Washington, Aug 26
An unidentified gunman on
Wednesday shot dead a reporter and a cameraman on live television when
they were interviewing a businesswoman, stunning viewers across the US.
Alison
Parker was doing the interview at about 6.45 a.m. at Bridgewater Plaza
near Moneta, Virginia, when shots rang out. Both women screamed, CNN
reported.
As the camera fell to the ground, the audience caught
the briefest glimpse of a man who appeared to be pointing a gun towards
the downed cameraman.
The station immediately cut away to a
shocked anchor in the studio of WDBJ channel. Reporter Parker, 24, and
cameraman Adam Ward, 27, were killed.
The woman being
interviewed, Vicki Gardner, executive director of the Smith Mountain
Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, was shot in the back and was in
surgery.
The gunman was believed to have fired six or seven times, WDBJ general manager Jeff Marks said.
The
assailant was on the run, media reports said. A massive manhunt was
launched to track him down. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives as well as the FBI were taking part in the investigation.
All schools in the area were shut down.
Authorities
know the identity of the man believed to be the shooter, a law
enforcement official told CNN. "We do not know the motive," Marks said.
He called the twin murders a "terrible crime against two fine journalists".
"Our hearts are broken," Marks said on air, explaining that Parker's and Ward's colleagues were "holding back tears".
Parker
was the morning reporter for the Roanoke station and a native of
Virginia. She started with WDBJ as an intern, her biography on the
station's website said.
She previously worked with another CNN affiliate, WCTI, in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
She was a graduate of James Madison University's School of Media Arts and Design in Harrisonburg.
-----------------
Suspect in death of TV news crew shoots self
Virginia State Police said that they tried to stop Vester Lee Flanagan on I-66 before he shot himself on the highway.
He is in critical condition, authorities said.
State police said in a statement that they saw the shooting suspect’s vehicle heading east on I-66 shortly before 11:30 a.m. A state police trooper turned on emergency lights and tried to stop Flanagan’s vehicle.
Flanagan sped away, then ran off the road and crashed. When troopers approached, they found him suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound in the vehicle.
According to scanner reports, a person has been airlifted by helicopter from I-66 in Fauquier County to Inova Fairfax Hospital.
“Very fluid situation critical condition,†Virginia Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran said by text message. Moran had earlier said Flanagan had died, then said he was receiving “conflicting reports.
Washington, Aug 26
A manhunt was underway for a
gunman who fatally shot a local news reporter and photographer on live
television during an interview outside Moneta, Virginia, on Wednesday
morning.
Alison Parker was interviewing a woman at approximately 6.45 a.m. when shots rang out. Both women screamed, CNN reported.
As
the camera fell to the ground, the audience caught the briefest glimpse
of a man who appeared to pointing a gun towards the downed cameraman.
The station immediately cut away to a shocked anchor, Kimberly McBroom, back in the studio.
Parker, 24, and Adam Ward, 27, were killed in the shooting at Bridgewater Plaza near Moneta, the station reported later.
The
woman being interviewed, Vicki Gardner, executive director of the Smith
Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, was shot in the back and
was in surgery, said Barb Nocera, the chamber's special projects manager
said.
The gunman was believed to have fired six or seven times, WDBJ General Manager Jeff Marks said.
The
assailant remained on the loose. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives was participating in the manhunt, while the ATF
and FBI were participating in the investigation. Area schools were on
lockdown.
Authorities know the identity of the man believed to be the shooter, a law enforcement official told CNN.
"We do not know the motive," Marks said.
"We
do know the Franklin County sheriff ... they are working very
diligently to track down both the motive and the person responsible for
this terrible crime against two fine journalists," he said during the
station's coverage of the shooting.
"Our hearts are broken," Marks said on air, explaining that Parker's and Ward's colleagues were "holding back tears".
McBroom described Parker as a "rock star" and said: "You throw anything at that girl and she could do it."
Parker
was the morning reporter for the Roanoke station and a native of
Virginia, having spent most of her life outside Martinsville. She
started with WDBJ as an intern, her biography on the station's website
said.
She previously worked with another CNN affiliate, WCTI, in Jacksonville, North Carolina, near Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.
She was a graduate of James Madison University's School of Media Arts and Design in Harrisonburg.
