Ukraine: 50-Year-Old American Journalist Shot Dead, Another Wounded in Kyiv

The American journalist was identified as Brent Renaud, a 50-year-old video documentary shooter from New York.

Identification papers on the American journalist's body identified him as Brent Renaud, a 50-year-old video documentary shooter from New York.

Photo: Twitter/Ann Maria Lipinsky.

An American journalist was shot dead in Irpin in Kyiv on Sunday, 13 March, while another was wounded, medics and witnesses told AFP.

Identification papers on the American journalist's body identified him as Brent Renaud, a 50-year-old video documentary shooter from New York.

Renaud was found wearing a New York Times press badge. However, NYTs deputy managing editor Cliff Levy said that Renaud was not on an assignment with the newspaper.

"The Times is deeply saddened to learn of the death of an American journalist in Ukraine, Brent Renaud," Levy said. "Brent was a talented photographer and filmmaker, but he was not on assignment for NY Times in Ukraine."

Meanwhile, the International Federation of Journalists identified the wounded reporter as American photographer Juan Arredondo.

A surgeon volunteering for the Ukrainian territorial defence, Danylo Shapovalov, said Brett Renaud died instantly from a gunshot wound to his neck, and he had treated the other.

"The car was shot at. There were two journalists and one of ours," Shapovalov told AFP.

"Our guy and the journalist are wounded. I provided them with first aid. The other one received a wound in the neck, he died immediately."

There was a third victim as well, a Ukrainian, who was in the car with the Americans, and he was reportedly wounded.

AFP reporters in Irpin also saw the body of the victim.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials blamed Russian forces for the shooting. However, the exact circumstances of the incident were unclear.

Arredondo said that their vehicle came under attack after crossing a Ukrainian-controlled checkpoint.

"We were going to film other refugees leaving. We got into a car, someone offered to take us to the other bridge," he said.

"We crossed a checkpoint and they started shooting at us, so the driver turned around and they kept shooting."

Meanwhile, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said US officials would get in touch with Kyiv to find out more details on the circumstances of the attack.

"We'll be consulting with the Ukrainians to determine how this happened and then to measure and execute appropriate consequences as a result of it," Sullivan told CBS television.

Renaud is the first foreign journalist to be killed in Ukraine since Russia invaded the country on 24 February.

About Renaud

In 2019, Renaud had won Harvard University's Nieman Fellowship. He reported on various issues, including Black Lives Matter protests in his native Little Rock, Arkansas.

According to his official Nieman biography, he also has an HBO documentary on heroin addiction and reports on Africa and the Middle East.

(With inputs from AFP.)