VIRGINIA — A shooting during a live TV news report has claimed the life of the young reporter and her photographer early Wednesday morning.
In their live report, a man dressed in black walked up and opened fire at Bridgewater Plaza around 6:45 a.m. in Moneta, Virginia.
WDBJ7-TV's General Manager Jeff Marks announced that reporter Allison Parker, 24, and photographer Adam Ward, 27 died from their injuries.
“Our hearts are broken and our sympathies go to the entire staff here and to the parents of Allison Parker and Adam Ward who were out here just doing their jobs,” Marks said.
The woman who was being interviewed at the time of the shooting, Vicki Gardner, was shot in the back and is in surgery, reported WDBJ7. Gardner is the head of Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, The Roanoke Times reported.
The shooter, Vester Flanagan, 41, died from self-inflicted gunshot injuries.
WJAX
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/BWAG42EMMNDIHKNOJAK5BB3GVU.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/EPRTREOLZNGHNJTLCQJVEZNUAU.jpg)
:quality(70)/d1hfln2sfez66z.cloudfront.net/05-14-2024/t_8df17b6c23184cf092cbc816a92ceaec_name_file_960x540_1200_v3_1_.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/OOUFYBT7MBHC5C2CK7SMG6D35I.jpg)
:quality(70)/d1hfln2sfez66z.cloudfront.net/05-13-2024/t_979534be7b9f4e5d8f07bcf139ebf4b7_name_file_960x540_1200_v3_1_.jpg)