Anderson Cooper who anchored his show from Ottawa last night following Wednesday’s shooting at Parliament, was in no mood for fan selfies. A man named Vandon Gene, who calls himself an “aspiring journalist” and “news junkie,” asked to take a photo with Cooper. The CNN anchor declined, so Gene took to Twitter saying Cooper was “exploiting” the tragedy and that he had “simply asked for a photo.” Cooper then responded:
.@vandongene dude, you were rude and asking for a selfie near where a soldier was killed. It was completely inappropriate. Think about it
— Anderson Cooper (@andersoncooper) October 23, 2014
.@vandongene I can’t believe any station employs you, and if you want to be a journalist, learn how to behave when covering a story
— Anderson Cooper (@andersoncooper) October 23, 2014
This morning, Gene realized the error of his ways, and took to Twitter once again:
Again, I unreservedly apologize for my actions yesterday. It was completely inappropriate, disrespectful, and distasteful. @andersoncooper
— Vandon Gene (@vandongene) October 23, 2014