Shooter Kills Virginia TV News Reporter And Cameraman During Live Broadcast
Augusta County Sheriff’s Department confirms to BuzzFeed News that the shooting suspect’s legal name is Vester Lee Flanagan II. Several media outlets reported he shot himself as police hunted for him and is currently in critical condition. WARNING: This post contains several graphic videos showing the moment the assailant shoots both people.
WDBJ7 / Via wdbj7.com
Two young journalists in Virginia were gunned down by a shooter while they conducted a live television interview on Wednesday morning, authorities said.
Law enforcement officials in Franklin and Bedford counties are searching for a suspect wanted for the fatal shooting at Bridgewater Plaza in Moneta, BuzzFeed News confirmed with WDBJ7, the local station on the scene when the incident began.
Local police identified the victims during a press conference Wednesday morning as Alison Parker and Adam Ward.
A WDBJ7 representative told BuzzFeed News that Parker, who had just turned 24, was dating Chris Hurst, the station's 6 o'clock news anchor. Ward, 27, had been engaged to journalist Melissa Ott.
Augusta County Sheriff's Department confirms to BuzzFeed News that the shooting suspect's legal name is Vester Lee Flanagan II.
Flanagan reportedly left his car at the Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport, and fled in a rental car.
An ABC and NBC affiliate both reported that Flanagan killed himself as police hunted for him, but police later said he was critically injured.
Here's the Virginia State Police's timeline of events:
Shortly before 11:30 a.m., Virginia State Police spotted the suspect vehicle headed eastbound on Interstate 66. With emergency lights activated the Virginia State Police trooper initiated a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle. The suspect vehicle refused to stop and sped away from the trooper. Minutes later, the suspect vehicle ran off the road and crashed. The troopers approached the vehicle and found the male driver suffering from a gunshot wound. He is being transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries.
The male driver is believed to be the same male subject who shot three people this morning in Franklin County during a television news interview.
Virginia's governor told WTOP that the alleged shooter may be a disgruntled former employee of the station.
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