Reuters Journalist Reportedly Staged Photos

(RightWing.org) – The country remains mired in controversy over gun violence as 2023 heads toward a record for mass shootings, with more recorded incidents than days of the year. As of April 25, the Gun Violence Archive recorded 173 mass shootings and 13,294 deaths from gun violence of all causes, including suicide. With those statistics, one might think the mainstream media had more than enough fodder to promote its anti-gun agenda. However, allegations recently emerged that a Reuters journalist staged photographs to support her narrative.

On April 21, Fox News reported that parents and grandparents who attended the recent NRA annual meeting in Indianapolis claimed a photojournalist took pictures of children without their consent. The photographer, Evelyn Hockstein, reportedly staged several of the images, according to some attendees of the April 14 to 16 event.

🚨Meet @Reuters photographer Evelyn Hockstein (@evelynpix).

At NRAAM, parents/grandparents say that she staged photos featuring their children. She instructed the kids to pick up guns & positioned herself in front of them to capture the images she wanted.… pic.twitter.com/HHqQwKgaiY

— NRA (@NRA) April 21, 2023

Dan Eckart took his grandsons to the meeting with him. A photograph showing one of them pointing a handgun at the camera went viral after media companies purchased the rights to the new service image from Reuters.

Eckart told Fox News Digital he observed Hockstein maneuvering herself so that her camera appeared in the direct line of the pistol’s barrel as she took photos of his grandson. He said the now-infamous image “was a set-up.”

Additionally, Eckart said he gave Hockstein his name and his grandson’s name and age, thinking she was photographing the event “on behalf of the NRA.” He assumed the images would be posted on a collage commemorating the event. The child’s father, Nathan Eckart, confirmed he and his wife were attempting to get the photographs removed from news articles using them and from the Reuters website.

A spokesperson from Reuters denied any wrongdoing, telling Fox News Digital that Hockstein didn’t prompt the child to look at her while she took the photos. The official also said the company removed the children’s names as a courtesy.