[3] He had previously served as a State Senator for ten years and as the financial chair of Mike Beebe's campaign for Governor of Arkansas in 2006.

[4] On August 13, 2008, Gwatney was shot three times by Timothy Dale Johnson,[5][6] who entered Democratic Party headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas.

[9] After the shooting, the gunman fled the scene in his truck and led police on a 30-mile (48 km) chase out of Little Rock.

[7][10] No motive was discovered, except Johnson quitting his job at a Target retail store earlier that day.

[1][2] The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) Athletic Department posthumously inducted Gwatney into their Hall of Fame during a ceremony prior to the tip-off of the men's basketball game vs. New Orleans on February 26, 2009.