Statement: Remembering Those Lost in the NewsChopper4 Tragedy

Tonight, my thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families, friends, colleagues and loved ones affected by the tragic crash involving NBC4's NewsChopper4 in Chatsworth.

For many of us, a news helicopter is something we see in the distance or hear overhead. But inside are journalists and aviation professionals doing important work, helping tell the stories of our communities from places and perspectives most of us cannot reach.

News helicopter crews help us understand what is happening across Southern California. They bring us images from wildfires, major traffic incidents, emergencies, public events and breaking news. They help give people on the ground a broader picture of what is happening around them, often while working under demanding and rapidly changing circumstances.

Their contribution to journalism is easy to take for granted because their work so often happens above us and behind the scenes.

I am grateful for their service to journalism and to the communities they help keep informed.

Tonight is also a reminder that behind every camera, every aircraft and every live report are real people; professionals with families, coworkers and people waiting for them to come home.

My heart goes out to everyone mourning this tragedy, including the NBC4 family and all those affected by what happened in Chatsworth.

May those who were lost be remembered not simply for the tragedy that took their lives, but for the lives they lived, the people they loved and the work they contributed to our community.

— D'Andre Lampkin