On the Feb. 17 "American Morning," Veronica De La Cruz showed how two Web sites, operated by "the same owner," sold products to the shooters in both the Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University tragedies. She said it was "pretty shocking to figure this out." Anchor Kiran Chetry agreed, calling it an "eerie connection."
But De La Cruz was just getting started. She was even upset at the sympathy banners on the site because they were near banners that still advertised the company's business. "I want to show you the strange juxtaposition if you move down the page. Here's the NIU shooting and then ‘Save big on rifles and handguns' right underneath. You know, something that kind of turns your stomach, if you will," she added.
De La Cruz didn't bother to explain that there were actually two banners. The first, "Tragedy at NIU," included a statement from TGSCOM Inc. President Eric Thompson that she never mentioned. "For now, the most important thing we can all do is send our thoughts and prayers to the families and friends of the victims of this heinous act. I'd also suggest making a contribution to the NIU Memorial Fund," wrote Thompson.
Chetry's comments have special irony. A quick Google check of her reveals that one of the most popular mentions of her name includes photos of her dressed as Lara Croft from the "Tomb Raider" game and movie. Chetry is shown with not one, but two handguns drawn in menacing fashion.
Photo via Dan Sweeney/Sun-Sentinel.
