STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

News Station Slammed For Using This Image Of Nia Wilson To Report on Her Brutal Murder By White Man

KTVU has since apologized for the "mistake."

A Bay Area news station is under fire for using a disparaging image of 18-year-old Nia Wilson, who was fatally stabbed by a white man in Oakland. During a segment on the murder, KTVU used an image of Nia holding what appears to be a gun. Many slammed the news station for attempting to criminalize Nia when she is the victim. 

On Sunday night, Wilson was fatally stabbed and her sister, 26-year-old Lahtifa Wilson, was injured when suspect, 27-year-old John Lee Cowell, pulled out a knife and began slashing them on a BART train platform. On Monday, BART police arrested Cowell, according to SFGate

Although Nia was the victim and there were many images KTVU 2 could have used, someone at the station chose an image of the 18-year-old holding a gun-shaped object.

  • A screenshot was posted to Twitter, where people criticized the station for criminalizing Nia

  • Calls, complaints, and tweets were all directed at the news station for their distasteful decision

  • Eventually, KTVU issued an on-air statement and anchor Frank Sommerville posted an apology to his Facebook, along with more appropriate images of Nia

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