The gunman who executed 2 Virginia journalists has died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds at a north Virginia hospital.
Vester Lee Flanagan II, of Roanoke, Virginia was pronounced dead at 1:26 p.m. Wednesday.
Flanagan, 41, shot himself after losing control of his car during a police chase on I-66 in Fauquier County, Virginia. Flanagan shot and killed WDBJ-TV reporter Alison Parker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27, during a live broadcast at 6:45 a.m. Wednesday.
The WDBJ-TV journalists were conducting a live interview at Bridgewater Plaza when Flanagan approached and opened fire.
Both victims were hit multiple times. They died at the scene.
Ward — who was hit first — dropped his camera gear which captured an image of Flanagan wielding an automatic weapon.
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.
A third victim was shot in the back and is out of surgery. She is expected to survive her injury.
Williams reportedly filmed his perspective of the shooting on a Go-Pro camera, then uploaded the footage to his Twitter and Facebook account. Both accounts have been deactivated.
Flanagan worked with both victims at WDBJ-TV before he was fired from the station in 2013. Flanagan was an on air reporter under the name Bryce Williams.
WDBJ General Manager Jeff Marks said Flanagan was “an unhappy man” who quickly gained a “reputation as someone who was a difficult person to work with” during his stint at the station.
Williams was described as a “serial litigator” who filed numerous lawsuits after leaving every news station where he worked. Flanagan reportedly complained that co-workers taunted him for being black and gay.
