CBS News Dallas correspondent Manuel Bojorquez was a short distance away when a gunman opened fire and terror swept through a crowd of 800 who had just staged a peaceful protest. “Headed to report of shots fired in downtown Dallas at end of #BlackLivesMatter march,” he reported on Twitter.
Within minutes, he found himself in the middle of a terrifying–and still unfolding story, with police officers shouting that a gunman was nearby and a crowd that numbered into the hundreds needed to run to safety:
WATCH: Police move people back from shooting scene in #Dallas saying ‘he’s in the alley’ … @CBSNews #BreakingNews pic.twitter.com/de5NR4PfjJ
Advertisement— Manuel Bojorquez (@BojorquezCBS) July 8, 2016
Reporting during a CBS News special report, Bojorquez described the peaceful rally ending, and then “all of a sudden, it was chaos,” with “police officers lying dead in the street.”
Journalists trying to cover the story had to take cover, crouching behind vehicles or lying flat on the ground:
Media on ground watching big group of cops screaming. pic.twitter.com/pvcbGpi0VA
— Sarah Mervosh (@smervosh) July 8, 2016
The long standoff–with streets throughout downtown closed–kept reporters in place, locked down, for hours overnight. One Dallas reporter took this photo thanking the Red Cross for bringing food, water–and “comfort”:
Thank you to @RedCross volunteers in downtown Dallas for the cold water, snacks, and comfort. pic.twitter.com/pUEb7bdOIj
— Diana Zoga (@DianaZogaFox4) July 8, 2016
Alex Boyer, who’d been covering the Black Lives Matter rally, later thanked viewers for checking on him. “Thanks to all of you who messaged me on social media, I’m okay. Please pray for the officers & their families.”
As the choas overnight ended, the hard work of newsgathering began. But at the Dallas Morning News that included a moment of silence.
Our @dallasnews publisher is calling for a moment of silence in the newsroom. He also went to Mass this AM to pray. pic.twitter.com/OHjAhOWGFk
— Sarah Mervosh (@smervosh) July 8, 2016