Mario Boone is a North Carolina native who is thrilled to call Connecticut home. He joined News 8 as a News Reporter on a freelance basis in July 2017, and was invited back on a full-time permanent status in October 2017.
Before joining News 8, Mario reported at stations in Raleigh/Durham, NC, Orlando, Fla. and Asheville, NC. During his time in those markets Mario uncovered countless exclusive stories like police officers illegally parking at meters without paying and broken city fire hydrants endangering the lives of residents and a massive rat infestation at a local middle school.
As the Cops and Courts reporter in Knoxville, TN, Mario covered the high profile trial of David Kernell, the University of Tennessee student convicted of hacking the email account of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. He also broke the story of several school resource officers who flunked a shooting qualifications test and had their guns stripped away. An only child, Mario studied broadcast journalism at the prestigious Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Ga. In addition to reporting in several TV markets, he served as senior media relations manager of a large university, and the public relations coordinator at the largest community food bank in Georgia.
To the surprise of most, Mario is also a former state law enforcement officer. He spent nearly 5 years supervising violent felons, tracking and arresting fugitives and testifying in Superior Court. Some of his most exciting professional accomplishments include learning how to shoot and pass state qualifications with a Glock .40 semi-auto service weapon and covering the federal teen sex trafficking trial of former religious cult leader Tony Alamo.
If you have a story idea feel free to email Mario.Boone@wtnh.com. He can be followed on Twitter and Facebook using @MarioBooneTV.
