Background
Gwatney, Bill was born on August 26, 1959 in Little Rock.
organization administrator State Legislator
Gwatney, Bill was born on August 26, 1959 in Little Rock.
Bachelor of Science, Bachelor, University Arkansas.
Prior to being State Chair, he was a State Senator for 10 years. He had also been the financial chair for Mike Beebe"s run for Governor of Arkansas in 2006. He owned three car dealerships in Pulaski County.
Gwatney was selected as a superdelegate at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, but was assassinated before serving.
He was replaced by his widow Rebecca Rankin. On August 13, 2008, Gwatney was fatally wounded when a man, identified in news reports as Timothy Dale Johnson, 50, entered Democratic Party headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas and shot Gwatney three times.
Gwatney was taken to a hospital, but died at 3:59 pm CDT. The gunman had said he wanted to speak with Gwatney about volunteering, but sidestepped his assistant when she said he was busy. After the shooting, the gunman fled the scene in his truck and led police on a 30-mile (48 km) chase out of Little Rock.
Johnson was fatally shot by police after a PIT maneuver forced him off the road into a field near Sheridan.
Number motive was discovered, except Johnson quitting his job at a Target retail store earlier that day.
Married Katherine Gwatney. 2 children.