Christine Chubbuck (1944–1974) was an American television news reporter, born in Hudson, Ohio. (…)

Her focus on her lack of relationships was generally considered to be the impetus for her depression. She had attempted to overdose on medication in 1970, and frequently made reference to the event.

She lamented to co-workers that her 30th birthday was approaching and she was still a virgin who had never been on more than two dates with a man. She had had her right ovary removed in an operation the year before, and had been told that if she wasn’t pregnant within a year, it was unlikely she would ever be able to conceive. (…)

Apparently, she had an unrequited crush on co-worker George Peter Ryan. She baked him a cake for his birthday and sought his romantic attention, only to find out that he was already involved with sports reporter Andrea Kirby. Kirby had been the co-worker closest to Chubbuck, but was offered a new job in Baltimore, which had further depressed Chubbuck.

Three weeks before her death she had asked the station’s news director if she could do a news piece on suicide. After getting her pitch approved she visited the local sheriff’s department to discuss with an officer methods of suicide. In the interview, an officer told her that one of the most efficient ways was to use a .38 caliber revolver with wadcutter target bullets, and to shoot oneself in the back of the head rather than in the temple.

She bought a gun and joked about killing herself on air.

On the morning of July 15, 1974, Chubbuck confused co-workers by claiming that she had to read a newscast to open her program, Suncoast Digest, something she had never done before. That morning’s talk show guest waited across the studio while she sat at the news anchor’s desk.

During the first eight minutes of her program, Chubbuck covered three national news stories and then a local restaurant shooting from the day before. The restaurant was the Beef and Bottle Restaurant at the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport on U.S. 41. The filmreel of the restaurant shooting had jammed and wouldn’t run, so Christine shrugged it off and said:

In keeping with Channel 40’s policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts, and in living color, you are going to see another first: an attempted suicide.

She drew out a revolver and shot herself behind her right ear. Christine fell forward violently and the technical director faded slowly to black. Camerawoman Jean Reed later recalled that she thought it had been an elaborate prank, and it wasn’t until she saw Chubbuck’s twitching body that she realized it was genuine.

The station quickly ran a standard Public Service tape and then a movie. Some television viewers had phoned police, while others phoned the station to inquire if the shooting was faked. Chubbuck was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital and was pronounced dead 14 hours later.

Chubbuck was cremated. The funeral ceremony was held on the beach where her ashes were scattered into the Gulf of Mexico. All three national television networks reported her death.

Christine’s family brought an injunction against WXLT to prevent the release of the 2″ quad videotape of her suicide. The Sarasota Sheriff’s Department file lists a copy of the tape seized as evidence and later released it to Christine’s family along with her possessions.

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READ MORE >> experience, showbiz, incidents | February 19th, 2008