News 12 Journalists Reflect on July 16

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – “My day started the same way it would normally start,” Caitlyn Jones said.

“I was on my way to a typical story. Just a simple, everyday crime story. I don’t even remember exactly what is was.”

“I was in Cleveland just covering a routine story,” said James Mahon.

“I remember I had about three missed calls from our news director around noon, and I had just ordered a burger and I remember I never came back to eat the burger.”

“They said we need to get you to Chattanooga as soon as possible. All we know is that we need.. Chattanooga State is on lock down is all he could tell me at the point and start driving,” continued Caitlyn.

“I saw Chattanooga trending, and I had never seen Chattanooga trend on social media, and it was about 20,000 tweets and as I was driving back, by the time I got to the station, I walked into what was essentially a news room at the center of an international news story and I didn’t know what was going on,” added James.

“This all happened right before the noon show and then we stayed on the air for several hours after the noon show, and I remember just receiving pieces of paper from my news director, fellow reporters, you know saying one person died, two people, you know,” said Anchor Alisha Searl.

“One police officer injured and it was just a lot of information all at once and it was extremely overwhelming.”

“Once I got here, Alisha kinda briefed me on the air and you saw what was going on and had heard that there may be some fatalites, and I think that once we seen the live video from the training center on Amnicola Highway, that’s when I knew this was bad,” said John Mercer.

“Of course there was crime tape up so we couldn’t get very close and I went up to the first police officer and I hear we can’t tell you anything,” Caitlyn Jones added.

“So at first it was really frustrating, but when you see dozens of bullet holes inside a building, you know it’s not good. When we heard five people dead that just knocks you over. I mean it is just a wave of emotion and when you’re a reporter on that scene you have to keep composure just like our anchors on the desk, they have to keep composure.”

“You know honestly I was thankful out here on the desk forcing myself to think of things to report. I couldn’t get emotional,” said Amy Katcher.

“I couldn’t really allow this to sink in, to understand what was going on to my community because I would have probably lost it if I wasn’t forced to stay on the air and get the information out there and as clear and concise as I could. It really helped me because I’ve never lived through anything like this. 9/11 I wasn’t in New York or Pennsylvania. I mean obviously as a country we were hit by that, but I’ve never been in a city that has been actively targeted like that before.”

“One of the things that was really great I think is seeing this community come together,” added John Mercer.

“I mean a lot of people didn’t even know we had military centers here in Chattanooga. But to see how the community actually came together, the funerals, people who didn’t even know these five people who’s lives were lost. They lined up outside these funerals. People were all across the community coming together. They were donating blood. They were doing things that were just a great way to show what a great community we live in honestly, and the Scenic City really does care about its own, and we weren’t gonna let this person change that at all.”