On the October 11 broadcast of his nationally syndicated Fox News Radio show, John Gibson responded to a Media Matters for America item documenting the comments he made on October 10 claiming that he “knew” that 14-year-old Asa H. Coon, who earlier that day had shot four people at his Cleveland high school before killing himself, was white because "'he killed himself. Black shooters don't do that; they shoot and move on." Gibson responded: "Media Matters for America, a Soros-backed, Hillary Clinton-backed media hit-job website is after me today because of what I said last night, and they are calling me a racist for what I said about this deal at SuccessTech in Cleveland." After playing an audio clip of his comments, Gibson asserted that "Media Matters trashed me for saying these things, which I think were just obvious." In fact, the item documenting Gibson's comments did not characterize him or his comments as racist. Indeed, the word “racist” is used in the item only when quoting Gibson's own statements.

Additionally, contrary to Gibson's assertion that Media Matters is “a Soros-backed, Hillary Clinton-backed” website, philanthropist George Soros has never given money to Media Matters, either directly or through another organization, as has been repeatedly and exhaustively demonstrated. Media Matters is an independent progressive organization and is not funded by or affiliated with any candidate or political party. Gibson routinely asserts that Media Matters is funded by Soros, most recently claiming on his October 1 radio show that Media Matters is “funded by George Soros, even though I get letters from them every day saying, 'No, we're not! No, we're not!' " He continued: “Yes, you are. Yes, you are. Or were, certainly at the start.”

Later in the October 11 show, during a discussion with a caller, Gibson twice rephrased his October 10 statements. He first asserted that “when I say I knew this shooter yesterday wasn't black when he committed suicide because that's not what African-American gangster shooters do. They don't shoot somebody and then say, 'Oh, I'm so unhappy. This is such a scar on my soul, I've got to shoot myself in the head.' ” Gibson later said, " 'Course the guy in Cleveland was a white kid; he committed suicide. Gangster shooters don't do that. They're happy they got off the first shot. They're happy they killed the guy they were aiming at. They get in their car, and they move on down the road. Probably looking over their shoulders a little bit." Gibson also admitted that he “looked at the quotes, I said, 'Well, they [Media Matters] quoted me accurately' ” in the October 11 item.

From the October 11 edition of Fox News Radio's The John Gibson Show:

[audio clip]: Google it on Media Matters.

GIBSON [audio clip]: Now, this was a terrible incident out in a school near Cleveland. It's called “SuccessTech.” It's one of those alternative schools. Eighty-five percent African-American. Eighty-five percent. First thing you see when you see the pictures today is a whole bunch of black kids.

GIBSON: And that was true. The whole deal there at SuccessTech was that, in this case, the shooter that came into that school and shot the teachers -- he was after the teachers, were terrorizing black kids.

[audio clip]: [gasp]

GIBSON: Am I not supposed to say that? Angry Rich, did I say something I'm not supposed to say?

ANGRY RICH: According to David Brock, no.

GIBSON: Media Matters for America --

[audio clip]: Gorgeous.

GIBSON: -- a Soros-backed, Hillary Clinton-backed media hit-job website --

[audio clip]: It's super fabulous.

GIBSON: -- is after me today because of what I said last night, and they are calling me a racist for what I said about this deal at SuccessTech in Cleveland, where the white kid came in and shot a couple of teachers and a couple of students and killed himself. And, I think naturally, when you look at these kind of incidents, especially if you're a show like this one, which deals straight up, as an honest broker, with some of the most serious problems that are affecting and afflicting the black community in this country -- naturally, we would look at it and say, “Hey, gun in school. Eight-five percent black school. Has the hip-hop community made its way onto campus and finally, you know, finally brought the carnage of the streets into the schools?” Well, while our antenna may have been up for that, the facts soon intervened. And it turned out that the shooter was not black.

ANGRY RICH: And we went on the air and made the premise of the entire hour the fact that we got it wrong.

GIBSON: Well, and that there were certain observations to be made from these circumstances anyway.

[audio clip of rap music]

GIBSON: This is yesterday.

[begin audio clip]

GIBSON: You can't deny it. I mean, there's a gazillion of those things out there and the kids are listening on their iPods, and the kids listening on their iPods are not all black kids. Some white kids listen too.

ANGRY RICH: This kid was a Marilyn Manson fan.

GIBSON: He's a goth type.

ANGRY RICH: Yes.

GIBSON: So he wasn't picking up the hip-hop?

RICH: I don't think so, John.

GIBSON: Right, and I -- well --

[end audio clip]

GIBSON: Right. Well?

ANGRY RICH: See? Tongue in cheek. Being honest brokers.

GIBSON: He was a Marylin Manson type. Anybody get hold of Marylin Manson? You know, why do you inspire so many kids to go shoot all their classmates? And that led to another observation on my part, and this, once again, is from yesterday and seems to have gotten me in trouble.

[begin audio clip]

GIBSON: Angry Rich, you know why I knew that this -- through our afternoon of mystery wondering about the kid that was the shooter, I knew this was not a classic hip-hop shooting.

ANGRY RICH: How's that John?

GIBSON: He killed himself. Hip-hoppers do not kill themselves. They walk away. Now, I didn't need to hear the kid was white with blond hair. Once he'd shot himself in the head, no hip-hopper.

[end audio clip]

GIBSON: No hip-hopper.

[audio clip]: [gasp]

GIBSON: Now, can you -- what an unbelievable thing for Gibson to say.

RICH: Now, people on these blogs are horrified that you're conflating people who commit violence in the inner city with quote-unquote “hip-hoppers.”

GIBSON: I don't know why. I mean, why would they not? I mean, where do they think these kids are getting these messages of, you know, loading an extra shot in their mack?

[audio clip of rap music]

Fully loaded clip. Lemme, lemme show you how I do this right here.

GIBSON: Lemme show you how I do this.

Now the rule goes 16.

GIBSON: Rule goes.

I gotta fully loaded clip. I put 16 in the clip. I put it in, I cock that.

I put a number one in the clip, I put it back.

I got, I got a fully loaded clip.

GIBSON: I got a fully loaded clip. Why would you think African-American kids would be so enamored with messing around with guns? I mean, it's only in every third hip-hop song. Media Matters trashed me for saying these things, which I think were just obvious.

[...]

GIBSON: Look, the question on the table is, I'm being accused of being a racist for making this observation about an issue we've been talking about here for over a year, and that is the black-on-black boundaries of the African-American community. And when I say I knew this shooter yesterday wasn't black when he committed suicide because that's not what African-American gangster shooters do. They don't shoot somebody and then say, “Oh, I'm so unhappy. This is such a scar on my soul, I've got to shoot myself in the head.” Am I right about that or wrong about that?

CALLER: John, you're right. And --

GIBSON: Thank you.

CALLER: -- I don't call you a racist. I mean, you got black -- we got black leaders saying the same identical thing you're saying.

GIBSON: Thanks. It's embarrassing for some reason. I looked at the quotes, I said, “Well, they quoted me accurately. What exactly is it they're complaining about?” I don't get it. 'Course the guy in Cleveland was a white kid; he committed suicide. Gangster shooters don't do that. They're happy they got off the first shot. They're happy they killed the guy they were aiming at. They get in their car, and they move on down the road. Probably looking over their shoulders a little bit. Triple 8, 788-9910. It's Gibson on Fox. Trying to deal with important issues, and I got these people in the peanut gallery calling me a racist. It's unfair, isn't it?