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News station shooter posts 'KILLER'S POINT OF VIEW' video before shooting himself when confronted by police (WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO)
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News reporter Allison Parker and photographer Adam Ward were killed on live television Wednesday morning in Bridgewater Plaza outside Moneta, Virigina. The woman being interviewed, Vicki Gardner was also shot and is in an unknown condition. The suspected shooter shot himself when confronted by authorities.
Highlights
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
8/26/2015 (9 years ago)
Published in U.S.
Keywords: Gunman, shooter, Moneta, Virginia, Allison Parker, Adam Ward, Vicki Gardner, Vester Flanagan, Austin County sheriff department
Los Angeles, California (Catholic Online) - WDBJ news reporter Allison Parker was in the midst of an interview with Vicki Gardner, executive director of the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, at roughly 6:45 a.m. when shots were heard. Both Parker and Gardner screamed and ran as the camera fell to the ground, catching a short glimpse of a man calmly walking toward the women with what appears to be a gun in his hands.
After being shot, Ward was able to get a brief image of the gunman pointing a gun toward the camera. Parker, 24, and Ward, 27, were both killed and Gardner was shot in the back.
Authorities sought Vester L. Flanagan in connection with the fatal shooting. Flanagan worked at WDBJ as a reporter, using the on-air name Bryce Williams. He was fired from the station for unknown reasons and was believed to still be in the Virginia area.
Virginia's Austin Country sheriff's department knew Flanagan was driving a 2009 grey Ford Mustang and were able to confront him on Interstate 66, where he shot himself.
WDBJ General Manager Jeff Marks reports it is believed that the shooter originally fired six or seven shots on air. He continues to say, "We do not know the motive."
Anchor Kimberly McBroom describes Parker as a "rock star," saying, "You throw anything at that girl and she could do it."
Chris Hurst, a reporter for WDBJ, tweeted that he and Parker "were very much in love" and had dated nine months, "the best nine months of our lives. We wanted to get married. We just celebrated her 24th birthday."
Hurst stated Parker and Ward worked together every day. He tweeted "They were a team. I am heartbroken for his fiancee."
Ward's fiancee was in WDBJ's control room during the incident, and saw the whole thing, according to WDBJ General Manager Jeff Marks.
Marks tells CNN, "You know, you send people into war zones, you send people into dangerous situations and into riots, and you worry that they are going to get hurt. You send somebody out to do a story on tourism and --how can you expect something like this to happen?"
UPDATE: Vicki Gardner is reported to be in stable condition.
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