UPDATE: SHOOTER IS NOW DEAD – Two local TV news journalists shot and killed during a live shot

by The Right Scoop

(UPDATED)

This is a really horrible story. We won’t be posting the video of these two journalists who were shot and killed during their live broadcast, but it is linked in the story below. Suffice it to say that someone came up and just began shooting these two local news journalists from behind the camera and killed them, firing at least 8 shots. Here are their photos:

reporters_shot_dead

WASHINGTON TIMES – A gunman killed a reporter and videographer for a CBS affiliate in Virginia during a live broadcast Wednesday morning.

Reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward died in the shooting, Ms. Parker’s mother confirmed to CBS news. They were reporting for CBS Roanoke affiliate WDBJ-TV.

Dramatic video of the fatal attack can be seen here.

The shooting happened while the two victims were filming a live broadcast from Bridgewater Plaza in Moneta, Virginia.

Deputies from Franklin County and Bedford County were on the scene, according to WDBJ-TV

Here is a screenshot moments before the shooting began:

wdbj_reporter

Below is a broadcast from WDBJ after the fact, explaining what happened:

The shooter is still unknown and on the loose.

 
UPDATE: Here is the shooter from a fresh screengrab I got from the HD video of what happened. It’s better than the one going around, but not by much:

wdbj_shooter

 
UPDATE: This may be the best screenshots of the shooter I’ve seen:

 
UPDATE: Washington Post is reporting that the shooter was a former employee of the TV station:

Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe said the suspect who has been identified is believed to be a disgruntled employee of the TV station. Federal law enforcement officials are searching for the gunman.

McAuliffe also said that authorities had ruled out an act of terrorism and described the shooting as a “criminal case.” He said police have a photo of the individual and are “in pursuit as we speak.”

 
UPDATE: Oh the horrors! The shooter posted video of himself shooting Allison and Adam. I most certainly won’t post that video and both Twitter and Facebook have suspended his accounts. Here’s a screenshot from the video:

shooter_video_roanoake

The shooter is Vester Lee Flanigan, who used the name Bryce Williams at WDBJ. Here’s a photo I got from his facebook:

bryce_williams

UPDATE: This is what Flanigan posted on his twitter account before it was suspended (h/t: WZ):

Screen-Shot-2015-08-26-at-11.16.08-AM-507x450

 
UPDATE: CNN is reporting that the shooter was confronted by police on a highway in Virginia and that he shot himself. I’ll update you as soon as I have more.

From CNN:

• Law enforcement confronted Vester Flanagan on Interstate 66 and Flanagan shot himself, officials tell CNN. It is not clear whether he was killed or injured.

• ABC News reported that it has received a fax containing a 23-page manifesto from someone named Bryce Williams, the news outlet tweeted. The document has been handed over to investigators, ABC said.

WDBJ 7 is reporting that the shooter is in fact dead:

 
UPDATE: Apparently the shooter isn’t dead and is critical condition:

UPDATE: All stations are now reporting that the shooter is now dead.


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