US radio host fired over 'nice school shooting' comments

Denver high school students holding up protest signs including "a kid is worth more than a thousand guns".Getty Images

Denver high school students joined a mass walkout over gun violence last year

A radio host has lost his job after saying he would like "a nice school shooting" to interrupt the "never-ending" coverage of US President Donald Trump's impeachment.

Chuck Bonniwell apologised on Twitter for his "inappropriate comment" before deleting the post.

The station, based in Denver, Colorado, has confirmed it has now axed the news programme, the Chuck and Julie Show.

A student was killed in a Denver school shooting earlier this year.

The right-leaning station, 710 KNUS, said it was cancelling the show "given the history of school violence that has plagued our community".

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"You know, you wish for a nice school shooting to interrupt the monopoly," Mr Bonniwell said on air of the impeachment news coverage.

His wife and co-host of the show, Julie Hayden, hit back: "No, don't even say that! He didn't say that."

"No one would be hurt," he clarified.

John Castillo, whose son Kendrick was killed in a shooting at the STEM School Highlands Ranch near Denver in May, said the comments were "unbelievable".

"I made an inappropriate comment meant as a joke. I'm sorry it was not received that way," Mr Bonniwell said on Twitter, before the post was deleted.

Denver's Columbine High School marked the 20th anniversary of a shooting that killed 13 people in April.

710 KNUS has replaced the Chuck and Julie Show with America First, presented by Sebastian Gorka - a former aide to President Trump.

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