Suspect in on-air murder of journalists kills himself

John Bacon | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Suspect in news crew shooting was a former reporter Police say the suspect in the shooting of a reporter and photographer that happened on live tv is a former reporter at the station, WDBJ. Vester Lee Flanagan, a.k.a. Bryce Williams, allegedly shot himself after fleeing the scene.

A quiet morning TV broadcast in a small Virginia town erupted in violence and tragedy Wednesday when a disgruntled former employee fatally shot two young journalists on live TV, authorities said.

The shooting set off an intense manhunt that ended hours later when the suspect shot himself in a rented car as police closed in, Franklin County Sheriff Bill Overton said. The suspect, Vester Flanagan, was rushed to a hospital in critical condition but later died, Overton said.

WDBJ7-TV general manager Jeffrey Marks said Flanagan, 41, was a former employee who displayed "anger issues" before being fired in 2013.

Flanagan, who used the on-air name Bryce Williams while working for WDBJ, posted video on his Facebook page showing the shooting from the perspective of the shooter. The gun is visible and a victim, Alison Parker, is seen being shot.

The shooting took place at about 6:45 a.m. ET at Smith Mountain Lake, about 35 miles from Roanoke. Killed were Parker, 24, a WDBJ7 reporter, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27. Vicki Gardner, executive director of a local Chamber of Commerce, underwent emergency surgery at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital and was stable condition, the hospital said.

The station's live broadcast showed Parker interviewing Gardner at the Bridgewater Plaza shopping center when, just off camera, shots rang out and Parker was heard screaming. The recording appears to include a glimpse of the gunman dressed in black.

Overton said police had not determined a firm motive for the attack. He said social media and other information indicated Flanagan was "disturbed in some way" and that things in his life were "spiraling out of control."

Overton said he had been watching the broadcast when the shooting took place.

"It stopped me in my tracks," Overton said. "Like many viewers, I was watching and couldn't figure out right away what happened."

Sherry Altice, a school bus driver from nearby Boones Mill, was likewise unsure of what was unfolding on her TV.

“I thought, ‘Did I just just see what I think I saw?'” she said.

After dropping off students and learning of immediate lockdowns, Altice learned the journalists were dead.

“I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “They were just on the news this morning.”

Jim Wood was on the treadmill at his Glade Hill home when the gunshots rang out and his TV went blank momentarily. His gut reaction was "something happened to those people.”

“The next question is, what do we do about gun control laws?” Wood said. “And the answer is absolutely nothing, and that’s the real pisser.”

Marks said his staff was stunned, but journalism continued amid hugs and tears.

"This kind of loss will resonate in these halls for a long, long time as we remember in their short lives what dedicated journalism they produced and what outstanding journalists they were," Marks said. "They were just out doing their job today."

More than four hours after the shooting, Flanagan began tweeting about the incident, using a Bryce Williams Twitter handle. Flanagan tweeted that Parker made racist comments and that he filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission report. He also tweeted that Ward went to human resources about him "after working with me one time!!!"

A short time later, Flanagan posted two short videos of the shooting.

ABC News said it received a 23-page fax from someone claiming to be Bryce Williams two hours after the shooting. ABC said the document claimed the shooting was prompted by the June shooting rampage by a white supremacist at a South Carolina church that left nine people dead. The network said it had turned the document over to authorities.

Marks said it appeared that Ward was shot first and that Parker was shot trying to flee. He said Ward was engaged to producer Melissa Ott, who was working at the station at the time of the shooting and saw the tragedy unfold.

Virginia State Police said the suspect's car was spotted hours later on Interstate 66 in Fauquier County, Va., but "sped away" from police. Flanagan crashed moments later and was found with a bullet wound. He was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries; Overton said Flanagan died at about 1:30 p.m.

The victims were from the Roanoke area, the station said. Adam graduated from Salem High School and Virginia Tech. Parker grew up in Martinsville and attended Patrick Henry Community College and James Madison University.

Chris Hurst, an anchor for the station, said he was Parker's boyfriend.

"She was the most radiant woman I ever met. And for some reason she loved me back. She loved her family, her parents and her brother," Hurst tweeted. And later: "I am comforted by everyone at @WDBJ7. We are a family. She worked with Adam every day. They were a team. I am heartbroken for his fiancee."

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said on Twitter that he was "heartbroken over senseless murders today in Smith Mountain Lake."

Todd Schurz, president and CEO of Schurz Communications, which owns WDBJ, said he was "heartbroken" by the tragedy.

"At the time of their murders, they were involved in the most important aspect of journalism — telling the stories important to their local communities, Schurz said. "Our focus now is to comfort their families and loved ones and to assist law enforcement in their investigation."

Contributing: Tyler Pager, Emily Brown, Doug Stanglin, USA TODAY; Brad Zinn, The (Staunton, Va.) News Leader