Opinion : Why we did not cover the news that did not happen

There is just one reason why we at Vinton Today did not write about the threat of armed intruders that led to students coming home to tell their parents that they had heard about an armed intruder in Vinton, and to wide-spread worry throughout the town on Wednesday: It did not happen.

I was in the middle of an afternoon of non-journalistic activity (getting gravel for my muddy driveway, if you must know) when someone said, "Hey, did ya hear about the shooting?"

That began a two-hour odyssey that included trips to the scene of the incident, my daughter's house to borrow her camera, and Virginia Gay Hospital. I did all of the basic first-story things: I found out about the original report. I got an officer to say "No comment," as they always do (and should do) in the early stages of any investigation. After all, their first job is to find out what happened, not to tell you about it. I took a couple photos.

Then, as I was driving toward the quarry, I realized something: This incident was a self-inflicted shooting.

I knew this, because I have covered a variety of shootings and/or murders in my 20 years in journalism. I have written about three murder trials, a variety of self-inflicted situations and other incidents. I knew that if someone had shot another person, that two hours later, there would be more than the one police car I saw in front of the house. I knew that if a suspected gunman were running loose, I would see squad cars from 17 different counties and the Iowa State Patrol in, around and all over Vinton.

I did not.

If someone had been shot by intruders, I would have seen officers in and around the house, and probably a DCI lab van.

I did not.

However: While I came to the conclusion that whatever happened involved only one person, just about everyone else in Vinton (except for the police and emergency personnel who personally witnessed the evidence) was freaking out.

On one hand, the concern was justified. People with police scanners heard that someone had reported being shot by intruders. That report was false, although many people believed it for hours (I think some people still think it is true). News of that "intruder shooting" reached the schools.

But, again: There was never any threat.

The people at the TV stations and newspapers seemed to do all they could to make things worse.

I just walked in the door at 5 p.m. to clean the gravel from my clothes when I started hearing words like "burglary" and "intruders" on the 5 o'clock news associated with the story I knew to be about one person shooting herself.

One woman in Waverly, working for the company that calls itself "Vinton Newspapers," called the Vinton Police Department, then wrote a story warning Vinton residents that there are two intruders involved in this shooting, and that no arrests had been made. I would be pointing out the obvious to tell you that she did not get her information from the Vinton Police Department. But she obviously did not.

Remember a few days ago, when I wrote about media hysteria and a critical shortage of honesty? Well, we saw that again on Wednesday, but this time, we saw it in our hometown.

While we at Vinton Today tried very hard to report just the facts, some TV stations and newspapers were tripping over each other, trying to be first with the news of intruders, burglars and other news-making bad guys.

Again, in this case, there were none.

Shortly before 7 p.m., I met a neighbor at Fareway. She had heard the news about an intruder. I had to set her straight. She seemed surprised when I told her the woman who was shot had shot herself. Later, I talked to some men who had heard the news from teachers or students at school. I had to tell them that no, there were not any gun-toting intruders on the loose in Vinton.

So, how can you know whether or not to believe something like a report of an armed intruder (or two) breaking into a house and shooting a Vinton woman?

Well, first of all, find out who is telling you this information. If it is not a law enforcement source, I would be skeptical.

Second, look around you. If you hear a report that would lead to a huge police presence in your city, but you see none, be skeptical.

Third, call someone who knows. Two principals called Vinton Police Chief Jeff Tilson, who was able to tell them there is no need to panic. The people in public safety know whom they need to warn, and when. It's part of their job. They are good at their jobs. Trust them to do it. 

Fourth, two words: Vinton Today. If something drastically criminal happens, we will tell you. If it does not, we will gladly offer a kick in the pants to the people who tell you it did. 

Correction: 

I spoke with Mrs. Petersen at VSMS on Friday morning, and the principal told me I was wrong about the school lockdown; she said that she called the dispatchers, who gave her the all-clear before students were dismissed for the day. I apologize for this error. Remember to check your sources and double-check everything you hear, especially when writing about the same. -- Dean