ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Capital Gazette reporter and editor Wendi Winters was posthumously awarded the highest honor for civilian heroism in the U.S. and Canada, the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission announced Monday.
A gunman blasted through the glass doors of the Capital Gazette’s office on June 28, 2018, and killed five employees: John McNamara, Gerald Fischman, Wendi Winters, Rebecca Smith and Rob Hiaasen. Survivors credit Winters, who they say charged the attacker with a trash can and a recycling bin, for saving their life.
Winters, 65, is among 17 people being awarded the 2020 Carnegie Medal, an honor given to those who enter mortal danger while saving or attempting to save the lives of others. Awardees or their survivors will also receive a financial grant.
Established in 1904, the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission was created to recognize outstanding acts of selfless heroism performed in the United States and Canada. The commission awards the Carnegie Medal to those who risk their lives to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the lives of others.
