A TV meteorologist in Texas was shot after he delivered his morning forecast Wednesday, and now law enforcement agencies are hunting for the gunman and trying to figure out why anyone would want to kill the weatherman.
Patrick Crawford survived the bizarre shooting — though the gunman shot him multiple times according to media reports out of central Texas. Crawford was walking to his car at about 9:15 a.m. local time when he was shot, and managed to get back in the vehicle and drive until he was able to flag down a nearby construction worker, who called for emergency assistance.
Crawford is the morning show meteorologist at KCEN TV, a station whose broadcast area covers Waco , Temple and Killeen, Texas, among other municipalities in the region, and has held the position for about two years. His meteorology degree is from Northern Illinois University.
#BREAKINGNEWS Patrick Crawford, who was shot outside of KCEN-TV this morning, is recovering and doing well. pic.twitter.com/Qgz9DGXaaF
— KWTX News 10 (@kwtx) December 17, 2014
Crawford’s wife, Heather Brinkmann, is also a TV meteorologist — at the same station. Crawford was in surgery at Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple, Texas, Wednesday morning and was reported to be doing well after the conclusion of the procedure. Exact information on his condition, however, was not made public by early Wednesday afternoon. Multiple police agencies were hunting for the unidentified suspect, who ran from the scene after he shot Crawford.
The alleged shooter is descibed as “a white male, 30-35 years old, wearing a black hoodie sweatshirt and dark jeans,” according to police information. The white male also has a receding hairline, according to the police description.
The shooting took place in the KCEN parking lot. Police said that Crawford “exchanged words” with the unidentified man, before the suspect pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and shot Crawford, firing several times. Police officers cleared the KCEN studio after the shooting, gathering all employees in the front lobby and keeping them there until about 10:15 a.m., as cops and police dogs combed the station offices, in search of the gunman. But the suspect was not found and remained at large as of 2:15 p.m. Central Standard Time.
Crawford, who describes himself on social media as “huge weather buff” since childhood is a native of Plano, Texas, and has also worked as a meteorologist in Louisiana, Arkansas, Arizona and Illinois.
The shooting sent shock throughout the community of TV meteorologists, and many fellow weather forecasters reached out via Twitter to express their concern.
Man…prayers for my buddy, Meteorologist Patrick Crawford and Heather. Patrick is the morning meteorologist in… http://t.co/g2AkHM03wy
— Cedric Haynes KLTV (@CedricKLTV) December 17, 2014
Prayers for Patrick Crawford @KCENNews . He’s a meteorologist and was shot in the parking lot of the station. My first job was there in 1990.
— Steve Kersh (@SteveKersh7) December 17, 2014
Please pray for my friend and former colleague Patrick Crawford who was shot outside KCEN-TV in Texas this AM.
— EricSorensen (@ERICSORENSEN) December 17, 2014
Despite being shot, TV meteorologist Patrick Crawford was reported to be well enough to speak to police Wednesday afternoon.
