KABC’s Leanne Suter was struck in the hand by a BB gun pellet while doing a live report on Saturday. Remarkably, she was able to maintain her composure long enough to finish the stand-up.
Suter and her photographer were filming near a freeway in Fontana a little after 6 p.m. when two teenage boys allegedly fired a BB gun in their direction. Reporting on flooding in the area, Suter gave little indication on-camera that she had been hit (video above).
According to KABC, Suter was eventually treated at a hospital. Police arrested two boys, ages 16 and 17, in the incident.
“We are grateful no one was seriously hurt and we are fully cooperating with police in their investigation,” said Arnold Kleiner, KABC’s president and general manager. “Our crews and reporters are very conscious of good safety practices and take proper precautions when on assignment. They could not have anticipated that someone would decide to target them in this way.”
Rival stations KNBC and KCBS both covered the shooting this weekend.
Here’s video of the live report…