Jump to content

Murders of Alison Parker and Adam Ward

Coordinates: 37°08′36″N 79°40′13″W / 37.14330°N 79.67027°W / 37.14330; -79.67027
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Vester Flanagan)

Murders of Alison Parker and Adam Ward
Moneta is located in Virginia
Moneta
Moneta
Moneta is located in the United States
Moneta
Moneta
LocationBridgewater Plaza
Moneta, Virginia, U.S.
Coordinates37°08′36″N 79°40′13″W / 37.14330°N 79.67027°W / 37.14330; -79.67027
DateAugust 26, 2015 (2015-08-26)
  • Shooting: 6:46 a.m.
  • Manhunt: 6:47 a.m. – c. 11:30 a.m.
(EDT)
TargetAlison Parker and Adam Ward
Attack type
Mass shooting, murder–suicide
WeaponsGlock 19 9mm pistol[1][2][3]
Deaths3 (including the perpetrator)
Injured1
PerpetratorVester Lee Flanagan II (aka Bryce Williams)
MotivePerceived workplace animosity and racial prejudice, supposed revenge for the Charleston church shooting[4]

On the morning of August 26, 2015, news reporter Alison Parker and photojournalist Adam Ward, both employees of CBS affiliate WDBJ in Roanoke, Virginia, United States, were fatally shot while conducting a live television interview near Smith Mountain Lake in Moneta. They were interviewing Vicki Gardner, executive director of the local chamber of commerce, when all three were attacked by a gunman in a mass shooting. Parker, age 24, and Ward, age 27, died at the scene, while Gardner survived.[5]

The gunman was 41-year-old Vester Lee Flanagan II, a former reporter at WDBJ who had been fired in 2013 for disruptive conduct.[6] After a five-hour manhunt, Flanagan shot himself during a car chase with police officers and died later at a hospital.[7][8][9]

Events

[edit]

Murders

[edit]

At the time of the shooting, Alison Parker and Adam Ward were conducting a live interview with Vicki Gardner at Moneta's Bridgewater Plaza about upcoming events for the 50th anniversary of Smith Mountain Lake, 26 miles (42 km) southeast of Roanoke. The shooting occurred at 6:46 a.m. EDT in the middle of the segment, which was broadcast on WDBJ's morning news program Mornin'. Video of the incident showed Parker conducting the interview when at least eight gunshots were heard, followed by screams. Ward's camera fell to the ground, briefly capturing the image of Flanagan holding a Glock 19 9mm pistol.[1][2]

WDBJ then switched back to Mornin' anchor Kimberly McBroom at the station's news studio, seemingly confused by what had just happened. She later stated that she believed the noises could have been a car backfiring or shots being fired in the background.[10]

Immediate aftermath

[edit]

Parker and Ward died at the scene. Gardner was also shot, but she survived following surgery at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital.[11] According to the state medical examiner's office, Parker died from gunshot wounds to her head and chest, while Ward died from shots to his head and torso.[12] Gardner was shot in the back after she curled into a fetal position in an attempt to play dead.[13][14] A total of fifteen shots were fired.[15]

Staff in the WDBJ newsroom reviewed video of the incident from Ward's fallen camera and identified Flanagan as the likely gunman. They alerted general manager Jeffrey Marks, who passed the information to the Franklin County sheriff.[16] Flanagan faxed ABC News at 8:23 a.m. and then phoned shortly after 10:00 a.m., making a confession.[17] During the ensuing manhunt, authorities tracked Flanagan's cell phone to locate him.[18]

Flanagan abandoned his Ford Mustang at the Roanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport and drove a rented Chevrolet Sonic north on I-81, then east on I-66. An automated license plate reader in a Virginia state trooper's car identified the rented Sonic at 11:20 a.m. The trooper called for backup and attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but Flanagan sped away. His car ran off the side of the road and struck an embankment near Markham after a pursuit of less than two miles.[19] Flanagan was found inside the car with gunshot wounds,[8] which were apparently self-inflicted while he was driving.[20] He was airlifted to Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, where he was declared dead at 1:26 p.m.[9][21][22]

Victims

[edit]

Alison Bailey Parker[23] (August 19, 1991 – August 26, 2015) grew up in Martinsville, Virginia, and attended Patrick Henry Community College and James Madison University (JMU). She interned at WDBJ in 2012, worked as a general assignment news reporter at ABC affiliate WCTI-TV in New Bern, North Carolina, from December 2012 until May 2014,[24] and then was hired by WDBJ in 2014 as a correspondent for Mornin'.[4][25]

Adam Laing Ward[26] (May 10, 1988 – August 26, 2015) was born in Daleville, Virginia.[27] He grew up in Salem and graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in communications and media studies in 2011. He had worked at the station since July 2011 as a videographer, as well as an occasional sports reporter.[28][29]

Vicki Gardner is originally from Union Springs, New York, and had been the executive director of the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce from 2002 until 2019.[30][31] She underwent surgery in which her right kidney and part of her colon were removed and was released from the hospital on September 8, 2015.[13]

Perpetrator

[edit]
Vester Lee Flanagan
Born
Vester Lee Flanagan II

(1973-10-08)October 8, 1973[32][non-primary source needed]
San Francisco, California, U.S.
DiedAugust 26, 2015(2015-08-26) (aged 41)
Falls Church, Virginia, U.S.
Cause of deathSuicide by self-inflicted gunshot wounds
NationalityAmerican
Other namesBryce Williams
EducationSan Francisco State University
Occupation(s)Television news journalist; former model

Personal background

[edit]

Vester Lee Flanagan II (October 8, 1973 – August 26, 2015) was known by the professional name Bryce Williams and was a native of Oakland, California. He graduated from Skyline High School and attended San Francisco State University, earning a degree in radio and television in 1995. He interned at CBS affiliate KPIX-TV in San Francisco in 1993, eventually working there as a production assistant and weekend news writer.[33] He had also been a small-time actor and model before beginning his career in journalism.[34]

Flanagan worked as a general assignment news reporter at CBS affiliate WTOC-TV in Savannah, Georgia, from February 1997 to March 1999.[35] Between March 1999 and March 2000 he worked as a reporter for NBC affiliate WTWC-TV in Tallahassee, Florida, where he reported to news director Don Shafer that co-workers were making offensive comments about his sexual orientation. In an interview with The Daily Mail, former WTWC sports reporter Dave Leval claimed that Flanagan verbally abused two female staffers at the station on different occasions after they pointed out mistakes in his reporting, and that several photographers had tried to get out of working on stories to which Flanagan was assigned due to his "diva" behavior.[36]

Flanagan lost his job due to "odd behavior" in March 2000. He filed a civil lawsuit against WTWC alleging racial discrimination, as he was African-American. The lawsuit was settled under unspecified terms in January 2001. WTWC's owner, Sinclair Broadcast Group, had shut down all the station's news operations in November 2000 due to poor ratings and budget reductions.[37] Flanagan worked for CBS affiliate WNCT-TV in Greenville, North Carolina, from 2002 to 2004.[35][37] He also found some work at ABC affiliate KMID in Midland, Texas.[15]

Tenure at WDBJ

[edit]

WDBJ announced on April 19, 2012, that they hired Flanagan as a multimedia journalist under the professional name Bryce Williams.[38] Documents relating to his time at WDBJ suggest that the station's management considered him an experienced reporter, but there were conflicts with other reporters and with photographers.[39] Office memos from WDBJ showed that news director Dan Dennison ordered Flanagan to contact Health Advocate in July 2012 after receiving complaints that co-workers were "feeling threatened or uncomfortable" while working with him.[40] It is unclear whether he did so prior to his dismissal.[41]

WDBJ dismissed Flanagan on February 1, 2013, citing his volatile behavior. According to a former colleague, upon learning of his dismissal, Flanagan lashed out at newsroom staffers, resulting in the staffers being put in a room while police escorted him out of the building. Ward allegedly recorded Flanagan as he was escorted out, and the two men had a confrontation earlier that day. Flanagan allegedly threw a wooden cross at Dennison, saying, "You need this."[42]

WDBJ provided security to the staffers for a time after the incident and directed them to call the police if he ever returned to the station.[39][43] Flanagan filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against WDBJ, alleging racial discrimination, in which he allegedly named Parker. The EEOC investigated, then dismissed the complaint as uncorroborated.[37][44]

In Flanagan's suicide note he wrote that he had killed both of his cats out of rage after his firing.[45]

Flanagan got a job at a local UnitedHealth Group call center after his dismissal. He had a confrontation with a female employee who casually pointed out how quiet he was being, to which he responded aggressively, telling her to never talk to him again.[46] One of Flanagan's neighbors in his apartment complex described him as an arrogant person who acted rudely towards people around him. He was noted for sometimes throwing cat feces at the homes of neighbors with whom he had disputes.[41]

Shooting and motives

[edit]

Flanagan maintained accounts on Facebook and Twitter that were suspended after he was named as a suspect in the shooting. He repeated his claims of racial discrimination by WDBJ on both profiles, specifically naming Parker and Ward. He claimed that Parker had made a coded racist remark during her internship at WDBJ regarding a friend of Flanagan's, and that Ward had filed a complaint against him to the station's human resources department after working with him on one occasion.[47]

At 11:14 a.m. on the day of the shooting, Flanagan uploaded a 56-second telephone camera video to his Twitter and Facebook accounts before they were suspended, shot from a first-person perspective of the incident.[48] The video shows Flanagan walking up to the scene of the interview and brandishing a handgun for approximately 15 seconds without Ward, Parker, or Gardner noticing; Gardner later said that she had been blinded by the television lighting.[49] Flanagan mutters "bitch" while pointing the weapon at Parker, and lowers the gun before raising it again and opening fire directly at her. Parker flinches and screams before attempting to escape the attack, and the light of Ward's camera is seen quickly dropping before Flanagan pulls away the camera and shuts it off.[50][51]

ABC News received a 23 page fax at 8:26 a.m. allegedly sent by Flanagan[52] titled, "Suicide Note for Friend & Family". In the document, Flanagan described his grievances over what he alleged to be racial discrimination and sexual harassment committed by black men and white women in his workplace, believing that he was targeted because he was a homosexual black man.[8][17][53] He claimed to have been provoked by the Charleston church shooting, two months before, and made threatening comments about Dylann Roof, the perpetrator of that crime.[50] Flanagan described the church shooting as a "tipping point", saying that his anger had been "building steadily" and describing himself as "a human powder keg ... just waiting to go BOOM".[8] A spokesman for the Franklin County Sheriff's Office said that Flanagan "very closely identified" with "individuals who have committed domestic acts of violence and mass murder, as well as the September 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S."[54] Flanagan said that Jehovah had told him to act and expressed an admiration for Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who perpetrated the 1999 Columbine High School massacre; and Seung-Hui Cho, the perpetrator of the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting.[17][55] Flanagan said in the note, "Yeah I'm all fucked up in the head."[56]

After Flanagan's death, officers searched his rental car. They found various items, including a Glock pistol with several magazines and ammunition, a cell phone, letters, notes, a "to-do" list, a suitcase containing three license plates, and several disguises, including a wig.[41][57]

Aftermath

[edit]

Responses

[edit]

U.S. President Barack Obama said he was heartbroken over the murders.[58] Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe said on Twitter that he also was heartbroken over the shooting, and he reasserted his support for gun control.[22] McAuliffe later made calls for tougher gun laws in the state and blamed the Virginia General Assembly for failing to pass a package of gun control measures that he had proposed earlier in January.[59] His remarks drew criticism from Republicans who charged that he was politicizing the tragedy.[57] Senator Mark Warner of Virginia gave his condolences to Parker and Ward's families, as well as to WDBJ and the first responders involved.[22]

Parker's father, Andy Parker, said that he would become an advocate on the issue of gun violence prevention, comparing it to John Walsh's advocacy of crime prevention. He said that he would speak with politicians and news outlets to address mental health issues and improve care for those with mental illnesses. He had run as a Democratic candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates in 2007. However, he was not elected, and he urged politicians to strengthen laws against gun violence. Andy Parker's comments were made against pressure from the National Rifle Association (NRA), whom he criticized for preventing lawmakers from passing such legislation in the past. He criticized Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, the latter of whom criticized the NRA for obstructing efforts by the General Assembly and Congress to tighten background checks for gun purchases, for not directly contacting his family following the announcement that his daughter was one of the victims.[29][60] Staff members for Senator Kaine explained that he had not contacted the victims' families at the time "out of respect for their space and privacy during this difficult time of grieving". The same reasoning was cited by Warner on August 29, who said he did not immediately contact Parker's family out of respect to the family's privacy "at a time of unimaginable grief".[29][60]

The shooting led Alison Parker's boyfriend, Chris Hurst, to successfully run for a seat in the House of Delegates with a priority to pass gun control legislation.[61]

Media response

[edit]

Delayed releases

[edit]

In the immediate wake of the shooting, various media productions were either delayed or pulled from television outlets. USA Network postponed the first-season finale of the series Mr. Robot one week from its originally scheduled air date (the day of the murders) because the episode included a scene with similarities to the incident.[62]

IFC delayed broadcasting an episode of its satirical series Documentary Now! which involved two journalists who are killed on-camera as they track down a Mexican drug cartel leader.[63] Warner Bros. Records decided to pull a television commercial for Disturbed's album Immortalized, as it depicted an incident similar to the killings.[64]

Use of the murderer's video

[edit]

Writing about news coverage of the incident, ThinkProgress noted, "There isn't broad consensus about how to handle this type of coverage."[65] Users of Facebook and Twitter criticized the sites' autoplay option, which allowed opted-in viewers to see graphic images of the shooting without warning.[66] The New York Post, The New York Daily News, and British tabloids The Sun and The Daily Mirror were criticized for their decision to publish still frames from Flanagan's phone video of the murders on their front pages.[67] ABC World News Tonight did not show any part of Flanagan's video; NBC Nightly News broadcast a still frame; and CBS Evening News showed a 25 second segment of the video.[68]

On the day of the shooting, CNN repeatedly aired the footage once every hour.[65]

The gun control lobbying group Everytown for Gun Safety shared the broadcast video with a three-second discretionary warning.[69]

WDBJ's pleaded on Twitter for people to not "share or post the video".[69]

Viewer harm

[edit]

Christine Courtois, chairwoman of the American Psychological Association's post-traumatic stress disorder guidelines development panel, warned that anyone watching the footage was likely to be upset, possibly resulting in acute stress disorder.[70] The Guardian journalist C. Bennett criticized the media's use of frame shots and footage as "helping Flanagan achieve his vanity script".[71]

Ebony writer J. Lemieux[72] and D. Thomas of the Los Angeles Times[73] wrote that the American mainstream media were too selective about rebroadcasting the footage of Parker and Ward's deaths to white audiences, but have frequently shown content of many black people being killed. Los Angeles Times writer M. McNamara wrote that reluctance to watch or share the graphic footage in order to prevent the fulfillment of "a killer's wish is not just absurd, it's agreeing to adopt a murderer's way of thinking". She said that people should watch the footage, not for entertainment, but to realize how brutal the murders were.[74] New York Daily News writer L. Stasi said that media criticism of showing footage contradicted frequent media decisions to publish other violent content.[75]

Police censorship

[edit]

The Virginia State Police ordered BBC journalists to delete the station's copy of the video of Flanagan crashing his car during the police chase, before he committed suicide.[76]

Analyst comments

[edit]

Attorney and legal analyst Philip A. Holloway argued that employers and HR personnel need to recognize they are “putting lives at risk” when they fail to warn subsequent employers about the dangerous behavior of their former employees.[77]

Battling online material

[edit]

In sworn testimony before Congress in July 2019, Andy Parker credited the HONR Network in assisting him to combat offensive online material and hoaxes spread after the tragedy, saying

"the HONR Network who worked long hours flagging videos so that I was spared. When finding offensive content, HONR volunteers would click the report button below each video and check the appropriate box explaining how the video violates YouTube's Community guidelines. Although hundreds of videos have been taken down due to their diligence, they are often stymied, even with an enforceable copyright."[78][79]

He also added

"I have engaged in direct communications with Google regarding the proliferation of these videos, but while they profess a desire to help, in reality they do nothing ... [I met with] Google Director of Global Human Rights regarding specific content and our attempts to have it removed. Their response was, 'We're really trying'. Since that meeting, there has been nothing but silence. Thanks to Section 230, Google has complete immunity and therefore no incentive to respond."[78]

On February 20, 2020, Andy Parker filed a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission alleging that YouTube had failed to enforce its own Terms of Service by keeping certain videos of the shooting on its website.[80] In October 2021, Parker filed a similar complaint to the FTC about Facebook.[81] In February 2022, it was reported that Parker had created a non-fungible token from the video material recorded by Ward's camera in an attempt to claim copyright as a means of pressuring social media platforms to remove the video.[82]

Lawsuit against WDBJ

[edit]

In 2017, Vicki Gardner filed a $6 million civil suit against WDBJ for being "negligent in hiring Vester Lee Flanagan II, who wounded her and killed journalists Alison Parker and Adam Ward, then himself".[83] On June 26, 2020, a Franklin County Circuit Court dismissed the case.[84]

Memorials

[edit]

After the murders, Patrick Henry Community College and the PHCC Foundation created the Alison Bailey Parker Memorial Scholarship to remember Parker, who graduated from the college in 2009. The scholarship is awarded annually to a student studying in a Media Design and Production program.[85] In 2017, JMU dedicated a soundstage and control room in Harrison Hall to Parker, naming it the Alison B. Parker studio.[86] JMU's Media Arts & Design School also established the Alison B. Parker Memorial Fund in her honor.[87]

The Salem Educational Foundation and Alumni Association established the Adam Ward Scholarship fund to remember Ward.[88] He had previously attended Salem High School where his father, Buddy, had also worked as a guidance counselor.[89]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Merda, Chad (August 27, 2015). "ATF: Virginia gunman passed background check, obtained gun legally". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on September 1, 2015. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Hodari, David (August 27, 2015). "Virginia news shooting: the unanswered questions". The Telegraph. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  3. ^ Pete Williams; Andrew Blankstein; Tom Winter (August 27, 2015). "Vester Flanagan Bought Gun Legally From Virginia Dealer, Officials Say". NBC News. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  4. ^ a b Eliott C. McLaughlin; Catherine E. Shoichet (August 27, 2015). "Police: Bryce Williams fatally shoots self after killing journalists on air". CNN. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  5. ^ Web Staff (August 26, 2015). "Two WDBJ7 employees killed in attack at Bridgewater Plaza". WDBJ. Archived from the original on August 26, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  6. ^ Rogers, Katie; Alan Blinder (August 26, 2015). "Virginia TV Reporter and Photographer Shot During Live Broadcast". The New York Times. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  7. ^ Bacon, John (August 26, 2015). "Suspect in on-air murder of journalists kills himself". USA Today. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  8. ^ a b c d Stanglin, Doug; Pager, Tyler (August 26, 2015). "'Disturbed' Va. gunman angered by Charleston shootings". USA Today. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  9. ^ a b Williamson, Jeff (August 26, 2015). "WDBJ Shooting Suspect Shot Himself, Died in Hospital". WHSV 3. Archived from the original on November 16, 2015. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
  10. ^ "News anchor thought car backfired when gunman shot colleagues on air". Nine News. August 27, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  11. ^ "Family of Vicki Gardner issues statement: 'We are grateful'". WTVR. August 28, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
    Brand, Anna (August 26, 2015). "Reporter and cameraman killed during live broadcast". MSNBC. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
    Helber, Steve; Ramsey, Pam; Drew, Jonathan (August 26, 2015). "Fired reporter kills 2 former co-workers on live TV". Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 28, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
    "Vicki Gardner declared 'poster child' for bullet wound recovery at CRMH". WSLS10. August 31, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
  12. ^ "Virginia shootings: Slain TV journalists shot both in head and body". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. August 28, 2015. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  13. ^ a b Hauser, Christine (September 8, 2015). "Woman injured in Virginia TV shooting is out of the hospital". The New York Times. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  14. ^ "WDBJ shooting survivor: 'I played dead'". CNN. October 7, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  15. ^ a b Cleary, Tom (August 26, 2015). "Vester Lee Flanagan: 5 fast facts you need to know". Heavy.com. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  16. ^ McClam, Erin (August 27, 2015). "Virginia TV shooting: Chilling image alerted station to killer Vester Flanagan". NBC News. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  17. ^ a b c Thomas, Pierre; Cloherty, Jack; Date, Jack; Levine, Mike (August 26, 2015). "After shooting, alleged gunman details grievances in 'Suicide Notes'". ABC News. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  18. ^ "Virginia gunman details grievances in lengthy 'suicide note', references Charleston church shooting". WJW. CNNwire. August 26, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  19. ^ "TV murder suspect fatally shoots himself in Fauquier". Fauquier Now. August 26, 2015. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
  20. ^ Spencer, Hawes; Rogers, Katie; Blinder, Alan; Pérez-Peña, Richard (August 26, 2015). "Suspect in Virginia shooting of news team commits suicide". The New York Times. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  21. ^ Keneally, Meghan (August 26, 2015). "Suspect in on-air shooting dies from self-inflicted wound". ABC News. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  22. ^ a b c Hedgpeth, Dana; Jouvenal, Justin (August 26, 2015). "Suspect in slaying of two TV station employees in S.W. Virginia shoots himself and dies". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  23. ^ "Austin College alumni and staff mourn slain newscaster". Herald Democrat. Sherman, TX: USA Today Network. August 28, 2015. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  24. ^ McCutcheon, Jaime (August 26, 2015). "Former WCTI reporter killed during TV live shot". WCTI-TV. Archived from the original on August 26, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  25. ^ Dashiell, Joe (August 26, 2015). "A look at the lives of WDBJ7's Alison Parker and Adam Ward". WDBJ. Archived from the original on August 28, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  26. ^ "WDBJ7 TV: Adam Ward was a 'fine photojournalist'". USA Today. August 26, 2015.
  27. ^ Friedenberger, Amy (September 1, 2015) [August 31, 2015]. "Adam Ward mourned, celebrated at Salem gathering (with video)". Roanoke Times.
  28. ^ "WDBJ reporter Alison Parker, photographer Adam Ward hailed by colleagues, friends". WTVR-TV. August 26, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  29. ^ a b c Scott, Eugene; Barrett, Ted (August 28, 2015). "WDBJ reporter's father criticizes senators for not calling family". CNN. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  30. ^ Olivo, Antonio (August 26, 2015). "Shooting victim Vicki Gardner is head of local chamber of commerce". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  31. ^ "Vicki Gardner exits post earlier than expected". August 13, 2019.
  32. ^ "Vester L Flanagan, Born 10/08/1973 in California". California Birth Index. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  33. ^ Sernoffsky, Evan; Alexander, Kurtis; Lyons, Jenna; Swan, Rachel (August 26, 2015). "Suspected killer in Virginia slayings had Bay Area ties". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  34. ^ Chan, Melissa (August 26, 2015). "Virginia shooter Vester Lee Flanagan is former model, 'high paid companion'; had sued news station for discrimination". The New York Daily News. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  35. ^ a b "Report: Suspect in deadly on-air attack blamed Charleston shooting". CBS News. August 26, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  36. ^ Hood, Lindsay; Nguyen, Laura (August 26, 2015). "SD6 news director hired, fired WDBJ shooting suspect at FL station in 2000". XETV-TDT. City News Service. Archived from the original on November 9, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
    Picket, Kerry (August 26, 2015). "Former news director: Roanoke killer would get into physical conflicts with staff". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  37. ^ a b c Mack, David (August 26, 2015). "Here's what we know about the Virginia shooting suspect". BuzzFeed. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  38. ^ Gauthier, Andrew (April 19, 2012). "WDBJ adds two veteran reporters". AdWeek / TVSpy. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  39. ^ a b Blinder, Alan (August 26, 2015). "Documents show Vester Lee Flanagan's turbulent tenure at TV station before Virginia shooting". The New York Times. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  40. ^ "Virginia shootings: Gunman ordered to seek medical help". BBC News. August 27, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  41. ^ a b c "Inside Vester Lee Flanagan's life". Fox News. August 27, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  42. ^ Gambino, Lauren; Swaine, Jon (August 27, 2015). "Vester Flanagan told to seek medical help by Virginia TV station, say memos". The Guardian. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  43. ^ Brumfield, Ben; McLaughlin, Eliott C.; Shoichet, Catherine E. (August 27, 2015). "Bryce Williams: A meticulous plan for a live televised murder". CNN. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
    Eck, Kevin (August 26, 2015). "Accused WDBJ killer shoots self; had been fired from station in 2013". adweek.com. TVSpy. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  44. ^ Gore, Leada (August 26, 2015). "Virginia TV shooter posts chilling video". The Birmingham News. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
    Carissimo, Justin (August 26, 2015). "Vester Flanagan: Everything we know about the gunman who killed two WDBJ journalists on-air". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  45. ^ "A life of listing grievances, and then Virginia gunman's final homicidal explosion". The New York Times. August 27, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
    "Vester Flanagan, Virginia news crew shooter, killed two cats before murders". Newsweek. August 28, 2015. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
    Cullen, Dave (September 23, 2015). "Inside the warped mind of Vester Flanagan and other shooters". The New Republic. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  46. ^ Geller, Adam; Alan Suderman (August 27, 2015). "On-air shooter threatened to make 'headlines', showed anger". Yahoo! News. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  47. ^ "Former co-workers say Vester Flanagan had problems with work, anger, racism". USA Today. August 29, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  48. ^ Brown, Emily (August 26, 2015). "Chilling video shows gunman's perspective of on-air shooting in Virginia". USA Today. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
    "The latest: Police had contact with killer after firing". The Washington Post. Associated Press. August 28, 2015. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  49. ^ "Virginia shooting: injured woman says she did not see gunman before he fired". The Guardian. August 29, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  50. ^ a b Silverstein, Jason (August 26, 2015). "TV news reporter, cameraman are fatally shot during live broadcast in Virginia; suspected shooter posts video of attack, then kills himself". The New York Daily News. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  51. ^ McNeal, Caitlin (August 26, 2015). "Alleged newscast gunman shoots self after posting vid of shooting". Talking Points Memo. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
    "Reporter, photographer shot to death on air in Virginia; suspect dies at hospital". The Chicago Tribune. August 27, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
    Goudie, Chuck; Weidner, Ross; Pistone, Ann; Tressel, Christine; Markoff, Barbara (August 26, 2015). "Ex-coworker shoots, kills news crew on live TV in Virginia". WLS-TV. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  52. ^ Keneally, Meghan (August 26, 2015). "Suspect in on-air Virginia shooting identified". ABC News. Good Morning America. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  53. ^ Robertson, Gary (August 26, 2015). "Virginia TV journalists killed by suspect with 'powder keg' of anger". Yahoo! News. Reuters. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  54. ^ "Vester Flanagan 'very closely identified' with foreign, domestic terrorists: Police". CBS12.com. August 28, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
  55. ^ McClam, Erin (August 26, 2015). "Vester Lee Flanagan II, a.k.a. Bryce Williams, named as suspect in live TV shooting in Virginia". NBC News. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  56. ^ "What we know so far about Vester Lee Flanagan, the man who shot dead two journalists on TV". Bailiwick Express. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  57. ^ a b Jouvenal, Justin; Zauzmer, Julie (August 27, 2015). "In Roanoke shooter's car, signs he was prepared to remain on the run". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  58. ^ Lavender, Paige (August 26, 2015). "Obama on Virginia shooting: 'It breaks my heart'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  59. ^ Bellware, Kim (August 26, 2015). "Gov. Terry McAuliffe calls for tougher gun laws after Virginia shooting". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  60. ^ a b Terkel, Amanda (August 28, 2015). "Slain reporter's father fears for his safety as he takes up gun control activism". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
    Chan, Emily (August 27, 2015). "Slain journalist's father says he'll push for stricter gun laws in U.S." CTV News. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  61. ^ Beckett, Lois (February 22, 2017). "Boyfriend of reporter killed on live TV aims to unseat NRA-endorsed lawmaker". The Guardian. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  62. ^ Keveney, Bill (August 27, 2015). "Mr. Robot finale delayed after Va. murders". USA Today. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  63. ^ Pedersen, Erik (August 28, 2015). "IFC delays Documentary Now episode after news team's on-air shooting". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
    Friedlander, Whitney (August 27, 2015). "IFC's Documentary Now! delays episode due to Virginia shooting". Variety. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  64. ^ Johnson, Billy Jr. (August 28, 2015). "Disturbed album ad pulled after eerie parallels to on-air shooting". Music. Yahoo!. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  65. ^ a b Culp-Ressler, Tara (August 26, 2015). "The media's ethical dilemma about how to handle footage of people shot on live TV". ThinkProgress. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  66. ^ Gibbs, Samuel (August 27, 2015). "Facebook and Twitter users complain over Virginia shooting videos autoplay". The Guardian. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
    O'Brien, Sara Ashley (August 27, 2015). "Virginia murders show ugly side of autoplay". Money. CNN. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  67. ^ Bowerman, Mary (August 27, 2015). "New York Daily News cover causes outrage over graphic images of slain journalist". USA Today. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
    Withnall, Adam (August 27, 2015). "Virginia shooting: New York Daily News and other newspapers spark outrage with front pages 'letting killer tell the story'". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  68. ^ Ariens, Chris (August 27, 2015). "Of evening broadcasts, only CBS showed gunman's video of deadly shooting". TV Newser. adweek.com. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  69. ^ a b Kaufman, Alexander C. (August 26, 2015). "A major gun control group wants you to watch the Virginia shooting video". The Huffington Post. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  70. ^ Barford, Vanessa (August 27, 2015). "The murders that rocked breakfast television". BBC News. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  71. ^ Bennett, Catherine (August 29, 2015). "Nobody had to see Alison Parker's terror as she faced death". The Guardian. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  72. ^ Lemieux, J. (August 27, 2015). "Death videos, grief and complicated emotions". Ebony. WDBJ tragedy. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  73. ^ Thomas, Dexter (August 27, 2015). "Are we afraid to watch white people dying?". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  74. ^ McNamara, Mary (August 26, 2015). "If we watch the Virginia TV shooting, is the suspected shooter 'winning'?". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  75. ^ Stasi, Linda (August 29, 2015). "It's time to focus on the evil, not the media". The New York Daily News. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  76. ^ Petersen, Kierran (August 26, 2015). "Update: Virginia police order BBC journalists to delete footage of suspected shooter's crash". PRI. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  77. ^ Abbott, Ben. "'Passing the trash' no longer viable for HR". Human Reources Director America.
  78. ^ a b Parker, Andy (July 16, 2019). Andy Parker Congressional Testimony (PDF) (Report). Judiciary Committee. U.S. Senate. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 16, 2019. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  79. ^ Ormseth, Matthew (December 14, 2018). "Foundations honor Sandy Hook victims six years later". The Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019.
  80. ^ Reichert, Corinne (February 20, 2020). "YouTube faces FTC complaint after failing to take down videos of journalist's murder". CNET. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  81. ^ "Georgetown Law's civil rights clinic files FTC complaint against Facebook claiming consumer deception" (Press release). G.U. Law Center. Georgetown University. October 13, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  82. ^ Lima, Cristiano (February 22, 2022). "To expunge his daughter's murder from the Internet, a father created an NFT of the grisly video". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  83. ^ "Survivor of 2015 on-air shooting sues Virginia TV station". WHSV-TV. Harrisonburg, VA. Associated Press. August 16, 2019. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  84. ^ Harvey, Neil (June 27, 2020) [June 26, 2020]. "Lawsuit against WDBJ sparked by 2015 shooting is dismissed; lawyer plans to appeal". The Roanoke Times. Retrieved March 27, 2021.
  85. ^ "Scholarship created in memory of Alison Bailey Parker". Patrick Henry Community College. August 26, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  86. ^ "Dedication". James Madison University. December 12, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  87. ^ Goldberg, Eleanor (August 27, 2015). "Scholarship Funds for Alison Parker, Adam Ward Honor Slain Journalists". Huffington Post.
  88. ^ Francis, Caitlin (August 26, 2017). "Salem community remembers Adam Ward with scholarship for being #AdamLike". WDBJ7. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
  89. ^ Long, Candy (September 21, 2015). "'Salem Strong' T-shirt sales to benefit Ward scholarship fund". Roanoke Times. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murders_of_Alison_Parker_and_Adam_Ward&oldid=1256477166#Perpetrator"