After emergency surgery. The gunman a former employee of the same roanoke tv station where the victims worked drove off from the scene and posted video of himself on social media killing parker and ward. He also faxed a multi page manifesto explaining his motives to abc network news. After a chase he drove off the road, officers found him with a self inflicted gunshot wound. He died at a hospital. We have Team Coverage tonight. Chris oconnell is looking into what may have motivated the gunman but we begin tonight with dawn timmeney for an inn in depth look at a morning that horrified americans everywhere. Dawn . Reporter its really hard to wrap your head around this, iain. To journalists just doing their jobs smiling, neither having any idea of the horror that is about to unfold. It was 6 45 this morning. Reporter Alison Parker and her photographer adam ward of wdbjtv of roanoke, virginia, doing a live interview for their morning show. But today their story shattered by gunfire. As the
Roanoke area. Well have more on their lives in just a minute. State police say they were able to track the alleged shooter up i81 where it hits i 66 which is where a trooper started following him. Bruce leshan picks up the story from his live location which is just off i66 near front royal. Bruce . Reporter yeah, lesli, you know, it was just minutes after troopers started following the troubled reporter that he crashed just the other side of these trees here. All right, guys. Hes got something in his right hand and he reached for something. Reporter the troopers knew that Vester Flanagan was armed and dangerous. His picture from the shooting scene had been flashed around the world. Not yielding. Going to call it as a pursuit call. Copy in pursuit now, subject did not stop. Reporter the pursuit did not last long. 104, shots fired. Comb shots fired. Reporter within minimum copy shots fired. Reporter within minutes troopers heard a gunshot and a crash, although it is still not clear in wh
Weeks ago. Reporter police say the man who opened fire on them. Vester lee flanagan also knew them. He was recently fired from the wdbj. The gentleman thinks that things tran spired and spiraling out of control. Reporter after the shooting flanagan fled the scene. In the aftermath he posted a video of the shooting. Police found his car at the roanoke airport. Flanagan then left the airport in a Chevrolet Sonic that he rented earlier in the month. Reporter flanagan fled north on i81 and then onto i 66 where a state trooper located him in Northern Virginia Fauquier County through a license plate reader. In your view how instrumental were the license plate readers in catching the suspect . License plate preceders are a great tool. The state police threw several others throughout the state and it helps. Reporter and that is what identified flanagans vehicle. When a state trooper tried to pull him over, he refused and police say he shot himself right there on i66. Now as far as the other pe
Reporter the first accused Alison Parker of making racist comments. Then that he had filed a complaint. Then questioned her hiring. Reporter they were followed by a similar accusation against her photographer. And most chilling. I filmed the killing. See facebook. A short time later, flanagans car was spotted on an Interstate West of washington, d c. Reporter the killer ended up crashing the car and when police approached, he shot himself. Flanagan was flown to a nova Fairfax Hospital where he died at approximately 1 30 pm today. Reporter this afternoon. The family of the gunman. Vester flanagan. Made this statement quote pam it is with heavy hearts. And deep sadness. That we express our deepest condolences to the families of Alison Parker and adam ward. Pam we are also praying for the recovery of Vicki Gardner. Our thoughts and prayers at this time are with the victims families. And the wbdj7 news family. Pam words cannot express the hurt that we feel for the victtims. Our family is a
Join is not in a moment of silence the morning newscast marked 24 hours since two of the stations journalists were killed during a live broadcast. Polo sandoval she was in relationship there remembered as a go getter she was also shot her condition has been upgraded to good her husband was watching when the shooting happened the gunman was a former reporter where were at the rotation or was fired two years ago he later died from a selfinflicted gunshot wound and a 20 page faxon to abc news the rice was a powder keg and his words wedding to go bloom were also learning today than the close to several protest of its previous job in Television News before yesterdays shooting. Mark man who shot the tv news crews connected to bay area is an oakland native and we learn more or child of he went to montero middle school and graduated from Skyline High School or in 1991 he grabbed also should be the he was homecoming princess he went on to attend San Francisco state and at one point he was an in