Joyce Evans, Philadelphia News Anchor, Slammed for 'Breaking Bad' Teaser About Fatal Shooting
Murder Isn't 'Something You Should Be Jokingly Referencing'; Twitter Outraged
Joyce Evans, a Philadelphia Fox news anchor, tweeted a teaser about a fatal shooting while referring to "Breaking Bad" Sunday. The ill-advised social media promotion upset many Twitter users, who thought she was being crass and flippant when referring to the murder of a 23-year-old and the wounding of six others.
"Thought 'Breaking Bad' was hot last Sunday @FOX29phill See who's breakin' bad in SW Philly leavin' 6 people SHOT –Tonite at Ten!" Evans tweeted Sunday, referencing the bloody ending of the highly-watched drama.
The backlash after Evans' tweet was stark and immediate. Not long after, the news anchor had to clarify that her post on the microblogging website was not a joke.
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"Last tweet NOT AT ALL A JOKE," she wrote. "Very real life drama was the point as oppose to one that end on tv. That was my point."
She continued to respond to various Twitter users that they "missed [her] point," but outrage only grew.
"Gun crime and potentially fatal circumstances aren't something you should be jokingly referencing," one user responded.
"DO YOU FEEL BAD YET FOR MAKING A PUN TWEET ABOUT DEAD PEOPLE," @jenihead wrote.
Soon, the outrage became outright mockery, with the hashtag #JoyceEvansTweets trending fairly quickly.
"Think you missed the point of Joyce Evans' tweet? A local man didn't miss the point of a sharp knife.. Tonight at 10 #JoyceEvansTweets," posted @PhilUnionKevinK.
"Speaking of 'The Big Bang Theory,' fire dept. officials think they know what caused an explosion in one S Phill rowhome. #JoyceEvansTweets," tweeted another.
Authorities said that the shooting, which occurred in front a southwest Philadelphia deli, could have been the work of multiple guns. 50 shell casings were recovered at the scene.
One unnamed 23-year-old died as a result of the shooting and six others were wounded. Police are still investigating and have not yet released names of any suspects.
