Eliott C. McLaughlin
Senior Writer
Since 2005 Eliott has served as writer, producer, field reporter, newsdesk editor and Southeast Bureau liaison. He's now a CNN Digital senior writer.
Deep dives
How George Floyd's death ignited a racial reckoning that shows no signs of slowing
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
The George Floyd police brutality protests are different -- bigger, fiercer, more sustained -- than demonstrations prior.
The Battle over Ole Miss: Why a flagship university has stood behind a nickname with a racist past
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Cities, colleges and even the US Capitol are seeing growing battles over statues or building names after the killing of George Floyd.
America's legacy of lynching isn't all history. Many say it's still happening today
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
When Heather Coggins saw George Floyd cry out, "Mama!" as a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck, she thought of her uncle.
Honoring the unforgivable
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
To many, these are not matters for debate. If historical figures embraced hate or violence, it doesn't matter that they were great singers, innovators or wartime strategists, nor that they had changes of heart later in life.
As a nation cries for justice in police killings, Atatiana Jefferson's siblings demand she not be forgotten
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Nine months after seeing a policeman gun down his aunt, Atatiana Jefferson, in her Fort Worth, Texas, home, 8-year-old Zion Carr is "doing," his mother says.
Ahmaud Arbery was killed doing what he loved, and a south Georgia community demands justice
Though a prosecutor says he'll let a grand jury decide whether the man who killed Ahmaud Arbery will face charges, many in this south Georgia community can't understand why no one's been arrested.
On-court heroics provide only a glimpse of The Legend of the Black Mamba
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
From the time he began shooting make-believe game winners with his dad's rolled-up tube socks, Kobe Bean Bryant always wanted to ball. But his years on the court don't begin to sum up a life that spilled off the hardwood and into fans' hearts.
Coronavirus and the day the music died in Nashville
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Nashvillians still remember how that music used to make them smile. The last week has been haunting as the city's world-famous entertainment district was transformed to a ghost town when the mayor ordered bars shut down amid the coronavirus pandemic. It's a reality across the country, but in Nashville, it was the second shot in a double barrel of disaster.
For 23 years, he's delivered crosses after massacres. This was his hardest week yet
When Greg Zanis travels to the sites of mass shootings, he brings a handmade cross for each victim, but he also carries a few extra to hand out as gifts. ... Not this time.
'A wound that remains raw'
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
The agitator and the diplomat grip the railing on the second-floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel, the spot where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. fell dead from an assassin's bullet. For the first time in 50 years, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Ambassador Andrew Young, the last surviving members of King's entourage that day, return to the balcony where their friend and mentor died.
Faith, violence collide in New Orleans neighborhood
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
It was the second time in three days that Willa Jones had heard gunshots. The first ones had taken her brother's life.
Olympian wants to win gold; she's already won hearts
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
As Maame Biney laces up her skates for one of her last practices before heading to the Winter Olympics, her mind drifts to her upcoming 18th birthday -- and the prospect of her first cell phone.
"Dad says he's going to get me one," she says, her permagrin on full display.
A tornado killed 23 people in this Alabama town. Its residents say it could have been worse
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Trying to figure out what happened over the phone was torture.
'Mom, it's happening again!' Two mass shootings leave El Paso residents wondering if anywhere is safe
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
The Walmart massacre had shattered the sense of peace and security that typically surrounds this border town. Now the shock and fear was being magnified by another unexplained massacre 1,600 miles away.
Two killers head to prison after 35 years. Behind the scenes of a cold case plea deal
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Tyrone Coggins had just learned his brother's killers, after skirting comeuppance for 35 years, would almost certainly remain in prison for a long time. He told prosecutors to hold on because he had something for them.
'You have to be prepared'
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
A mile down the road, a heavily armed killer had just crashed his vehicle after committing the worst mass shooting in the state's history. Joel Robbins hopped in his car, where he keeps a loaded .38 revolver, and rushed to the scene.
His wife, Lynn Robbins, 63, didn't blink.
'Gurneys just kept coming'
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
A quarter-century of surgical experience couldn't steel Dr. Michael Seiff for what he encountered entering Sunrise Hospital's emergency room Sunday night.
What August showed us about America
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
One August in America tested the nation's mettle. Years from now, that's what historians will say.
War on campus: the battle over free speech
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Free speech came to fisticuffs before alt-right white nationalist Richard Spencer could even begin his speech at Auburn University.
Killers meant to 'send a message,' sheriff says of 1983 murder
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Timothy Coggins was stabbed multiple times, likely in the field where hunters found his body in Sunny Side, Georgia, on October 9, 1983, investigators at the time told the local newspaper.
Ann Coulter tests Berkeley's free speech credentials
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Judging from the talk about the University of California, Berkeley lately, you'd think the campus was filled with hypersensitive snowflakes covering their ears to block out ideas they don't like.
2 years after racists crashed child's party, fears linger
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
You might think it was over when the armed party-crashers drove their trucks, most of them bearing Confederate flags, away from the 6-year-old's birthday party. Or when some of them were arrested months later. Perhaps it seemed like a tidy conclusion when two of the ringleaders were handed lengthy prison terms this week.
Hurricane Matthew: No homes for holidays
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
William Lindsay and Judy Locklear just met Monday, but they seem like old friends.
After floods, boy wants Spider-Man to protect home
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Austin Schexnayder had been scrambling to salvage what he could of his home after Louisiana's historic floods. He hadn't seen his kids in six days.
Town's views on desegregation not so black and white
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
A short jaunt east of the former railroad tracks that used to divide black and white in this town, you could hear cousins Lindell Little and Vell Mays cutting up as Little worked on his bicycle.
'Orlando strong': Wounded city bands together against hate
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Jason Primar and his brother were on their way to the Pulse nightclub early Sunday when they hit a police roadblock.
Under cover of goodness: How pillars of the community can prey on kids
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Doctors, coaches, clergy. Society knows these as noble professions, filled with good people. Doctors heal. Coaches encourage athletic excellence. Priests usher people closer to God.
New Orleans violence 'beyond the pale of reason and sanity'
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
It begins with a simple fender bender. Two SUVs speed off. Three blocks away, the drivers exit and argue. Within seconds, shots are fired, and ex-NFLer Will Smith lies dead in the street.
Girl's death stirs endearments, bad memories in Blacksburg
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
In the hallway of the seventh-grade wing of Blacksburg Middle School sits a bow-tied panda, Nicole Lovell's favorite animal.
In active shooter situation, don't just stand there...
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
A crowd of about 350 listened quietly as the recording of a teacher's eerie 911 call from Columbine High School bellowed over the church auditorium's speakers.
10 of the most bizarre elections in American history
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
The 2000 election between Al Gore and George W. Bush is perhaps the craziest, most controversial election in U.S. history.
'Texas in Queens': Wranglers find refuge with black cowboys
Boney D and Rabbit come from rough parts of Brooklyn, places that could be unfavorably compared to the Wild West.
Searching for El Faro with technology, keen eyes, hope
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
As the sun rose, the sweet smell of cinnamon buns wafted into the cockpit.
A pilgrimage to Plains for lessons of love and courage
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
They came to see Jimmy.
Not James Earl Carter Jr. Not "Mr. President." Not Georgia's ex-governor. Not the Nobel Peace Prize winner and accomplished humanitarian.
Jimmy.
Why are black church fires associated with acts of hate?
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
It's a visceral and involuntary reaction, perhaps even knee-jerk: A black church burns in the South and our minds race immediately to hatred.
We're not seeing more police shootings, just more coverage
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
It feels like every week, a name is added to the list: another man, often black and unarmed, has died at the hands of police.
Southern discomfort: Cultures clash over same-sex marriage
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Shawn Williams heard his father howl from the other room.
Residents: Raucous Ferguson on TV is not our town
Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
The QuikTrip that's now in shambles, its iconic red awning a nest of twisted metal, was once a favorite stop for residents here.
Fed up, New Orleans looks to shake Murder City title
Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Curissa "Cee Cee" Davis doesn't trust men, and she's slow to make friends. She can't remember the last time she did something fun.
In small-town USA, business as usual for Mexican cartels
Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Less than a mile off a county road in Ivanhoe near the Black River, federal drug agents and local authorities found exactly what their informant had promised.
In schools, towns and farms, battle heats up over Alabama's tough immigration law
Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Theresa De Leon finally broke down over breakfast at a diner behind City Hall.
California marijuana vote draws unlikely foes, allies into ring
Dan Rush stood in front of Oaksterdam University, a cannabis college two blocks from City Hall, enthusiastically describing his mission to unionize marijuana workers.
War vets find solace in four-legged friends
Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
He was antisocial and difficult to work with at first. He'd clearly been abused by his father as evidenced by the deep, round scab near his shoulder. He hadn't been eating well.
Inspector: No sign of investigation in 1,111 New Orleans sex crime-related calls
The report is full of harrowing details alleging that five New Orleans Police Department detectives in the special victims unit may have failed to investigate sex crimes over a three-year period.
Lawsuits: Alabama prisoners died of gangrene, constipation
Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
One prisoner died of alcohol withdrawal. Constipation killed another. A third succumbed to gangrene.
Did Florida school send family casket filled with wood?
Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
For almost 90 years, the casket lay beneath the earth, Thomas Curry's family believing the teen who died too young rested in peace there, in an unmarked plot with his great-grandparents.
Father seeks closure in son's 'Houdini handcuff suicide'
Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Victor White III died in a Louisiana hospital, the victim of a gunshot that police said White fired after being frisked twice, handcuffed and placed in the back of a New Iberia police cruiser.
Boy missing since 1940 ID'd at shuttered Florida boys school
Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
On their deathbeds — her father's in the 1960s and her mother's in the 1980s — Ovell Krell's parents made her promise she'd never stop looking for her brother.
Many doubt 1964 Civil Rights Act could pass today
Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
On the day the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed, U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy called Lyndon B. Johnson, urging the President to postpone his endorsement.
Defendant had loud music spat, opened fire, ordered pizza
It was the day after Thanksgiving 2012, and Michael Dunn had just left his son's wedding. He'd had two drinks but wasn't buzzed, and he and his girlfriend were in a "great mood" -- headed to a nice bed and breakfast in St. Augustine, Florida, where they planned to enjoy a bottle of wine, he told police.
New trial sought for George Stinney, executed at 14
Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Almost 70 years ago, South Carolina electrocuted 14-year-old George Stinney, the youngest person to be executed by an American state since the 1800s. Family members today say he's innocent, and while they can't bring him back, they want his name cleared.
On the college gridiron, grandad lives a dream, offers a lesson
Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Barring one photo on his desk, Alan Moore's dorm room looks like most others.
Marijuana advocates hope to rise from 'prohibition'
Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
Turn on a television show or open a magazine in the United States today and you're bound to see someone with a drink in hand -- something unthinkable nearly a century ago.
Holder appearance a sign of Sharpton's growing clout?
Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder's decision to speak at an annual convention of the Rev. Al Sharpton's group, in which Trayvon Martin was a key issue, has been widely panned as a political ploy.
Interrupting the cycle of teen violence
Tard Carter got a call from the ticked-off young hustler in the middle of the day. A rival, the hustler explained, had been telling folks the hustler was a snitch, and he was ready to take care of it.
A year after Katrina, New Orleans 'a tale of two cities'
After months of rebuilding, Henry and Flora Hamilton's house doesn't look like it was sitting in 7 feet of water a year ago. The same can't be said for most of their neighbors' homes.
Hope, faith sustain miners in Chile after months below
A hero's welcome awaits them when they get to the top, not because they did anything markedly noble -- besides defy odds -- but because they showed us there is hope even when the worst seems certain.
Magnitude of Fukushima disaster tests Japan's mettle anew
It's among the best-prepared countries when it comes to disaster, and for good reason. Japan has played host to some of history's worst calamities.
Nipsey Hussle was more of a movement than a musician
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNNHours after Nipsey Hussle was gunned down in the Hyde Park neighborhood, Los Angeles Police Commissioner Steve Soboroff announced that he had been scheduled to meet with the rapper.
Tunes
Doubts raised over 1999 murder conviction
Tim Masters is no longer the slim, shaggy-haired 15-year-old he was when Peggy Hettrick was mutilated and dumped in a field near his home.He was convicted in 1999 after a 12-year investigation that defense attorneys said was flawed because it focused on building a case against a suspect instead of solving a murder.But Masters never quit fighting, never relented in professing his innocence. Eventually, it paid off.
Tim Masters exoneration (chronological)
Jury foreman can't forgive Charleston shooter, and he's disgusted over black people still killed for nothing
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNNGil Truesdale would like to meet "the heinous murderer" responsible for the Charleston church massacre -- to let him know why he signed his death warrant.
Civil rights
What the...?
Alleged sex abuse kept a Michigan football player away from doctors. He now has cancer
By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNNIt was the snap of the doctor's glove that spooked him right out of the exam room.
Crime & punishment
About
Predominantly a general assignment reporter throughout his career, Eliott worked as a writer and photographer for newspapers before freelancing for Dow Jones Newswire. He worked two years with The Associated Press before joining CNN, where he contributes to CNN Digital, general newsgathering and special reports.
An ATLien with British roots, he has a bachelor's in journalism from Auburn University with a minor in Spanish and studied at the University of Salamanca in Spain. He attended the Nikon School before attending the University of Georgia's College of Journalism and Mass Communications, where he graduated in 2003 with a master's of mass communication and a cognate in Islamic studies.
Eliott has written regularly on Africa, the Middle East, hip-hop, civil rights, courts and sports. He has covered a range of figures in court, including Eric Rudolph, singers Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston, wide receiver Andre Rison, tight end Shannon Sharpe and running back Jamal Lewis. He also covered the Fort Collins, Colorado, proceedings surrounding Tim Masters, who was wrongly accused of murdering a woman when he was 15. He contributed field reporting to CNN's Hurricane Katrina, Jena Six, Ferguson and Las Vegas shooting coverage.
Among his many notable interviews, he was the first reporter to speak with Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide after he went into exile in Central African Republic. He has also interviewed Maya Angelou, Ambassador Andrew Young, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton and has sat down with several hip-hop luminaries, including L.A. Reid, Nas, Common, Questlove of The Roots, Afeni Shakur (Tupac's mother), Lupe Fiasco, RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, Talib Kweli, K'Naan, Big Boi of OutKast and Damian Marley.
On a personal note, he enjoys soccer (Arsenal Gunners, Atlanta United and the U.S. National Teams), basketball (Atlanta Hawks and Auburn Tigers) and American football (Dallas Cowboys and Auburn Tigers). He also likes hip-hop, fashion and food, and can occasionally be found writing fiction in his spare time.
