Ecuador TV station raid: Journalist who had gun to his neck live on air says gunmen threatened to kill him
An Ecuadorian journalist who was held at gunpoint live on air has told Sky News how his attackers threatened to kill him if police arrived.
Jose Luis Calderon said the masked gunmen also placed an improvised explosive in his jacket pocket during the terrifying ordeal at TC Television’s studios in Guayaquil on Tuesday night.
The incident took place after one of the country’s most notorious drug gang bosses escaped from prison, sparking Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa to declare a 60-day state of emergency.
In footage of the incident, which was broadcast live on the TC network, Mr Calderon was seen attempting to plead with the masked gunmen, one of whom pushed a gun to his neck.
“They kept on repeating, ‘if the police come in, we’ll kill you’,” he told Sky News.
“It was a really chaotic moment, but in that instant, I kept my calm. You’ve seen the pictures, I’m calm, looking as if I’m praying, asking them not to go too far.
“There was no explanation about what was happening at that moment.
“The news programme was on air and that’s why you were able to see the footage. You could see what was happening when they pointed a gun at me, they put an explosive in my jacket pocket.
“They were really unnerving moments, but at the same time, I managed to stay calm.”
Pic: TC Television
Pic: TC Television
Mr Calderon said he was not initially on air at the time the masked gunmen burst into the studio, and first became aware that there was an issue when he heard people shouting.
He and two colleagues attempted to hide in a nearby bathroom.
“We were hidden in there for a few minutes,” he said.
“We managed to speak to our relatives and warn the police about what was happening without knowing the exact details of what was going on and who was behind it.”
He said the gunmen discovered where they were hiding and ordered them to come out.
“We saw that they were hooded men, with big military-type guns, pistols, revolvers, there was even a machete,” he said.
“They made threats constantly. My colleagues were touched inappropriately.
“They led us to the studio, which was still live on air. When we arrived, just metres away there were colleagues, people working for the channel who were on the floor, very worried, on their knees, and they took us hostage.”
Hooded man points a gun at Ecuadorian TV presenter Jose Luis Calderon. Pic: TC Television
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Mr Calderon said at one point a gunman shouted to say that they “had to kill one” of the hostages.
“People were very worried. In my case, I’ve been a journalist for 23 years, including in the field.
“I’ve covered events like this, and I’ve seen tragic events – but I’ve never been part of one.”
Mr Calderon said the gunmen, who he described as a group of “armed kids”, wanted him to communicate a message on the television, but it was not clear what they wanted him to say.
He said when police arrived and began shooting, the group dispersed and were eventually captured by police.
Ecuador’s national police service shared images of people detained by officers following the incident
“We’re grateful that we’re alive. This is completely unheard of, for this sort of thing to happen on TV, for someone to threaten us on our property,” Mr Calderon said.
“The message that they wanted to send was just chaos. Here we are to impose ourselves above the law.”
Mr Calderon said that despite the incident – which he described as a “terrorist attack” – the people of Ecuador should keep “faith in the work” of the armed forces and police.
“There’s fear that another situation like this could happen. We’re hoping for action to be taken to guarantee our safety,” he said.
“My life was at risk, as well as my colleagues. I’ve never seen a situation like this.
“But we should have faith in the work of the armed forces. The police and the armed forces are in a position that allows them to take action against any situation.”
Following the incident, Ecuador’s attorney general’s office said 13 people had been arrested for breaking into the studio and were set to be charged with terrorism offences.
The charge holds a penalty of up to 13 years in prison under Ecuadorian law, if convicted.
Members of military stand guard near the Presidential Palace after the declaration of a state of emergency
Pic: AP
National police commander Cesar Zapata told the TV channel Teleamazonas that officers seized a number of guns and explosives at the scene.
The incident took place a day after Mr Noboa, the son of one of Ecuador’s richest men, who took office in November promising to stem a wave of drug-related violence on the streets and in prisons, declared a state of emergency.
The declaration was made after drug lord, Adolfo Macias – also known as Fito – was reported missing from his cell on Sunday.
The leader of the Los Choneros gang was serving a 34-year sentence in La Regional prison for drug trafficking and murder.
The leader of the powerful Los Choneros gang, Jose Adolfo Macias, alias ‘Fito’. Pic: Ecuadorean Armed Forces
His reported escape occurred on the same day he was scheduled to be transferred to a maximum security facility in the city of Guayaquil.
Ecuador‘s prosecutors have filed charges against two prison guards as part of their investigation into the alleged escape.
Los Choneros is one of the gangs authorities consider responsible for a spike in violence that reached new heights last year with the assassination of the presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.
Interview conducted by Andrew Connell, deputy foreign news editor.
World
Boy, 8, and girl, 10, killed in US Catholic school shooting named – as father brands attacker ‘a coward’
The families of two children killed in the US Catholic school shooting have said their “hearts are broken” and branded the attacker a “coward”.
Fletcher Merkel who was eight and 10-year-old Harper Moyski were killed during mass at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
Eighteen other people were injured, including children aged between six and 15 and three adults in their 80s.
Police said Robin Westman, a male born as Robert Westman, opened fire with a rifle through the windows of the school’s church as children sat in pews.
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New details released of US school shooting
‘Our hearts are broken’
Harper’s parents, Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin, remembered her as “a bright, joyful, and deeply loved 10-year-old whose laughter, kindness, and spirit touched everyone who knew her”.
“Our hearts are broken not only as parents, but also for Harper’s sister, who adored her big sister and is grieving an unimaginable loss. As a family, we are shattered, and words cannot capture the depth of our pain,” their statement said.
They urged leaders and communities to “take meaningful steps to address gun violence and the mental health crisis in this country.”
“Change is possible, and it is necessary – so that Harper’s story does not become yet another in a long line of tragedies,” the statement added.
The family of Fletcher Merkel said there was a ‘hole in our hearts’. Pic: Family handout/AP
‘Fletcher loved his family’
In a statement reported by Sky’s US partner network NBC News, Fletcher’s father Jesse Merkel blamed the “coward” killer for why the boy’s family can’t “hold him, talk to him, play with him, and watch him grow into the wonderful young man he was on the path to becoming”.
He said: “Fletcher loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking, and any sports that he was allowed to play.
“While the hole in our hearts and lives will never be filled, I hope that in time, our family can find healing.”
Mr Merkel also praised “the swift and heroic actions of children and adults alike from inside the church”.
“Without these people and their selfless actions, this could have been a tragedy of many magnitudes more. For these people, I am thankful,” he added.
Families and loved ones reunite at the scene after the shooting. Pic: Reuters
Mayor calls for assault weapon ban
It comes after Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey called for a statewide and federal ban on assault weapons, a day after the deadly school shooting.
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Minneapolis mayor urges assault weapons ban
“Thoughts and prayers are not going to cut it. It’s on all of us to see this through,” the mayor said at a news conference. “We need a statewide and a federal ban on assault weapons.
“We need a statewide and a federal ban on high-capacity magazines. There is no reason that someone should be able to reel off 30 shots before they even have to reload.
“We’re not talking about your father’s hunting rifle gear. We’re talking about guns that are built to pierce armour and kill people.”
Meanwhile, Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara gave an update on the investigation, saying the suspect had fired 116 rifle rounds into the church.
“It is very clear that this shooter had the intention to terrorise those innocent children,” he added, before saying the killer “fantasised” about the plans of other mass shooting attackers and wanted to “obtain notoriety”.
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Thomas Klemond, interim CEO of Minneapolis’s main trauma hospital Hennepin Healthcare, said at an earlier news conference that the hospital was treating nine patients injured in the shooting.
One child at the hospital was in a critical condition, he added.
Children’s Minnesota Hospital also said that three children remain in its care as of Thursday morning.
Police have released new details about the killer in the US Catholic school shooting – including that they “idolised” mass murderers and they wanted to “watch children suffer”.
Two children, aged eight and 10, were killed during mass at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
The victims have been named as Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10, – click here to read more
Eighteen other people were injured, including children aged between six and 15 and three adults in their 80s.
Police said Robin Westman, a male born as Robert Westman, opened fire with a rifle through the windows of the school’s church as children sat in pews.
Robin Westman
Almost 120 rifle rounds fired, police chief says
In a news conference on Thursday, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the attacker fired 116 rifle rounds into the church.
“It is very clear that this shooter had the intention to terrorise those innocent children,” he added.
The police chief said the killer “fantasised” about the plans of other mass shooting attackers and wanted to “obtain notoriety”.
When asked about the attacker obtaining the firearms used legally, Mr O’Hara said that they did not have a criminal history or any diagnosed mental health disorders.
While they had potentially concerning social media posts, the police chief added that there was no evidence to suggest that Westman was legally barred from purchasing a firearm.
People mourn outside the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. Pic: Reuters
Suspect ‘wanted to watch children suffer’
Joe Thompson, acting US attorney for Minnesota, also said evidence recovered of the killer’s plans showed “pure indiscriminate hate” and that they “idolised some of the most notorious school shooters and mass murderers in our country’s history”.
“I won’t dignify the shooter’s words by repeating them,” Mr Thompson added. “They are horrific and vile, but in short, the shooter wanted to watch children suffer.”
Earlier, the mayor of Minneapolis called for a statewide and federal ban on assault weapons after the deadly attack, saying “thoughts and prayers are not going to cut it”.
“There is no reason that someone should be able to reel off 30 shots before they even have to reload,” Jacob Frey said.
“We’re not talking about your father’s hunting rifle gear. We’re talking about guns that are built to pierce armour and kill people.”
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Minneapolis mayor urges assault weapons ban
Thomas Klemond, interim CEO of Minneapolis’s main trauma hospital Hennepin Healthcare, said at a news conference that the hospital was treating nine patients injured in the shooting.
One child at the hospital was in a critical condition, he added.
Children’s Minnesota Hospital also said that three children remain in its care as of Thursday morning.
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In a post on Facebook, the hospital said “there are no words to describe the overwhelming pain many are feeling”, adding: “We feel that pain with you.
“To the entire Annunciation community, you have our deepest condolences. During this time of unimaginable grief and loss, we want you to know that we at Children’s Minnesota are with you.
“We will always be here to care for you. And in this moment, we hurt alongside you.”
After all those raised hopes of peace, Ukraine has been hit by the second-worst night of Russian air attacks since the war began.
So much for diplomacy, despite the Alaska summit, then the Washington DC meeting.
The Kremlin says it was aiming at military targets, but yet again, the pictures tell a very different story.
Follow latest: UK summons Putin’s ambassador
Firefighters work at the site of a burning building after a Russian attack in Kyiv, Ukraine. Pic: AP
One civilian building after another was hit, more than a dozen people were killed and British Council and EU buildings were also damaged.
So what’s going on? Why is Vladimir Putin doing it?
Because he can.
The Russian president thinks he’s winning this war, and it’s hard to escape the conclusion that he’s using diplomacy to play for time while he carries on beating down the Ukrainians will to win.
And at the moment, no one is stopping him
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At least 14 killed in Kyiv attack
Ukraine is hitting back, particularly at Russia‘s oil installations, more of them going up in thick black smoke, after being hit by long-range Ukrainian drones.
It is taking a heavy toll on Putin’s ‘Achilles heel’, but on its own, analysts don’t expect it will be enough to persuade him to end this war.
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British Council building hit in Kyiv
The West can wring its hands in condemnation.
But it’s divided between Europe that wants a ceasefire and much more severe sanctions, and President Trump, who, it seems, does not – strangely always willing to sympathise with the Russians more than Ukraine.
He’s back to blaming Ukraine for starting the war, saying earlier in the week that Kyiv should not have got into a war it had no chance of winning.
It is a grotesque perversion of history. Ukraine, of course, had no choice but to fight to defend itself when it was invaded in an act of unprovoked aggression.
Every time the US president has condemned Russia for these kinds of attacks, he has never followed through and done nothing to punish them.
Rescue workers carry an injured woman after a Russian strike on Kyiv, Ukraine. Pic: AP
More worryingly for the Ukrainians, the Russians are getting the upper hand in the drones war, taking Iranian technology and souping it up into faster-moving drones that the Ukrainians are having increasing difficulty bringing down.
They expect as many as a thousand drones a night coming their way by the winter, and many, many more innocents to die.
Next week, Putin will join Chinese and North Korean leaders in a summit in Beijing, both supporting his war in Ukraine.
(L-R) Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un. Pics: Reuters
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We are further away from peace now than we were two weeks ago
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
A war that began as one man’s mad idea has, in three and a half years, metastasised into a titanic struggle between east and west, fought increasingly with machines in a dystopian evolution of war.
If President Trump is not prepared to use his power to bring this war to an end, what will another three and a half years of his presidency bring?
It is a chilling question.
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