On this day, June 20, in 1979, Bill Stewart, an ABC reporter covering the Nicaraguan civil war between the U.S.-backed government and the left-wing Sandinistas was shot dead by a Nicaraguan government guard. As Stewart approached an outpost in Managua with his camera crew, he exited his van marked “foreign press” and walked up to the guard with his press credentials in one hand and a white flag in the other. His interpreter, Juan Espinoza, walked ahead of him, explaining their peaceful intentions. The Nicaraguan guard raised his rifle, and Stewart dropped to his knees. The guard then motioned for Stewart to lie down and kicked him in the side. He stood back, took aim and shot Stewart behind the ear. Stewart’s cameraman captured the incident. The footage, replayed on American television, fueled outrage against the Nicaraguan government and caused the United States to withdraw its support for the regime.
– Liz Essley
