Columbia, South Carolina-based reporter Meg Kinnard, used deep sourcing to be the first to report that former NFL player Phillip Adams was responsible for shooting six people to death in South Carolina. She also broke the news that Adams was a former patient of one of the victims, prominent Dr. Robert Lesslie. Adams later killed himself.
Local media outlets needed more than an hour to match Kinnard's scoop naming Adams, and major national outlets were hours behind AP — in many cases having to wait until authorities confirmed the shooter’s name during an afternoon news conference.
Columbia colleague Michelle Liu secured interviews with neighbors and covered the news conference, while AP sports writers contributed background and interviews regarding Adams.