Here’s something else ABC should divulge: the killer contacted the network more than a week before his rampage, to pitch a story idea. Exactly what was said, who did he talk to, and did his “pitch” cause any concerns? And if it did, why didn’t they bother to contact authorities? It’s a virtual certainty that the ABC staffer who spoke with the shooter had caller ID on his phone and the number could be easily traced.
Obviously, any TV newsroom gets its share of crank calls. But most of the nuts—and I dealt with a few during my days as a journo—don’t couch their comments in terms of a story pitch; they usually tell you a UFO has landed in their back yard, or their spouse and/or boss has conspired to plant a mind control chip in their brains. Flanagan told them he wanted to pitch a story, which indicated he was in the biz, or knew enough lingo to get their attention.
In any case, ABC either ignored his call, or they were waiting for him to call in again. They never bothered to phone the authorities until after Flanagan had snuffed out two innocent lives.
Which brings us to the other question ABC must answer: after receiving his “manifesto,” how long did it take them to link the screed to the nut who called on the phone. The amount of time required will give you some idea of how much attention was paid to the original call. It would also be helpful to know if he knew someone at the bureau, or simply called out of the blue and got himself connected to the assignment desk.
Then again, ABC is too busy advancing the gun control agenda—and besides, they don’t want to admit any possible culpability in the rampage.