Home / Crime and Justice / TV Reporter Survives Brutal Shooting, Vows to Inspire Others
TV Reporter Survives Brutal Shooting, Vows to Inspire Others
4 Nov, 2025
Summary
- TV reporter Winnie Dortch shot 5 times by ex-partner
- Dortch suffered life-threatening injuries, including a gunshot to the mouth
- Dortch shares story to inspire others who have faced domestic abuse
In October 2024, TV news reporter Winnie Dortch was the victim of a brutal shooting by her daughter's father, Bryant Carter. Dortch had dropped off their child at school when Carter forced her out of her car at gunpoint and shot her five times, including in the mouth.
Dortch spent three days in the hospital, unable to speak, as she recovered from her life-threatening injuries. "I was shot in the mouth, which hurts the most because that's part of my career," she told WGN-TV. "I feel like he took something from me."
Dortch alleged that Carter had been verbally and physically abusive over the years, and that he became upset when she was offered a position at WGN-TV, leading to her move from Cleveland back to her hometown of Chicago. Despite filing a restraining order against him, Dortch later had it removed.
