Bill Gwatney

Bill Gwatney (August 26, 1959 – August 13, 2008) was an American politician who served as the State Chair of the Democratic Party of Arkansas. Prior to being State Chair, he was a State Senator for 10 years. He had also been the financial chair for Mike Beebe's run for Governor of Arkansas in 2006. He owned three car dealerships in Pulaski County. Gwatney was selected as a superdelegate at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, but was assassinated before serving. He was replaced by his widow Rebecca Rankin.

Death

On August 13, 2008, Gwatney was fatally wounded when a man, identified in news reports as Timothy Dale Johnson, 50, entered Democratic Party headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas and shot Gwatney three times. Gwatney was taken to a hospital, but died at 3:59 pm CDT.

The gunman had said he wanted to speak with Gwatney about volunteering, but sidestepped his assistant when she said he was busy. After the shooting, the gunman fled the scene in his truck and led police on a 30-mile (48 km) chase out of Little Rock. Johnson was fatally shot by police after a PIT maneuver forced him off the road into a field near Sheridan. No motive was discovered, except Johnson quitting his job at a Target retail store earlier that day.

Honors

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) Athletic Department posthumously inducted Gwatney into their Hall of Fame during a ceremony prior to the tip-off of the men's basketball game vs. New Orleans on February 26, 2009.