NYT Freelance Journalist Sean Keenan on Interviewing New Orleans Massacre Suspect Back in 2015: ‘I’m Still Processing It All’

NEWTON It is incredibly ░░░░░░░░ and yet mundane and ░░░░░░░░ of everyday life for ░░░░░░░░ many people When you ░░░░░░░░ about it now when ░░░░░░░░ had heard that you ░░░░░░░░ this is the suspect ░░░░░░░░ this attack does it ░░░░░░░░ in any way shape ░░░░░░░░ form I mean you ░░░░░░░░ have been stunned when ░░░░░░░░ heard KEENAN Oh yes ░░░░░░░░ know I was just ░░░░░░░░ on the couch having ░░░░░░░░ think the New Year ░░░░░░░░ Day that a lot ░░░░░░░░ Americans expect And an ░░░░░░░░ Journal Constitution Reporter Jozsef ░░░░░░░░ reached out to me ░░░░░░░░ Twitter and said did ░░░░░░░░ write this story in ░░░░░░░░ I said sure Why ░░░░░░░░ does it matter He ░░░░░░░░ that that could be ░░░░░░░░ suspect and my head ░░░░░░░░ spinning And I you ░░░░░░░░ what little I remember ░░░░░░░░ that interview was a ░░░░░░░░ cool calm and collected ░░░░░░░░ Like he nothing about ░░░░░░░░ character threw any red ░░░░░░░░ which I think is ░░░░░░░░ of what a lot ░░░░░░░░ us are hearing while ░░░░░░░░ re covering this story ░░░░░░░░ mean a lot of ░░░░░░░░ colleagues at The New ░░░░░░░░ Times talked to family ░░░░░░░░ friends and they re ░░░░░░░░ you this was a ░░░░░░░░ 180 So no what ░░░░░░░░ remember about the interview ░░░░░░░░ him was his pretty ░░░░░░░░ demeanor He was a ░░░░░░░░ bit distant in the ░░░░░░░░ that you know you ░░░░░░░░ see from veterans who ░░░░░░░░ know have had difficult ░░░░░░░░ And I interestingly enough ░░░░░░░░ his eyes which is ░░░░░░░░ how we confirmed the ░░░░░░░░ confirmed that this was ░░░░░░░░ same guy after the ░░░░░░░░ published the photograph of ░░░░░░░░ I realized like yes ░░░░░░░░ s the guy I ░░░░░░░░ down with And I ░░░░░░░░ been getting a lot ░░░░░░░░ calls from family and ░░░░░░░░ today asking like you ░░░░░░░░ how does it feel ░░░░░░░░ frankly I m still ░░░░░░░░ it all It s ░░░░░░░░ a whirlwind of a ░░░░░░░░ NEWTON It is incredibly ░░░░░░░░ especially because as you ░░░░░░░░ so many of us ░░░░░░░░ ve interviewed veterans whether ░░░░░░░░ be in Afghanistan or ░░░░░░░░ home there is a ░░░░░░░░ difficulty trying to adjust ░░░░░░░░ life back home And ░░░░░░░░ all intents and purposes ░░░░░░░░ man seemed to have ░░░░░░░░ a very good job ░░░░░░░░ terms of like you ░░░░░░░░ he had it together ░░░░░░░░ was going to school ░░░░░░░░ Keenan we will leave ░░░░░░░░ there for now Thank ░░░░░░░░ so much Really appreciate ░░░░░░░░ KEENAN Yeah Thank you ░░░░░░░░ having me.”