Award-winning, renowned war photojournalists Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros were killed in action on April 20, 2011, in Misrata, while covering the chaotic frontline of the Libyan conflict. They were mortally wounded in Tripoli Street, reportedly by a mortar fired by Gaddafi forces at pro-democracy fighters. Freelance photographer Guy Martin was seriously injured and underwent surgery, while photographer Michael Christopher Brown was also injured. Fellow professionals mourned their slain colleagues, and reminisced on two lives lived in full, and in peril, in the pursuit of truth, while all major photography outlets paid tribute to their work. Photojournalists Tim Hetherington (photo by Justin Hoch on Flickr, licensed as CC-BY) and Chris Hondros (Twitter profile photo) Hetherington's last tweet, several hours before he was killed -and months after his previous one- conveyed a sense of foreboding: In besieged Libyan city of Misrata. Indiscriminate shelling by Qaddafi forces. No sign of NATO. A phone call to the Feb17Voices service, which enables people to call in comments to be transcribed and posted online, detailed the circumstances of the photojournalists’ death: @feb17voices: LPC #Misrata: caller with knowledge of situation: journalists were struck by 2 mortars in an area of Tripoli St. considered ‘safe’. #Libya War correspondent C J Chivers continuously updated his report for the New York Times, and also posted a grim account on his blog of the conditions in which the bodies of the fallen photographers were evacuated from Misrata. @cjchivers: New account frm jrnlist w Chris&Tim: They may have been hit by mortar rnd. Updating NYT now. RPGs&Mrtrs both in use on TripSt. @cjchivers: Remains of Tim and Chris r on the Ionian Spirit tonite, headed by sea to Benghazi, thx to compassion and fast work of HRW and IOM. Seven Libyan civilians were also killed in Misrata in the same day, as well as a Ukrainian doctor, while his wife lost both her legs. Reactions on Twitter Moving eulogies and remembrances from colleagues of the slain photojournalists abounded on Twitter, as well as in blogs and articles, in the following days: @spinonspin: #chrishondros on the risks of being a conflict photographer: “to be the gazing eyes and thoughtful conscience of the world” @evanchill: Terrible news in Misrata today. Photojournalists are always first into the danger. @jenanmoussa: #Aljazeera cameraman Ali Jaber, Moh Nabbous, Tim Hetherington, martyrs of journalism..conflicting reports about Chris Hondros. #Libya @NickKristof: The courage of photographers in E Libya is breathtaking. Tim Hetherington & Chris Hondros, RIP. http://nyti.ms/ghsjce @photojournalism: Wednesday 20 April 2011. Black day in the history of photojournalism. I cannot fucking believe this. @andersoncooper: a friend and great photographer Tim Hetherington has been killed in Libya. The news is gutting. He was such a wonderful guy @SauvignonBlonde: The last self portrait Chris Hondros sent me. Taken in Iraq b4 he went to Libya. What a stunning photographer. http://twitpic.com/4nkgcu Libyan pro-democracy Twitter users hailed them as heroes: @ShababLibya: Remembering #TimeHetherington #ChrisHondros and all Libyans and nonLibyans who have fallen due to #Gaddafi's tyranny.Never forget our heroes @BenghaziDoc: To the loved ones of Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros, I send my deepest condolences. Libya will honor their memory always. @Freedom_7uriyah: RIP Tim Hetherington – Libyans will not forget you, thank you for getting to Misrata and showing the world the reality #Hero @ibnthabit: sad for @TimHetherington & @ChrisHondros Libyans remember you as heros. Meet me on the corner of Hetherington and Hondros in #Misrata #Libya “The gazing eyes and thoughtful conscience of the world” Chris Hondros in Iraq (Photo reposted from Twitpic with permission from J. Mann Charters) Film-maker Vincent Laforet summarizes why photojournalism is important and what made those men special in his blog: Chris and Tim were two of the best in the business – icons of our generation (my generation.) They were both incredibly accomplished and recognized journalists – their work received almost every honor and award that exists today for both stills and motion. [..] Many of us grew up hearing of Robert Capa and other famous war photographers. Many of us idolized them. The first time I had an AK-47 pointed at me, I immediately knew that I wasn’t cut out for the incredibly dangerous work myself. Therefore I’ve always admired those who go out every day to cover conflict across the world – their work is incredibly necessary. [..] Chris was a modern day Capa – his work was unparalleled.[..] Tim's film Restrepo was an incredible piece of work – as were his photographs.