Reporter, Cameraman Shot and Killed in Virginia; Details Emerge About Gunman

Following Wednesday morning’s on-air shooting of two employees from WDBJ7 TV in Virginia, in which journalist Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward were killed, details from the back story about the gunman and his potential motives came to light.

The incident occurred during a live newscast in the town of Moneta, after which Vester Lee Flanagan, a 41-year-old former employee of the station who was known professionally as Bryce Williams, fled the scene. By the time the police caught up with him, as the BBC reported, he had sustained severe injuries:

Virginia State Police said the suspect’s vehicle was spotted on the Interstate 66 highway 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 gunshot wound. He is being transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries,” the force said in a statement.

The Twitter account of Flanagan, known professionally as Bryce Williams, suggested he held a grudge against Mr Ward, 27, and Ms Parker, 24.

Gawker brought word at 2:50 p.m. PST that Williams had been pronounced dead a short time earlier and had sent a lengthy suicide note to ABC News that morning:

After shooting a Virginia reporter and her cameraman at point blank this morning, Bryce Williams reportedly faxed ABC News a 23-page manifesto before calling the network to confess his involvement. In portions of the document, which were published today by the network, Williams expresses admiration for other recent mass shootings and claims he was mistreated because he was a gay black man.

More details about Williams’ “manifesto” can be found here.

–Posted by Kasia Anderson