Overview

• Laughter and clapping were audible on TMZ’s livestream as the newsroom discussed Kirk’s killing on Wednesday, drawing swift online criticism.
• TMZ founder Harvey Levin said the noise came from a back room where employees were watching a car chase rather than reacting to the assassination.
• Levin said he briefly left the desk during the stream to check the source of the sounds and added that anyone celebrating the death would not work there.
• Executive producer Charles Latibeaudiere described the incident as “horrible timing” and apologized for how the broadcast sounded.
• ABC7 was airing a Los Angeles car chase at the time, which TMZ cited as the unrelated source of the cheers heard on its feed.