Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Reporter and Cameraman Murdered during Live News Broadcast


I woke up to this news.

HuffPo reports
Two journalists with Roanoke, Virginia-based news station WDBJ were killed Wednesday in a shooting that took place during a live broadcast.

Reporter Alison Parker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27, died shortly after the incident, the station announced. Multiple shots rang out at around 6:45 a.m. during a broadcast from Smith Mountain Lake in the community of Moneta.

Augusta County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to The Huffington Post that they are searching for suspect Vester Lee Flanagan, 41.

Local station WHSV said on Twitter that authorities were pursuing the suspect on the interstate.

"We believe it was a disgruntled employee who fired at the TV crew," Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) said Wednesday morning in an online Q&A session.

Around 10:30 a.m., the governor said the arrest of the suspect was "imminent."

Vicki Gardner, the woman Parker was interviewing, was shot in the back and is undergoing surgery, CNN reports. Gardner is the executive director of the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Later Wednesday morning, WDBJ General Manager Jeff Marks was somber as he explained to their viewers what had occurred, calling the shooting "a terrible crime against two fine journalists."
More to come

UPDATE The shooter just killed himself on the highway.

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Viktor is a small town southern boy living in Los Angeles. You can find him on Twitter, writing about pop culture, politics, and comics. He’s the creator of the graphic novel StrangeLore and currently getting back into screenwriting.