WTAE reporter David Kaplan is leaving the Pittsburgh ABC affiliate on Aug. 30.
In a tweet announcing his departure from WTAE, Kaplan said it “would be an understatement” to say he appreciated his time at the station.
“The last six years have brought some incredible personal challenges but it’s also led to me growing as a person and journalist,” said Kaplan. “Along the way, I’ve made amazing friends, had supportive coworkers & bosses, & had the honor of telling YOUR stories.”
Kaplan previously worked at WDBJ in Roanoke, Va., for three years before joining WTAE in 2015. On his third day at the Pittsburgh station, his former colleagues, WDBJ reporter Alison Parker and photographer Adam Ward were murdered during a live shot on the morning newscast. Kaplan told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he shared a desk with Parker and said Ward was “one of my best friends in the world.”
“I’m dealing all of a sudden with this incredibly difficult trauma that really took a long time for me to get over,” Kaplan told the Post-Gazette. “I’m really still getting over it to be honest. These things stick with you for forever.”
Kaplan said he’s “not quite ready” to say where he’s heading next.