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A Virginia television news reporter and her cameraman were shot and killed in a hail of gunfire during a live report early this morning.
Alison Parker, 24, and Adam Ward, 27, were interviewing a woman during a live report at 6:45 a.m. for WDBJ-TV in Virginia when a gunman dressed in black approached and opened fire.
UPDATE 1: The Washington Post identified the shooter as a disgruntled former employee of WDBJ-TV. Virginia police are in active pursuit of the gunman on I-64 in Virginia.
Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe said the suspect who has been identified is believed to be a disgruntled employee of the TV station. Federal law enforcement officials are searching for the gunman.
McAuliffe also said that authorities had ruled out an act of terrorism and described the shooting as a “criminal case.” He said police have a photo of the individual and are “in pursuit as we speak.”
UPDATE, 11:15 a.m.: The August County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as Vester Lee Flanagan, 41, of Roanoke, VA.
Originally published August 26, 2015 @ 10:08
Ward was hit first and he dropped the camera. Parker, who saw Ward being shot, screamed and turned to run, but she was cut down in mid-stride. Her dying screams can be heard in the background.
Both victims were hit multiple times. They died at the scene.
The murders were captured live on TV.
“We’ve lost members of our family,” anchor Jean Jadhon said on-air.
The woman being interviewed, Vicki Gardner, of the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce, was shot in the back, WDBJ General Manager Jeff Marks told NBC12. Gardner is expected to survive her injury.
Marks said Ward’s fiancée, a news producer, was in the control room and saw the tragic scene unfold on the air.
According to NBC12, Parker dated WDBJ anchor Chris Hurst for 9 months, and she began her career as an intern at the station.
It is not clear if the shootings were random acts of violence or if the reporters were targeted by someone who knew them.
Thanks to loyal reader K. Claiborne for the tip.
From the still, it looks like it may be one of us…This is beyond sad and senseless.
This is sad she was just standing there talking doing what she loves…….
So very sad. May their families be comforted during this terrible time. Rest In Peace. Both of you.
So its gonna be one of them type of days. Prayers for all involved. I swear folks have lost their damn minds.
Vicki Gardner was shot as well. Currently in surgery.
We just don’t expect to go to work and die. Whoever did this needs to be removed from society quickly. Praying the cops find him quickly.
Good morning the suspect hasn’t been captured yet..
I’m hoping and praying that its not. Just please dont let it be a person of color.
This is so sad. My heart and prayers go out to the loved ones. Just to witness this live…I can’t fathom what they are going through. Just awful
Ive been following this all morning. The poor guest was shot in the back is in surgery now.
the gunman is YT and believed to be a disgruntled employee
SMH!
Jesus take the wheel…….. so very sad
Whoa!! Very very sad.
Such a sad & terrible thing! RIP ??
bbbuut it say uptop that she wasn’t shot. so what did she have a heart attack from witnessing this chit. Cause I know I would.
Please excuse my ignorance but what is a YT?
No it isn’t a person of color.
SANDRITA there is a pic of the shooter in THE Act floating around.
As a matter of fact troopers are on a high speed chase as we read this
They say she was shot in the back. She may have had a stroke judging by the look on her face as it happened. I really hate Twitter auto played that video.
This world… prayers to everyone affected by this tragedy.
They are saying it could be a disgruntled employee. Smh just terrible and they were so young.
…………..
No words
a you-tuber. lol
YT = whitey
Praying for their families!
White.
Gotcha! Thank you.
So sad. To witness your loved one’s final moments in this kind of way… I can’t imagine
Thank you.
was this a hit? it seems strange that he would only kill the two and leave the women standing
My first thought.
What in the entire hell?
disgruntled employee
SANDRA they are saying the other lady was shot:
According to CNN, Vicki Gardner, the woman who was being interviewed by a
WDBJ crew when the two journalists were killed, was shot in the back
during the incident and is in surgery
Michael Hastings 2.0
This is such a sad way to start the day. Prayers to all those involved. I can’t imagine being someone’s fiancé and seeing this unfold while in the control room. I really hope it’s not someone at the station involved
Dam RIP
Damn like why take OTHER co workers out. smh
So sad. What is wrong with people? Has this world really come to this? RIP and prayers for the families.
A disgruntled employee of the newstation or of the place they were interviewing?
The thing I hate the most about the ignorant people (only) in this country… is there are many followers who would attempt to make a trend of foolishness. One person do it, another attempts to do the same crap!!! I pray to God this man is found. This just goes to show you that we really do not know what will happen in the next second or minute. #smh
This is so sad!! Words cannot express how crazy folks are acting!!
My advice don’t give them no media coverage none at all. They are watching their horrific behavior unfold and enjoying it!!
Real Life Purge… do I need to go stock up on weapons
Now here you go coming in w/all the questions SWAY!
.
.
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I believe the station V, smooches hunn how R you?
Fix it Jesus…..
This is so sad
Hey Boo!! Miss you much!
My God. How horrifying. You hear of these types of things more and more each day. We all have to take some kind of responsibility. If you are around an individual and you know they are weird or saying weird things we need to report them. And law enforcement needs to listen and go take a look at the person and their home. Its too many mentally challenged people walking around not on meds. This is just too damn sad.
I looked on one site and the still was kind of far off and the person looked white, but the still on the three letter site that don’t like black folks have a close up and the person looks black, but given their disdain for blacks, who knows.
Thanks for the info.
They say it is a disgruntled co-worker. Sad they had to die on live TV.
rip to this young lady who was just doing her job….this is insane..I hope they catch her and the cameramans killer. this is unbearable and so scary….
Wicked men and impostors will advance from bad to worse.—2 Tim. 3:13.
Supposedly a disgruntled ex employee of the news station.
The first thing I read (comments) when I pulled this story up on CNN was I bet this was a black person… or Obama this and that, or Hillary Clinton this and that… I was like really America!!! I am so sick of the color remarks!!! Who cares… the main issue is the fact that this happened. God bless America!!! We really need it!!! #smh
He is a disgruntled former employee. I updated the post. Police are in active pursuit of him.
He will as only He can
Amen
Just turned 24 on the 19th. So incredibly sad for their loved ones.
The woman being interviewed was shot in the back. She is in surgery. Here is a clear pic of the gunman.
The cameraman caught a glimpse of his killer on camera before he died. His name is Vester Lee Flanagan, 41, of Roanoke, VA.
This story truly hurts my soul.
This is absolutely awful! NOTHING that transpired at work can be that bad that you resort to taking the lives of two people. Jobs come and they go…DANG!
WATCHED THE VIDEO…NOW I HAVE CHILLS
Someone was on Twitter bragging they’ve removed his posts now
The shooter has been identified as Vester Lee Flanagan, a black man.
Yep
The shooter, Vester Lee Flanagan, a black man, is seen in a photo with the reporter on another site.
This is so sad and scary at the same time. The still of the shooter pointing the gun sends chills through my body. I’m praying for the victims families at this difficult time. I also pray that the lady that was being interviewed is ok.
Vester L. Flanagan aka Bryce Williams … a former employee of WDBJ. He’s tweeting video he recorded of the shooting.
TOLD YA SO!!! HE WAS TWEETING IT!!!
So tragic, Wow, my heart goes out to their families.. Unbelievable!
SANDRA Crazy man is tweeting it as well!!
The shooter… Vester Lee Flanagan… Pray America!!!
UPDATE: The perp’s name is Vester Lee Flanagan. He is a BLACK MALE who was a former employee of the station. He allegedly quit after the lady above made racist comments and he filed a complaint, which fell on deaf ears. He also posted a POV video of him committing the shooting to his Twitter, which has since been taken down. I actually saw the video myself. Chilling stuff. You can see the look of pure horror on her face as the first shot rang out. I really just can’t this morning.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1925e5361dc563d42b3dce2fe757b770683fb6154cc0d4cc63924f8178ba26ea.png
The killer
Wow…
Smh…
Based on Vester’s online pics, he’s a former news anchor or reporter.
This sh(t is blowing my mind. I can’t wait to hear what set him off. I’m guess the obvious… something racial?
Prayers to these two people and their family.
Can’t go to church, work, the movies, or mall without the fear that someone will come in and take your life. SMH
It is confirmed. The shooter is black.
Oh my… I am wondering if it is more to it. Because one of the stories I read said she was dating a guy at the news place, and they have been dating for about 9 months. I wonder if there is a possible love triangle things too. Even the camera man was engaged to one of the news employees at the same place.
Now there are saying he may have shot himself.
Yep, I saw a picture of him on another site. He’s black.
Unfortunately, he’s black.
Yep, Sandra, he tweeted something about the lady reporter that he killed making racist remarks.
The guy he said went to HR on him and the young lady replaced him.
He’s dead. Apparent suicide.
Oh! The cameraman got him fired and Alison replaced him?
That’s what his tweets suggest.
Sad day in America… it just had to be one to start a conversation riot!!!
Smh… with you!!! This is so sad….
I just learned he sent a 23 page fax to ABC news, which was forwarded to police.
Took the coward way out if he succeeded.
He had a racism lawsuit against the station…so the news just reported. Sad
Now, they are saying he’s still alive.
Wow
I saw
Too many Black people need to stop taking ownership of what one black person does.It makes you no different than racists that do the same.If this Black man killed,then that is where the responsibility lies.
This was some sort of work related issue where the alleged shooter felt wrong by both the cameraman and the news reporter based.I read that the cameraman worked with the alleged shooter one time and went to HR on him for some reason and he was fired that day and the reporter was his replacement the next day.I read that occurred in Florida,so there need to be some clarification.
He also sued his former station in Florida. I think he suffered from a persecution complex.
So sad!
He stalked them for awhile before shooting. They didn’t even notice creepy and heartbreaking.
I’m the kind of person who always tries to learn from every tragedy and I believe the shooter was suffering from a persecution complex. I’d like to know if the gunman ever sought mental health services or if his family suspected something was wrong.
I have a family members who is afflicted with a persecution complex and she can’t hold a steady job, because everywhere she goes, people are out to get her. If her coworkers aren’t racist, they are talking about her behind her back (because they are jealous of her) or they are trying to sabotage her work.
A few years ago, I convinced her to see a psychiatrist and the doctor determined she wasn’t fit enough to work.
People are really crazy these days. May the victims killed rest in peace, and survivors recover.
Hey 100! How are you? You was 100% right on that racial!!!
It is.
Crazy, I’m sure everything will come out soon… Sad
I pray the family gets answers. This is really sad!!!
Looks like I one of them to me!!
Hello, Nanna! I’m great. Hope you’re feeling equally as great! ?
Yes…so sad.
This is heartbreaking. People need to stop expressing themselves through killing. In that respect there needs to be an all lives matter march because killing is just not the answer period. Remember when people used to argue and cuss eachother out maybe a slap. Nowadays straight to killing. Killing needs to stop.
They have and continue to kill us. Bit we forgive and forget, screw these cave kids.
Welp he was one of “,them”…I refuse to claim him as an “us”. NOPE!
Why take other people out? If you’re unhappy, please take yourself out. I personally dont understand the logic with this because I would have gotten a better job and worked my butt off to succeed. Success is the best revenge. Now this IS mental illness.
If this does not wake up America about out of control gun use, then nothing will.
It’s a sad country that allows this to go on and on.
My god, enough is enough.
George Vreeland Hill