, dating back to at least 1999, when 13 people were killed at Columbine High School. Earlier this year, 18-year-old Kendrick Castillo was killed in a shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch, not far from Columbine, when he lunged at one of the shooters.
