Rob Hiaasen, Brother of Miami Herald's Carl Hiaasen, Killed in Annapolis Shooting

Rob Hiaasen's newspaper columns were funny — actually, honest-to-god funny. In 2015, he noted his daughter had adopted a South Florida manatee named Squeaky as a gift for him; Hiaasen then spent part of a newspaper column wondering what advice to give his newly adopted sea-cow son. He decided on "Be safe."

Much like his brother — longtime Miami Herald writer and best-selling novelist Carl Hiaasen — Rob Hiaasen clearly loved poking fun at life's absurdities. While Carl's columns tended to cover the darkly twisted world of South Florida politics, Rob used his column inches to make people laugh.

His wry, joyful outlook on life is being remembered in newsrooms across the nation this evening as America grapples with its latest mass shooting. This afternoon, a man stormed into Hiaasen's newsroom at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, and killed five people, including Hiaasen, whom the Herald reports is the first of the five victims to be named publicly. He was 59.


Hiaasen had deep roots in South Florida's journalism world: He's the uncle of former Herald reporter Scott Hiaasen and uncle-in-law of Herald environmental reporter Jenny Staletovich. According to the Herald's touching obituary published earlier tonight, Hiaasen grew up with his brother near Fort Lauderdale and worked for the Palm Beach Post in the '90s before moving on to the Baltimore Sun and eventually the Gazette.

"He loved the mission of journalism and he loved the idea of working at a paper like the Gazette, doing hometown news, which is the core and the heart of our business," Carl Hiaasen told the Herald tonight. "He was a remarkable brother and a remarkable man." The Herald's editorial board director, Nancy Ancrum, referred to Rob Hiaasen as "family."

RIP: Rob Hiaasen relished exploring the everyday absurdities and joys of life: choosing a spirit animal, calling his mother in Florida on Sundays, the small pleasures of ignoring the headlines while in the barber chair https://t.co/GWlgoDXvlF #CapitalGazette pic.twitter.com/OUYUQpWe21

— David Ovalle (@DavidOvalle305) June 29, 2018

Since the news broke, tributes have poured in from across the journalism world:

A lovely tribute to Rob Hiaasen, editor and columnist murdered with his colleagues today at the Annapolis Capital Gazette, written by @Jean_Marbella, both old friends from The Baltimore Sun. Rob was a warm and funny person, in print and in the flesh. https://t.co/hPvF6pixV3

— Scott Shane (@ScottShaneNYT) June 29, 2018

This is so sad, sending good energy to @Carl_Hiaasen, Scott, @jenstaletovich & the entire family. https://t.co/n2DexKSWGd

— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) June 29, 2018

Rest In Peace Rob Hiaasen.

I’m good friends and a former coworker of his nephew, Scott, and know his brother as well, Carl. https://t.co/BSqtKl679v

— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) June 29, 2018

Rob Hiaasen.
Husband, father of three, careful reporter and editor. Committed, lifelong newspaperman and journalist. Fine, wonderful soul.

"Enemy of the people." pic.twitter.com/SLfF0vcloZ

— David Simon (@AoDespair) June 29, 2018

Wife tonight reminds me of the day she sold her first book and we went for a celebratory coffee across Calvert Street at Nina's. Rob Hiaasen found us to toast the moment with lattes. He was as happy for Laura as if the manuscript were his own. Your memory is a blessing, Rob...

— David Simon (@AoDespair) June 29, 2018

Just two days ago, Paul W. Gillespie, a staff photographer at the Capital Gazette, tweeted he'd received a late-evening call from Hiaasen, which the veteran photographer assumed meant Hiaasen was about to send him out on yet another assignment. It turns out Hiaasen was asking what sort of election-night pizza he wanted.

"Awesome move in my book," Gillespie wrote two days ago.

That was Gillespie's last tweet before alleged shooter Jarrod Ramos stormed into the building with a shotgun today. Authorities have not yet reported what sparked the attack, but the alleged shooter had spent years threatening Gazette journalists online after the newspaper wrote about his conviction for criminal harassment. Ramos sued the newspaper for defamation, but the case was dismissed in 2013 when a judge ruled the paper's story was accurate.

You're welcome and remember....take some home! https://t.co/LXGdKMZkVJ

— Rob Hiaasen (@RHiaasen) June 26, 2018

"Rob was very special, a dear friend and a fine journalist with a beautiful family," former Herald political reporter Beth Reinhard tweeted after news of Hiaasen's death broke late this evening. "Generous and funny and smart. Interested and interesting. So many current/former Florida and Maryland journalists are heartbroken tonight. Read everything he ever wrote."