CNN's Baldwin Misses FRC Shooter's Political Motive -- Despite CNN Reporting It Earlier

August 16th, 2012 6:22 PM

CNN's Brooke Baldwin couldn't find a motive behind the Family Research Council shooting, on Thursday afternoon – despite CNN having earlier reported that "politics" was involved in the shooting at the conservative organization.

"You know, who knows what really was the motive behind this particular individual Floyd Lee Corkins?" Baldwin wondered at 3:10 p.m. EDT, even though anchor Suzanne Malveaux stated at 1:31 p.m. EDT, "Witnesses say that Floyd Lee Corkins walked into the conservative group's headquarters, told the security guard 'I don't like your politics,' and then shot him in the arm." [Video below the break. Audio here.]

Also, during Malveaux's report the CNN headline read "Accused DC Shooter Being Charged: Man shot security guard over 'politics'."

And Baldwin was hours behind other reports, which had already said that according to the FBI the shooting "appears politically motivated." And one hour after Baldwin professed ignorance, The Situation Room's fill-in host Joe Johns said the government called the shooting "politically-motivated."

"The government says the shooting at a prominent socially-conservative group's headquarters was politically-motivated, and the head of the Family Research Council is pointing his finger," reported Johns.

Baldwin also remarked that FRC president Tony Perkins was "getting a little political there at the end," after Perkins lambasted the Southern Poverty Law Center for giving the shooter a "license" by labeling the FRC a "hate group."

Perhaps Baldwin should hark back to the day of the Aurora shooting, when CNN dragged the political issue of gun control into the spotlight just hours after the massacre.

Piers Morgan tweeted calls for more gun control just hours after the shooting, and later that afternoon Baldwin herself asked Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter why Democrats haven't done more on gun control.