An ABC reporter on the scene in Houston, covering the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey, was ravaged by social media after he reported looters to police.
ABC’s Tom Llamas tweeted that he witnessed looting at a supermarket near where a body was found by police.
“#Breaking We’re witnessing looting right now at a large supermarket in the NE part of Houston & police have just discovered a body nearby,” he tweeted.
#Breaking We’re witnessing looting right now at a large supermarket in the NE part of Houston & police have just discovered a body nearby
— Tom Llamas (@TomLlamasABC) August 29, 2017
ABC 13 happily reported the story.
People were angry that Llamas mentioned the looting before he mentioned the victim.
Why isn’t the dead body the lede here?
— Susan Asplund (@SusanAsplund) August 29, 2017
Never mind that discovery of a body issue, lets go after those “looters!” ?
— Cara Homan (@CaraHoman) August 29, 2017
check out the body for sure, but the people “looting” the grocery store are trying to survive! Ask the store owner if they mind.
— sxpnce ⚜ (@sxpnce) August 29, 2017
So, in your #BREAKING announcement, hungry folks looting food (aka survival) takes precedence over the discovery of a body?
— Danula (@dlvest) August 29, 2017
In another, deleted, tweet Llamas explained that he was with police when he reported the looting.
He shared that tweet as he explained what happened.
Let me clear this up–we were w/police who had discovered a dead body & mentioned we saw ppl w/faces covered going into a supermarket nearby pic.twitter.com/bfM5WCCO1e
— Tom Llamas (@TomLlamasABC) August 29, 2017
But that did nothing to subdue the anger of many on social media.
Ty for clearing this up. Some reporters have risked their lives to save others, & you chose to be snitch & rat out people trying to survive
— Happened in Florida (@idavidro) August 29, 2017
?reporter: you are a thief!
texan: i took a loaf of bread
r: You robbed a small business!
t: we were starving
r: & you will starve again!?— jordan ?? (@JordanUhl) August 29, 2017
hi tom. i wanted to report massive loitering happening around the houston area. please inform the proper authorities.
— Robert Emanuel (@robertemanuelmd) August 29, 2017
I’m definitely seeing vehicles that are not street legal
— Pete Roman (@FroyoBaggins) August 29, 2017
I’m guessing the looting occurred bc people haven’t eaten in four days… babies need diapers… kids are hungry… they need water…
— Compassion? (@UniqueMom444) August 29, 2017
You’d be taking food too if you were starving. @ABC sure knows how to pick the most sadistic, inhuman creatures on this planet. #Harvey #Abc
— Welansa Asrat, MD (@Dr_Asrat) August 29, 2017
Yeah no your original tweet implied you narced on people who were getting stuff from a grocery store and the body was an afterthought
— Justin Arnold (@JustinOArnold) August 29, 2017
Heroic, Tom. Someone has to protect the $ interests of (likely insured) business owners from people trying to survive in a disaster zone.
— Jesse Benn (@JesseBenn) August 29, 2017
— DougExeter (@DougExeter) August 29, 2017
Tom, don’t listen to these people. It was very brave and right of you to put property ahead of flood victims. You are a hero. Thank you.
— Jon Tayler (@JATayler) August 29, 2017
What did you imagine the hungry people were taking from the grocery store? Big-screen TVs?
— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) August 29, 2017
Maybe sit the next couple plays out, champ.
— coreyspring (@coreyspring) August 29, 2017
Many bashed the reporter as racist and a Cuban white supremacist, although he never mentioned the race of the looters.
I’m so sick of you racist fucking white Cubans. You are the most horrendous bigots & supremacists.
— Welansa Asrat, MD (@Dr_Asrat) August 29, 2017
What the actual fuck are you doing @ABCNewsPR? This racist, classist, stupid bullshit will not fly in the age of social media. stop it.
— #MedicaidMatt (@mattbc) August 29, 2017
“Scavenge” is when White victims search for food, “loot” is when anybody of color do it… #fuckwhiteprivilege
— T͟Hē ləˈjen(ə)rət (@TheLiGenerate) August 29, 2017
Let me guess. The “looters” are Black…if they were white, you’d call them “survivalists”
— Hello! (@Helen191960) August 29, 2017
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