| William "Bill" Gwatney | |
|---|---|
| Chair of the Arkansas Democratic Party | |
| In office 2007 – August 13, 2008 |
|
| Succeeded by | David Pryor[1][2] |
| Arkansas State Senator | |
| In office 1993–2002 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 26, 1959 |
| Died | August 13, 2008 (aged 48) Little Rock, Arkansas |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | Christian and Chase |
| Residence | Jacksonville, Arkansas |
Bill Gwatney (August 26, 1959[3] – August 13, 2008) was an American politician who served as the State Chair of the Democratic Party of Arkansas.[4] Prior to being State Chair, he was a State Senator for 10 years. He had also been the financial chair for Mike Beebe's run for Governor of Arkansas in 2006. He owned three car dealerships in Pulaski County.[3][5] Gwatney was selected as a superdelegate at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, and was replaced by his widow Rebecca Rankin following his assassination.
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On August 13, 2008, Gwatney was fatally wounded[6] when a man, identified in news reports as Timothy Dale Johnson, 50,[7][8] entered Democratic Party headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas and shot Gwatney three times.[9] Gwatney was taken to a hospital, but died at 3:59 pm CDT.[6]
The gunman had said he wanted to speak with Gwatney about volunteering, but sidestepped his assistant when she said he was busy.[10] After the shooting, the gunman fled the scene in his truck and led police on a 30-mile (48 km) chase out of Little Rock.[10] Johnson was fatally shot by police after a PIT maneuver forced him off the road into a field near Sheridan.[9][11] No motive was discovered, except Johnson quitting his Target job earlier that day.[1][2]
The UALR (University of Arkansas at Little Rock) Athletic Department posthumously inducted Gwatney into their Hall of Fame during a ceremony prior to the tip-off of the men's basketball game vs. New Orleans on February 26, 2009.