Maryland reps seeks presidential medal for slain journalist

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Maryland’s congressional delegation has asked President Donald Trump to consider awarding the nation’s highest civilian honour to a woman credited with saving lives in the newspaper shooting that killed her and four others.

News outlets cite a Monday letter sent to the White House highlighting Wendi Winters’ actions at the Capital Gazette office June 28 as meriting the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Witnesses say Winters armed herself with her trash and recycling bins and charged the shooter, distracting him long enough to allow several of her co-workers to escape.

Nine of Maryland’s 10 federal representatives have signed the letter, which emphasized that Winters died “in defence of the First Amendment.” A spokeswoman for the delegation’s lone Republican, Rep. Andy Harris, says he’s still reviewing the letter.