Pulitzer Prize awarded to local newspaper at centre of worst attack on US journalists

Five staff died at the Capital Gazette in Maryland after gunman opened fire in offices

A local newspaper in the US has been awarded a prestigious Pulitzer Prize for coverage of a mass shooting in its own newsroom.

The Capital Gazette, based in the city of Annapolis, Maryland, won a special citation for the courage of its staff in reporting the massacre in which five colleagues were killed.

The paper published on schedule the day after the atrocity – believed to be the worst mass attack on journalists in US history.

Employees John McNamara, Wendi Winters, Rebecca Smith, Gerald Fischman and Rob Hiaasen all died during the incident last June.

A reader said to have had a long-standing grudge against the paper has been charged with five counts of murder. Jarrod Ramos will stand trial in November.

Speaking shortly after the $100,000 prize was announced on Monday night surviving staff said the recognition was “bittersweet”.

Reporter Chase Cook said: “Since it’s so connected to something so tragic, there was no euphoric pop-off of excitement.”

Editor Rick Hutzell added: “Clearly, there were a lot of mixed feelings. No one wants to win an award for something that kills five of your friends.

“It’s very difficult when you are reporting in some ways on yourself. That’s not what we do. We’re behind the camera, not in front of it.”

He said the newspaper had submitted entries for the Pulitzers in five categories

Although it did not win in any of those, judges awarded the special citation in honour of the Capital’s “courageous response to the largest killing of journalists in US history in their newsroom” and for an “unflagging commitment to covering the news and serving their community at a time of unspeakable grief”.

Prizes also went to the New York Times and Wall Street Journal for investigations of Donald Trump, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for its coverage of last October’s Pennsylvania synagogue attack in which 11 people died.