WDBJ7 journalists, Alison Parker and Adam Ward, who were killed by former colleague Vester Flanagan while broadcasting in Virginia, were shot in the head, officials have said.
Both of their causes of death are listed as homicides by the US state’s medical examiner’s office.
Alison Parker, 24, suffered gunshot wounds to the head and chest while Adam Ward, 27, died from gunshot wounds to the head and torso.
It is not yet clear how many times Alison Parker and Adam Ward were shot during the attack on August 26.
Parker and Ward both worked for WDBJ in Roanoke, Virginia, and were shot while broadcasting by a former employee of their station.
Vester Flanagan, 41, later died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. He had claimed staff had mistreated him during his time there.
During Friday morning’s broadcast on WDBJ, anchor Kim McBroom said it was “another tough morning for us, but we’re soldiering on”.
Two days after the horrifying events, Bridgewater Plaza in Moneta where Alison Parker and Adam Ward were killed during an on-air interview is re-opening.
“It’s very bittersweet, but we are glad to be back,” said one store manager, Lesley Kocsis.
She saw the shooting on TV before she came into work and told employees not to bother coming in.
Another shop at the plaza, CJ’s Coffee and Sandwich Shop, re-opened on Friday morning as well. Owner Chris Genna said it was an “emotional” day.
Vicki Gardner, who was being interviewed at the time of the attack and was shot in the back after Vester Flanagan missed her twice, got up and walked to the ambulance after being hit, said her husband Tim Gardner, speaking to ABC News.
Sh is now in a “good condition” at a hospital.
Tim Gardner said: “But the surgeon told me that a couple of centimeters and she wouldn’t be walking, and a couple of centimeters and she wouldn’t be alive.”
Vester Lee Flanagan, the man who shot dead two journalists on live TV in Virginia, has died after shooting himself, police confirmed.
Vester Lee Flanagan, 41, a former employee of WDBJ7 TV known professionally as Bryce Williams, was in a car that was surrounded by police following a chase.
WDBJ7 TV reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward were killed some seven hours earlier during an interview in the town of Moneta.
Vester Lee Flanagan later uploaded a video of himself opening fire at close range.
The White House has urged Congress to rapidly pass gun control laws in the wake of this latest shooting in the US.
Virginia State Police said Vester Lee Flanagan’s car had been spotted on I- 66 following the shooting, and crashed off the road after being pursued by officers.
“Troopers approached the vehicle and found the male driver suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the force said in a statement.
The suspect later died in hospital, a police spokesman said.
Vester Lee Flanagan’s Twitter account suggested he had held a grudge against Adam Ward, 27, and Alison Parker, 24.
Police said his utterances on social media the previous evening suggested the attack was pre-planned.
The attack on the journalists took place at a large shopping centre, Bridgewater Plaza, near Smith Mountain Lake.
Alison Parker was starting a breakfast TV interview about tourism at the shopping centre when suddenly shots rang out, the camera spun and dropped to the ground, and her screams could be heard.
The footage then captured what appeared to be a fleeting image of the gunman, who was wearing black trousers and a blue top – and holding a handgun.
The woman who was being interviewed, later identified as Vicki Gardner of the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, survived the attack and is in a stable condition in hospital following surgery.
Bryce Williams’s Twitter and Facebook feeds, which have now been suspended, subsequently showed video shot by the gunman.
Videos showed him raising a handgun, training it on the trio, and opening fire 14 times. The TV station’s own footage of the attack recorded only eight of the shots.
Staff at the WDBJ7 TV, which continued broadcasting after the live report, expressed shock and sadness at the loss of their colleagues.
The station’s president and general manager, Jeffrey Marks, announced on air: “Alison and Adam died this morning at 06:45 shortly after the shots rang out.
“I cannot tell you how much they were loved by the WDBJ7 team… our hearts are broken.”
Jeffrey Marks described Bryce Williams as “an unhappy man” who was “difficult to work with” and had to be escorted from the TV station by police officers when he was finally dismissed.
A complaint filed against the station with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by the suspect had been dismissed, Jeffrey Marks added.
WDBJ7 anchor Chris Hurst revealed that he and Alison Parker had been in a relationship and had planned to marry.
“We were together almost nine months. It was the best nine months of our lives. We wanted to get married. We just celebrated her 24th birthday.
“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.”
Chris Hurst added that Alison Parker had worked on a regular basis with Adam Ward, and that he was heartbroken for his fiancée, a producer at the station.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest, speaking to reporters, urged the passing of new gun control laws.
“There are some common sense things that only Congress can do that we know would have a tangible impact on reducing gun violence in this country,” he said.
Vester Lee Flanagan, the suspected gunman who shot dead a Virginia TV reporter and a cameraman during live report, has killed himself on the I-66 in Fauquier County, state police are quoted by WDBJ7 TV as saying.
WDBJ7 TV reporter Alison Parker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27, both were killed and a woman interviewed at the time of the attack was wounded.
The woman, identified as Vicki Gardner, is reportedly out of emergency surgery.
“She is currently recovering and is in stable condition,” a spokesman for Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital is reported by local news paper The Roanoke Times as saying.
Vicki Gardner was being interviewed about the 50th anniversary of the founding of Smith Mountain Lake, a resort area near the Bridgewater Plaza, when the attack took place.
Williams was reported to have joined the WDBJ news channel “as a multimedia journalist and general assignment reporter” in April 2012. He previously worked as a reporter at a number of local news stations in the southern US.
Vester Lee Flanagan, known professionally as Bryce Williams, was a former WDBJ7 staff member, police said.
The attack took place at a large shopping centre, Bridgewater Plaza, near Smith Mountain Lake.
Virginia’s WDBJ7 TV reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward have been shot dead during a live report in the town of Moneta.
Alison Parker, 24, and Adam Ward, 27, were killed during an interview, the TV station said.
A man, apparently a disgruntled former employee of WDBJ7 TV, uploaded a video of himself shooting the reporter at close range on social media.
Augusta County Sheriff’s Office has named the suspect as Vester Lee Flanagan.
Known professionally as Bryce Williams, Vester Lee Flanagan is a former WDBJ7 staff member and described by police as a “person of interest”. His Twitter and Facebook accounts have now been suspended.
During the live broadcast, shots and Alison Parker’s screams could be heard, and the camera fell to the ground.
State police have denied reports that a pursuit is under way.
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe said in a statement: “We believe it was a disgruntled employee who fired at the TV crew. Not a case of terrorism. It is a criminal case.”
The attack took place at a large shopping centre, Bridgewater Plaza, near Smith Mountain Lake.
Alison Parker was starting a breakfast TV interview about tourism at the shopping centre when suddenly eight shots rang out, the camera spun and dropped to the ground, and her screams could be heard.
The footage then captures what appears to be a fleeting image of the gunman, who is wearing black trousers and a blue top – and holding a handgun.
The station said the woman who was being interviewed, Vicki Gardner of the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, had survived the attack but was in hospital and required surgery.
“Alison and Adam died this morning at 06:45 shortly after the shots rang out. We do not know the motive or who the suspect or the killer is,” the station’s president and general manager, Jeffrey Marks, announced on air.
“I cannot tell you how much they were loved by the WDBJ7 team… our hearts are broken,” he said.
Jeffrey Marks added that the station’s building was in lockdown, under police protection.
“Police have advised us that as long as this person is on the loose, we should stay in the building. We have police protection,” he told the Associated Press news agency.
WDBJ7 anchor Chris Hurst revealed that he and Alison Parker had been in a relationship and had planned to marry.
“We didn’t share this publicly, but @AParkerWDBJ7 and I were very much in love. We just moved in together. I am numb,” he said on Twitter.
“We were together almost nine months. It was the best nine months of our lives. We wanted to get married. We just celebrated her 24th birthday.
“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.”
Chris Hurst added that Alison Parker had worked on a regular basis with Adam Ward, and that he was heartbroken for his fiancée, a producer at the station.
This website has updated its privacy policy in compliance with EU GDPR 2016/679. Please read this to review the updates about which personal data we collect on our site. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our updated policy. AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
