More senseless gun violence.
Va. reporter & photographer shot & killed during TV interview
MONETA, Va. (WUSA9) -- The search continues for a gunman who shot a television reporter and photographer during a live interview at Smith Mountain Lake in Moneta, Va. near Roanoke on Wednesday morning.
Reporter Alison Parker and photographer Adam Ward were killed during an interview, confirms WDBJ.
A tweet from the station read, "We love you, Alison and Adam."
"This is a horrific day for our @wdbj family and the community we serve," tweeted WDBJ meteorologist Brent Watts on Twitter.
WDBJ says Parker just turned 24 years old and Ward was 27 years old. Both of them were from the area. "Adam graduated from Salem High School and Virginia Tech. Alison grew up in Martinsville and attended Patrick Henry Community College and James Madison University," according WDBJ.
"Our hearts are broken and our sympathies go to the entire staff here," said General Manager Jeff Marks as the WDBJ team announced Parker and Ward's deaths on air. He called the shooting "a terrible crime against two fine journalists."
Ward was engaged to a morning producer and was going to follow his fiancee to a new job in North Carolina. She was in the control room when the shooting happened.
Parker was in a relationship with WDBJ anchor Chris Hurst. He tweeted about Parker, calling her "the most radiant woman I ever met."
He revealed that they were together for nine months, very much in love, and had just moved in together. He also said they wanted to get married.
People are posting condolences on Parker's Facebook page.
Approximately eight gunshots were heard during the interview with Vicki Gardner, executive director of the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, at Bridgewater Plaza before viewers saw the camera drop to the ground and the broadcast cut back to the anchor desk, reported WTKR. A video of the shooting was posted on YouTube, but WUSA9 will not be posting that video here.
The shooting happened at 6:45 a.m., according to Franklin County Sheriff Department officials. Another person was also hurt in the shooting.
Authorities are still looking for the shooter. The motive is unknown.
Bedford County Public Schools are on lockdown as police investigate the incident.
More senseless gun violence.
More hero stories:
http://www.people.com/article/teacher-calmed-down-west-virginia-teen-who-took-classmates-hostage
Reactions to things these days sure are interesting.
I can't read your innuendo there hawk, but I find it interesting I create a thread on the heroes of the French train thing, 108 views, not one comment.
Yet we discuss some absolute idiot gun nut story endlessly.
No innuendo, really. Just an observation. Been reading commentary elsewhere on this incident, not just here. A lot of it quite disturbing.
As far as what people say and don't say about certain things, that's probably a different issue.
I can't read your innuendo there hawk, but I find it interesting I create a thread on the heroes of the French train thing, 108 views, not one comment.
Where is it? I don't see it.
Yet we discuss some absolute idiot gun nut story endlessly.
Two people, neither of which had even reached their 30th birthday yet, were gunned down in cold blood while doing their jobs ON THE AIR. Sorry you think that isn't worth mentioning. As far as "endlessly" discussing, yours was the first reply so I'm not sure what you mean.
Update, suspect has been id'd...
The Augusta County Sheriff's Department has named the gunman as 41-year-old Vester Lee Flanagan II. Flanagan has not been captured. He is now being pursued by police on a Virginia interstate, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said in an interview with WTOP.
Someone who appears to be Flanagan posted several tweets, including a video of him committing the act. Twitter quickly suspended the account.
The shooter is believed to be a "disgruntled employee," McAuliffe said in the interview. "I believe we're in pursuit of the suspect," McAuliffe said. "We know who it is. We believe it's a disgruntled employee at the station. What a tragedy."
Flanagan worked at the station from March 2012 until February 2013.
We just need to arm more people to stop all this senseless gun violence.
I can't read your innuendo there hawk, but I find it interesting I create a thread on the heroes of the French train thing, 108 views, not one comment.
Where is it? I don't see it.
http://www.allmanbrothersband.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=XForum&file=viewthread&tid=139884
Yet we discuss some absolute idiot gun nut story endlessly.
Two people, neither of which had even reached their 30th birthday yet, were gunned down in cold blood while doing their jobs ON THE AIR. Sorry you think that isn't worth mentioning. As far as "endlessly" discussing, yours was the first reply so I'm not sure what you mean.
I am referring to ALL the threads on gun violence around here.
It's the old - we all love a blood, guts, done somebody wrong story. Good will and people doing things right do not a headline make.
Man suspected of killing two WDBJ7 employees kills himself on I-66 in Fauquier Co.
The man suspected of killing two WDBJ7 employees Wednesday morning killed himself on I-66 in Faquier County, according to state police.
http://www.wdbj7.com/video/livestreaming
Reports are now the suspect is alive and in critical condition.
Suspect: black male, disgruntled employee, history of questionable behavior, bad work history track record.
Suspect: black male, disgruntled employee, history of questionable behavior, bad work history track record.
__________________________________________________________________________
He must be a victim of _____________________________ ...
He must be a victim of _____________________________ ...
Mental illness?
Suspect: black male, disgruntled employee, history of questionable behavior, bad work history track record.
__________________________________________________________________________
He must be a victim of _____________________________ ...
Your racist stupidity.
WARNING---PRETTY CHILLING VIDEO.
WARNING---PRETTY CHILLING VIDEO.
That is tough to see... 🙁
I counted at least 14 shots.
Suspect: black male, disgruntled employee, history of questionable behavior, bad work history track record.
__________________________________________________________________________
He must be a victim of _____________________________ ...
Your racist stupidity.
___________________________________________________________________
Welfare ron chimes in!
Continues to prove he hasn't a clue.
I can't read your innuendo there hawk, but I find it interesting I create a thread on the heroes of the French train thing, 108 views, not one comment.
Where is it? I don't see it.
http://www.allmanbrothersband.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=XForum&file=viewthread&tid=139884
Yet we discuss some absolute idiot gun nut story endlessly.
Two people, neither of which had even reached their 30th birthday yet, were gunned down in cold blood while doing their jobs ON THE AIR. Sorry you think that isn't worth mentioning. As far as "endlessly" discussing, yours was the first reply so I'm not sure what you mean.
I am referring to ALL the threads on gun violence around here.
It's the old - we all love a blood, guts, done somebody wrong story. Good will and people doing things right do not a headline make.
That thread is not in the WP so I, for one, never saw it.
You know why there are lots threads on gun violence around here? BECAUSE THERE IS WAY TOO MUCH GUN VIOLENCE HAPPENING IN THIS COUNTRY.
I didn't post this because I "love a blood, guts, done somebody wrong story" but because I pissed off about it and this is the WP where some people come to vent about whatever they want to vent about. "Got a point you want to make ... and remake endlessly? Tie it here to the Whipping Post and leave other Forums be."
Vester Lee Flanagan went by the on-air name 'Bryce Williams.'
Bryce Williams
Brian Williams
Bryce Williams
Brian Williams
Bryce Williams
Brian Williams
Those who reject ideas and plans to help prevent this from happening, aren't much better than the scum who carry out these heinous acts. This isn't about right versus left - this is about humanity and common sense. Everyone...on both sides of the aisle, should be creating detailed plans on how to help stop this. It shouldn't have anything to do with politics. Just people, working together, to come up some type of plan to keep guns out of the hands of people like this. Not the people on this site per se, but people in Washington....local police, anyone at all. It's sickening that we simply don't do anything about it.
[Edited on 8/26/2015 by BoytonBrother]
Sad and surreal. This is turning into sci-fi. This gun craziness is taking over the news. Gun World.
There is no real solution to stop someone who wants to off themselves and decides to take innocents with them on the way out.
This dude is a straight out wack job racist:
MANIFESTO OF ANGER AND DEATH Killer who gunned down his former TV news co-workers raged about SC church shooting, being black and gay.
Remember after the Sandy Hook massacre Obama went running to the TV cameras declaring he would go all in to fix the nation’s mental health system?
Then of course he did nothing and went off to another fund raising event.
Remember after the Sandy Hook massacre Obama went running to the TV cameras declaring he would go all in to fix the nation’s mental health system?
You mean the one ronnie raygun decimated???
The one where he shut down a ton of mental hospitals???
That one?
I'm sure the cooperative tea bag led Congress would have jumped in to help Obama do whatever was necessary to improve mental health options in this country.
Just like they helped improve basic health care for all.
Right???
You embarrass yourself with every post.
You are entertaining though, in a gina sort of way.
Remember after the Sandy Hook massacre Obama went running to the TV cameras declaring he would go all in to fix the nation’s mental health system?
You mean the one ronnie raygun decimated???
The one where he shut down a ton of mental hospitals???
That one?
I'm sure the cooperative tea bag led Congress would have jumped in to help Obama do whatever was necessary to improve mental health options in this country.
Just like they helped improve basic health care for all.
Right???
You embarrass yourself with every post.
You are entertaining though, in a gina sort of way.
________________________________________________________________________
Obama went running to the TV cameras declaring he would go all in to fix the nation’s mental health system and then, as usual, did nothing.
You mean the one ronnie raygun decimated???
The one where he shut down a ton of mental hospitals???
That one?
Been thinking about that a lot lately... 🙁
Build more prisons.
We are now averaging more than one mass shooting per day in 2015
Business Insider
As of August 26th, the US has had 247 mass shootings in the 238 days of 2015.
For those keeping track, that's an average of more than one shooting per day.
These numbers are according to the Mass Shooting Tracker created by the anti-gun subreddit Guns Are Cool.
Wednesday morning's stunning on-air fatal shooting in Roanoke, Virginia of a television reporter and a photographer wasn't even the first shooting of the day. Roughly three hours earlier at 3:15 a.m., four people were shot during a home invasion in Minneapolis.
It is important to note that the Mass Shooting Tracker defines a mass shooting as a shooting spree in which four or more people are shot. The folks at Guns Are Cool notes that this differs from the FBI definition in which an event only qualifies as a mass shooting if four or more people are killed.
"The most obscene incidents of gun violence usually do not make the mainstream news at all," Guns Are Cool writes on the reddit page for the Mass Shooting Tracker. "Why? Because their definition is incorrect. The mainstream news meaning of "mass shooting" should more accurately be described as "mass murder.'"
Earlier today, democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton called for action after the shooting in Virginia.
"We have got to do something about gun violence in America," she told reporters at a press conference in Iowa. "And I will take it on."
"There's so much evidence that if guns were not so readily available, if there were universal background checks ... that maybe we could prevent this kind of carnage," she added
Earlier today, democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton called for action after the shooting in Virginia.
"We have got to do something about gun violence in America," she told reporters at a press conference in Iowa. "And I will take it on."
As much as I agree with Mrs. Clinton, her promise of "I will take it on" has all the weight and meaning of Donald Trump's many promises (threats?) of deportation of illegal aliens and "bringing back America" in that she offers no means, methods or plans in doing anything at all about the problem. Tis the season for campaign rhetoric.
A voice of reason from the young lady's father no less.
The father of a Virginia-based reporter slain during a live television segment Wednesday says he hopes to find purpose in his daughter’s death by pushing for stronger mental health screenings for prospective gun owners.
“I’m not going to let this issue drop,” Andy Parker said during an interview with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly. “We’ve got to do something about crazy people getting guns.”
http://abcnews.go.com/US/slain-virginia-reporters-dad-vows-push-tougher-gun/story?id=33351963
