U.S. newspaper apologizes for placing gun ad next to school shooting story

USPA News - A South Carolina newspaper on Saturday apologized for placing a large advertisement for a gun sale next to stories about Friday`s mass shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut, which resulted in the deaths of 20 children and 6 adults. The Herald, which is based in the South Carolina city of Rock Hill and has a daily circulation of more than 24,000, prominently featured an advertisement which shows handguns and assault rifles next to a story about Friday`s school massacre.

The ad filled more than a quarter of page 5A of Saturday`s edition. The ad placement sparked outrage in South Carolina and was described as insensitive by many. But Paul Osmundson, the Editor of The Herald, said it was a mistake which was neither intentional nor the fault of the advertiser, Rock Hill-based Nichols Store which has more than 1,500 firearms in stock. "Advertisements are usually placed days before the newspaper lands on your doorstep. In this case, the advertisement in question was placed Thursday morning," Osmundson said in an apology to its readers. "But we at The Herald should have recognized the unfortunate juxtaposition of the advertisement with stories and a photograph about gun violence." Osmundson said the publication strives to bring a newspaper which is reflective of the community, insightful and sensitive to its readers, but acknowledged a mistake had been made. "Multiple editors worked on the page and should have noticed the problem. We all made a terrible mistake, and for that I apologize," he added. Darren Nichols, the owner of the store where the American flag is being flown at half-staff for the victims, described the placement of his advertisement as disturbing. "Nichols Store`s ad was submitted days before the tragic shooting and had no idea where the ad would be placed," the store wrote on its Facebook page. "Nichols Store feels awful about it and wants everyone to know we had nothing to do with it." The massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, a town about 7 miles (11 kilometers) east of Danbury in Connecticut, resulted in the deaths of 20 young children and six adults, making it the second-deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. The gunman, who also killed his mother before the school shooting, then took his own life.