2 Virginia TV journalists fatally shot on air

Aug. 26--The man believed to have shot two Virginia TV journalists during a live broadcast Wednesday morning has reportedly shot himself, according to WDBJ-TV, where the journalists worked.

A social media user, identifying himself as former TV reporter and suspected gunman Bryce Williams, posted a video on Facebook and Twitter that appeared to be from the perspective of the shooter. The video showed a hand holding a gun and firing at the two journalists.

On social media accounts belonging to Williams, who previously had worked for WDBJ, he complained that the two victims, reporter Alison Parker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27, had treated him unkindly.

The accounts' authenticity could not be confirmed -- and they were swiftly suspended. But the video of the shooting appeared authentic. Both accounts had existed before the shooting. The Twitter account was created Aug. 13, and the Facebook account posted videos of Williams' previous TV appearances.

The Augusta County sheriff's office identified the suspect as Vester Flanagan. Local media reports said that was Bryce Williams' real name.

Earlier, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said the suspected shooter may have been a "disgruntled employee" of the TV station.

McAuliffe said on WTOP radio interview that state troopers were in pursuit of a suspect. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was also involved in the search, officials said.

"Heartbroken over senseless murders today in Smith Mountain Lake," McAuliffe wrote in a tweet. "State Police on scene working w/ local law agencies to capture suspect."

Parker and Ward were reporting live from the Bridgewater Plaza in Moneta, about 25 miles southeast of Roanoke, when shots rang out, the station reported.

A user uploaded video of the live scene to YouTube. It shows Parker interviewing a woman about community business growth when about eight shots are heard.

Parker screams and the camera spins and falls to the ground, showing the feet of a man walking toward the news crew at close range. The video then cuts back to a stunned news anchor at the station.

The station said both journalists were from the station's viewing area. The station is based in Roanoke and serves the southwest and central part of the state.

According to station reports, Parker was a morning reporter and was a graduate of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. She had been an intern at WDBJ-TV. Ward was engaged to a producer at the station and had graduated from Virginia Tech, the station said.

"Today, we were going to have staff meetings to talk about happy things,"said station manager Jeffrey A. Marks. "Instead, what we'll be doing this afternoon is a memorial gathering. ... We could never have imagined that that was what our day was going to be like.

"Our teams are working on it through the tears," he said.

An anchor for the station, Chris Hurst, revealed on Twitter that he was in a relationship with Parker.

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