TV anchor fights back tears as she interviews woman who escaped Texas Saturday killings

MSNBC anchor Alex Witt fought back tears Sunday while interviewing a woman who came face-to-face with the gunman responsible for this weekend’s mass shooting in West Texas.

The emotional moment happened as Shauna Saxton recalled the incident on 31 August that left seven people dead and 21 others injured.

Saxton said she was driving with her husband and grandson when the gunman pulled up next to the car, according to a video clip posted on Deadline website.

“We heard bam, bam, bam,” she says, adding that the gunman pointed the gun at her before she sped off.

“He followed us through those cars and off down the road, and he only followed us for about a mile. It wasn’t the whole time, but at one point, he was pulling up to the side of my car,” Saxton explains.

“He looked crazed. Excited. Not excited in a happy or good way, just amped up, maybe is a better word, and he wasn’t right,” she adds. “His hair was all dishevelled, and he was looking at the gun and then looking at me and then the gun came up.”

Saxton began to cry when she said she was unable to warn people in the vehicles ahead of her.

“I feel so lucky that I was not hurt, and I’m so, I’m so sad inside because I knew what was coming toward people, and I couldn’t help them,” she says through tears.

As the camera switched to Witt in the studio, the newscaster wiped away tears.

“It’s okay,” Witt says. “Shawna Saxton, God bless you and your family. You take care of yourself.”

“Thank you so much. We’ll be thinking of you. You did good,” Witt adds.

Saxton asked Witt and viewers to pray for the victims.

Background to the story

On Saturday, a 36-year-old gunman, identified as Seth Aaron Ator, opened fire in two West Texas towns with an assault-style rifle indiscriminately killing seven people and injuring 22 before the police shot him dead. Police are still hunting for a motive behind the killings. The incident has also intensified US debate on gun ownership and control.