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A conservative Denver talk radio show has been canceled after one of the hosts wished "for a nice school shooting" to distract from the "never-ending impeachment of Donald Trump."
Chuck Bonniwell, who co-hosts the show "Chuck & Julie" on KNUS-AM with his wife, Julie Hayden, made the comments on-air Tuesday afternoon.
"All right, Chuck Bonniwell, Julie Hayden here, a little after 1:30, talking about the never-ending impeachment of Donald Trump," Bonniwell said on his show while chuckling. "You know, you wish for a nice school shooting [to interrupt the impeachment news]," he added, before his co-host, Hayden, jumped in.
"No! No! Don't even — don't even say that. No, don't even say that," Hayden exclaimed. "Don't call us. Chuck didn't say that."
Still laughing, Bonniwell continued, "—which no one would be hurt."
A Denver radio host on @SalemMediaGrp station @710KNUS wished "for a nice school shooting" to distract from the impeachment. Now the father of a boy killed in a recent school attack wants Chuck Bonniwell fired. READ: https://t.co/GocLl55QI0@abcpic.twitter.com/whxNxemhIW
— Clayton Sandell (@Clayton_Sandell) December 19, 2019
The story was first reported by Jason Salzman at the Colorado Times Recorder, who said that after hearing Hayden's plea for listeners not to call in about Bonniwell's remarks, he "called anyway."
Hayden told the Colorado Times Recorder that Bonniwell regretted the comments.
"It was something he immediately wished he hadn't said," Hayden stated.
On Wednesday evening, KNUS announced its decision to cancel the show:
OFFICIAL STATEMENT:
Given the history of school violence that has plagued our community, 710 KNUS confirms that an inappropriate comment was made on the Chuck & Julie show by co-host Chuck Bonniwell. A programming decision was made to end the program immediately.
— 710 KNUS Denver (@710KNUS) December 19, 2019
Colorado has been the site of some of the most high-profile mass shootings in U.S. history, including the massacre at Columbine High School in 1999 and the Aurora theater attack in 2012.
Sandy Phillips, who lost her daughter in the Aurora theater shooting, posted on Twitter calling for Bonniwell to be fired.
"This guy should be fired. Total ignorance," she wrote on Twitter. "Shootings hurt us all ... just ask witnesses and first responders. You don't have to be shot to be wounded."
According to the Denver Post, the "Chuck & Julie" Twitter account issued an apology Wednesday evening, saying, "Chuck Bonniwell has this comment. 'I made an inappropriate comment meant as a joke. I'm sorry it was not received that way.'"
The tweet has since been taken down.
