Online Gay Club News
Gay CEO killed in Navy Yard shooting
By Casey Bell
The president and CEO of a prominent local advertising company and three others were killed this week during a Navy Yard murder-suicide at an investor board meeting.
Police said Mark David Norris, 46, sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at 8:30 p.m. Feb. 12 at the South Philadelphia office of Zigzag.net, a marketing firm located at a former Navy procurement office.
The other victims were Norris’ brother Robert, 41, of Newark, Del., and James Reif, 42, of Endicott, N.Y. A fourth man was critically injured.
Police have identified the shooter as Vincent J. Dortch, 44, of Newark, Del., and believe he thought the others were scamming him out of money.
Police told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the gunman used an AK-47 assault rifle on the victims and fired a .40-caliber pistol at police before fatally shooting himself.
Deputy Police Commissioner Richard Ross told the AP Feb. 13 that the shooter’s exact role in the company is not yet clear, but they suspect he was an investor.
Norris and his partner lived in Pilesgrove, N.J.
Zigzag.net developed marketing campaigns and branding for local and national companies including Philadelphia International Airport, Philadelphia Housing Authority, Comcast, WHYY and Temple and Rutgers universities.
The company also developed noted HIV/AIDS campaigns, including AIDS Activities Coordinating Office’s controversial ''Have You Been Hit?'' social awareness campaign, which was geared towards African-American MSMs and pulled after pressure from African-American gay and HIV/AIDS activists.
Norris’ company also worked with Action AIDS to create toughchoices.org, an interactive Web site for youth dealing with HIV issues.
''I was really shocked to hear about his murder,'' said Action AIDS executive director Kevin Burns. ''It’s a real loss for the community. He was very passionate about getting HIV/AIDS information out and used his professional knowledge to that end. He was very skilled in social marketing and using the Internet to engage kids to be safe. We worked with him for a couple of years developing that.''
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