Virginia TV Reporter, Photojournalist Fatally Shot On Air
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - People across the country are mourning the deaths of a TV reporter and photographer who were shot and killed this morning on live television.
Alison Parker, a 24-year-old reporter, and Adam Ward, a 27-year-old photographer, were employees at WDBJ in Roanoke, Virginia.
Ward's camera captured an image of gunman Vester Flanagan before he fled the scene.
Flanagan was a former TV reporter who went by Bryce Williams on air.
He recorded the shootings on his cell phone and posted them to Twitter.
He later killed himself when police moved in.
Hurst was supposed to anchor Wednesday night's evening news for WDBJ. But instead, he's grieving the loss of Parker, his girlfriend and co-worker.
"When it was our six-month anniversary, she made a scrapbook for me," Hurst said. "I had a habit of always wanting her to text me when she got to work safely and the last thing she said to me was, 'Good night, sweet boy.'"
Ward was engaged to producer Melissa Ott. She was working in the control room as the shooting unfolded. It was also her last day at WDBJ, as she had accepted a job in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Ward planned to move with her.
As his camera rolled for a live interview, Williams was also recording on his cell phone.
He approached the crew and waited nearly 20 seconds before firing.
As Ward fell, his TV camera captured an image of the shooter.
Williams drove his car to another vehicle he'd rented. He crashed while police chased him, shot himself and later died at the hospital.
"At some point in his life it would appear as things were spiraling out of control," Franklin County Sheriff Bill Overton said.
After the shooting, Williams sent ABC News a 23-page document talking about his motivations, saying the Charleston shootings were his tipping point.
"My anger has been building steadily," he wrote. "I've been a human powder keg for a while ... just waiting to go BOOM!!!"
Williams was fired from WDBJ two years ago.
WDBJ's general manager Jeffery Marks said Williams was unhappy and angry and was fired after several incidents.
"He did not take that well," Marks said. "We had to call the police to escort him from the building."
The boss at WDBJ told employees at the station to call 911 if Williams ever came back.
In his manifesto, Williams praised mass murderers, including the Virginia Tech shooter.
The person Alison Parker was interviewing at the time of the shooting was identified as Vicki Gardner.
She was shot in the back and was taken to the hospital. She was in stable condition Wednesday night.
The general manager said Williams claimed he was discriminated against while working at WDBJ .
But he said an investigation showed those accusations to be unfounded.
