Was the crazed slasher homeless or not?
This afternoon, KHOU-11 posted the following headline on their website:
Student attacked by homeless man
Here is an excerpt from the initial reporting:
A Lamar High School student had a harrowing start to her school day Monday when a homeless man attacked her on campus.
Catherine Sullivan, 14, said she was standing in front of the school on Westheimer, talking with a group of friends when Larry Paul Newton, 48, walked up to them and stood there, not saying anything.
When one of the kids in the group asked what he was doing, the man reportedly jumped on Sullivan.
Sullivan said he had two knives, one in each hand, and was slashing at her.
Strangely, the headline and story have now been updated to remove any reference to a homeless man (although in the video version of the story on the website, Greg Hurst introduces the report by referring to a homeless man).
KPRC-2's headline initially referred to a homeless man ("Homeless man cuts girl at school"), but the reference has since been changed (to "Police: Man With Knives Attacks Girl At School").
KTRH-740's story still refers to a homeless man:
Student Stabbed at Houston High School
Homeless man accused of knife attack on student.
By KTRH's Bill O'Neal
Monday, November 12, 2007
A Houston 9th grader needed several stitches in her arm after being stabbed by an apparent homeless man.
KTRK-13's coverage also refers to a homeless man:
HISD police say a homeless man stabbed a ninth grade female student in southwest
It happened around 8am at Lamar High School. Catherine Sullivan, 14, says she and four of her friends were standing outside the building on school property when they noticed a strange man approaching. That man, they say, appeared to be homeless.
Catherine says the man walked up behind her and, she says, attacked her.
The Chronicle's story never referred to a homeless man, so far as we can tell.
So, did four news organizations get the homeless reference wrong? Or is there some other explanation for the editing of two of the four stories that referenced a homeless man?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/12/07 09:16 PM | Print |

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