please, alison parker, thank you so much. alison parker from wdbj in roanoke. she's just a young, enthusiastic presence. on the phone with me is deon gillery, he works at whsb. do you currently work there? >> no, not currently. but i was there a couple of years ago when alison was in her senior you're at jmu. >> and she was your intern there, right? >> yeah. carol, you have to forgive me. i'm still in shock about what happened this morning. i talked to some old co-workers about it and we were just flabbergasted. we work in the media and we get paid to talk for a living. and something like this this happens and we're speechless. so it's mind-boggling that this would happen to such a great person. >> tell us about her. >> even when she was my intern, she was always so eager to learn. i taught her how to produce and she would go out on stories with me. she was just so enthusiastic. and she was doing what she loved. she got her first job after graduating -- she got a job in north carolina and she worked there a little while. then she was able to go to roanoke which

wdbj reporter alison parker is giving a live interview. adam ward is photographing. then shots ring out. both parker and ward are hit as well as the woman being interviewed. ward's camera films the shooter, gun raised in the air as he laid dying ward's last living act capturing an image of his own murderer. >> alison parker, age 24. and adam ward, age 27, died at the scene. flanagan then fled before deputies arrived on the scene. >> reporter: at this point a manhunt is now on for a suspect who obviously is armed and extremely dangerous. it would last nearly five hours and cover roughly 200 miles. authorities say the shooter took off from the bridgewater plaza and headed northwest to the roanoke blacksburg airport in a gray mustang. while on the run he took time out to take credit for his crimes. 8:26 a.m. a manifesto from the shooter gets faxed to abc news. shortly after 10:00 a.m. a man claiming to be the shooter calls abc and tells them he's shot two people. >> shortly before 11:00 roanoke city police department located flanagan's 2009 ford mustang at the regional

alison is on the left, alison parker, 24 years old. she is interviewing someone at a shopping mall or shopping plaza called the bridge today per -- the bridgewater plaza. and they were doing a story about tourism. not something inflammatory that might anger somebody how irrationally. but a gunman approached and shots rang out. you could hear screams. the camera drops the at one point in time. we can assume the cameraman was adam ward her fiance. but we can't say that for sure. the general manager did deliver a statement to viewers on camera saying how heartbroken the newsroom is that these two individual were in love and they were beloved by those in the newsroom and viewers as well. let's go to rod wheeler who is standing by. rod, your thoughts on this? >> this is obviously a tragic situation. but let me share with you what law enforcement is doing as we speak. they are trying to figure out if this was a random or targeted shooting. that's the thing investigators initially try to find out. that will help us determine hot shotter or sh

he died as did alison parker. alison's boyfriend, as you mentioned, very close and very touched by this crime, very personally saying i loved her so much, and she loved me back. adam describes the general manager as a guy who would do any job you asked him. he was a lovable person. so a tight knit station. a tight knit community. tonight they're all devastated. >> dave wagner, thank you so much. that third victim is in stable condition tonight. vicky gardner was the one allison and adam were interviewing at the time of that shooting. she was hit in the chest and rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. officials tell us she is in the recovery room at this hour. and we have a lot more content right now on our nbc washington app tonight, including a story from our sister station in the san francisco bay area with more about vester flanagan's background. >>> some breaking news right now in fairfax county. not far from mt. vernon. police and fire crews are searching the area around little hunting creek where ther

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we know alison parker just turned 24 years old. she graduated from james madison university in 2012. worked in north carolina for a bit. returned home to southwest virginia. she grew up about 50 miles outside of roanoke. her colleagues said she was living her dream. now one part of parker's life that viewers learned about yesterday was that she was also dating one of the anchors there as wdbj. chris hurst. he sent this out. she was the most radiant woman i ever met. for some reason, she loved me back. we have learned that adam ward was in love with someone at the station. ev engaged to the morning show producer. his fiancee was producing the morning show at the time he was killed on live tv. he was determined to put smiles on other faces as well. now let's talk about the survivor. the survivor. vicki gardner. this community that she loves so much. she is a wife, mother, grandmother and artist. we got this message from her employer late yesterday. they say they are confident she will recover and they will stand strong with her throu

reporter alison parker and cameraman adam ward. and the woman parker and ward were interviewing for the show. the pair always maintained a cheerful can-do attitude. >> if i walked in the building in the morning, and i saw alison and adam first, i knew i was in for smiles. they had a great attitude. it showed in their work. adam was always willing to do whatever extra was needed. even when he got up at 3:00 in the morning after the end of a long shift. alison was showing such solid growth as a reporter and occasionally as an anchor. >> for more on the three victims, let's turn to victor blackwell also in roanoke. >> reporter: understandably the team at wdbj is heart broken. the first morning in a while without waking up with the "a" team. alison parker and adam ward. the reporter and photographer who worked the morning shift. we knew alison parker just turned 24 years old. she graduated from james madison and worked in north carolina, but returned home to southwest virginia. she grew up 50 miles outside of roanoke. her colleagues sa

that is crisp hearst, the boyfriend alison parker. these two had theirhris hearst, the boyfriend alison parker. these two had their whole lives ahead of them, she was entered in journalist, bright with a passion for this job, she loved to tell a story and she had a story to tell. adam, alison parker's father and the set knotted they would go by she did not call home, check in on her family, and her boyfriend said the lesson of the received wisdom ppcul sweet dreams. listen to both of them. >> the toughest thing for me, everybody she touched loved her and she loved everybody. >> she texted that meet good night pculeet boy and that is the last i heard from her. >> reporter: let's talk about adam ward, 27 years old, morning photograg i want to bring you live to the news room, this is the wdbj face book page in honor of alison parker and adam ward. they have a number of different things listed here but most notably a statement from president obama his that breaks my heart every time he hears about these incidents and he said what we know

video and he begins firing on alison parker. then takes aim at adam ward. the interview subject, a woman by the name of vicki gardner, who's with the local chamber of commerce, she was also injured, wounded, taken to the hospital. she's been through surgery and it is believed that she will recover and survive. i want to bring in now jim cavanaugh, an msnbc analyst and retired atf special agent, and clint van zandt, former fbi profiler. clint, let me start with you about trying to build a profile and backfilling. what we'd try to make of why a person who is a former reporter at this television station, dismissed two years ago, would show up randomly and open fire on two former colleagues. >> yeah. well, i guess first, thomas, and i'm sure you believe too, i don't think this is random. i think this is planned. as an employee of this station, former employee, he would have known perhaps how to find out what assignments they were on. he had made allegations that the station tells us there's nothing to support whatsoever against two

ripper alison parker and photographer adam ward. me to come in, that something unimaginable had happened. she was awesome to work with. he had this personality. he could you up if you are having a bad day. >> it's my family. richard: the community came by to get a respects. >> they were put of the family. richard: the now deceased gun man, vester flanagan, was a former station employee, a hunting fact not lost on general manager jeff marks. >> why was i not targeted? richard: now this station and city are dealing with a loss never expected. >> it really makes you think. wow, life is precious. see ♪ut now i all night long, we have been seeing people come by the memorial. it's remarkable how many young people, the employees of the station came out to work this story, standing right in this very spot all morning, mourning the loss of their friends. general manager said tonight, "our hearts are broken." leon: so many hearts broken tonight. alison parker's father issued a statement, calling her a bright shining light. he said, "not hea

we didn't share this publicly but alison parker and i were very much in love. we just moved in together. i am numb. adam ward was engaged to marry a morning producer at wdbj. his fiancee was in the control room watching when this played out live on air. the wdbj president said his staff is in shock. >> we have people walking around here in tears. a lot of hugs. we have a friend of the -- of our newsroom who is a pastor in her consoling people. >> reporter: the woman interviewed when the shooting took place was also hit. she has been undergoing surgery in hospital. a routine interview that turned into inexplicable tragedy. >>> dr. erik fisher is a licensed psychologist and joins us to try and process what we've all witnessed and it appeared that the gunman carried many grievances, was let go a number of times from various jobs and put real planning and effort into this shooting. what was that and what is in his manifesto tell you about his mental state? >> here's somebody who for a long period of time felt they had been persecuted, bullied, embarrassed, shamed a

he was alison parker's boyfri d boyfriend. they had just moved in together. >> this is my memory of her. when we had our six-month anniversary, she made a scrapbook for me. put in all of the pictures we spent together for the first six months. even pictures i didn't want to be in there. she put them in there. >> parker's friends and co-workers describe her as a rock star who loved her job and took a genuine interest in the people she interviewed. parker started to work full time at wdbj a year ago. he was teamed with ward on the morning show. cnn's randi kaye has more on what they both brought to journalism. >> when i was younger, i wanted to either become a doctor or become a pharmacist is. as a journalist, i get to cover those types of fields. >> this is how viewers got to know alison parker, a video produced by the station showing her smiling, full of life. >> i absolutely love mexican food. very, very spicy food, enchill lad das, tacos, the spicier the better. >> the 24-year-old virginia native signed on with wdbj last yea

alison parker, and adam ward diedt scene. the person being interviewed, vicki gardner of the chamber of commerce, was badly wounded. police say flanagan, a former reporter at the station, fled in one car, went to the roanoke airport, where he got into a previously rented vehicle and drove away from the city. flanagan was spotted about 200 miles from the shooting scene with police in pursuit, he crashed his car alongside interstate 66. police say when they approached the car, flanagan had shot himself. he was tan to a hospital where he later died. >> now, if you missed today's performance. >> reporter: flanagan was a longtime television reporter who went by the name of bryce wilson on air. besides roanoke he had worked in several cities across the country. shortly after the attack, someone identifying himself as flanagan called and faxed a 23-page letter to abc news. in what he describes as a suicide note, flanagan says he was attacked for being a gay black man. according to abc, flanagan also said today's shootings were retal

he even tweeted out in one of his tweets after killing alison parker that alison made racial comments. it turns out that alison was just an intern when this shooter worked at the station and in paperwork he refers to an intern named allison bailey, so i'm not even sure he knew her last name. none of it was substantiated. he was asked to bring evidence of this to court. he never provided any evidence and that case was dismissed. ashleigh, i think we have -- i hate to make a huge judgment call but obviously we have an undiagnosed mental issue with this person like we have in so many of these types of shooters, but to purchase guns 47 days ago and then to wait, wait, wait, wait and think and stalk and stew until yesterday at 6:45 a.m., all the while, apparently, writing this rambling manifesto trying to explain yourself, i think shows the level of depravity of this person's mind. >> and, hey, not to mention two and a half years since parting company with the people at wdbj. drew griffin, great investigative work and thank you for bringing that. i don't know if it helps us but it is certa

it comes from the boyfriend of alison parker. it's chris hurst, one of the main anchors at that station. he anchors the 6:00 and 11:00 p.m. broadcast. this is what he put out "we didn't share this publicly, but alison and i were very much in love. we just moved in together. i am numb." i think it's important to mention as well that the producer of the morning show who is in the control room working on that show live named melissa ott or opp, i didn't hear the name properly, she witnessed this as well. she was engaged to adam, the photographer, who was killed. this has all been incredibly distressing. i want to bring in drew griffin, who's been talking to former employees and other sources. what have you found out, drew, about bryce williams and his past at that station? >> he was very difficult to work with at that station, according to past employees. in fact, so difficult he would yell at people, make charges as you've seen in his recent tweets at people. but also when he was fired -- and he was fired from understanding -- in f

you want the truth to get out. >> chris said that he wanted to marry alison parker. adam ward was engaged to the newscast morning producer who was in the control room when he was shot and killed. >>> we are learning more about the man suspected of shooting the journalist. we told you that vester flanagan worked at wdvj before he was fired two years ago. we also learned he was fired from a station in tallahassee, florida. his family put out a statement saying our thoughts and prayers are with the victim's familiar less and the wdvj news family. we can not expression the hurt that we feel for the victims. our family is asking that you respect our privacies. the new concerns about social media. we'll take you live to roanoke ahead. we'll send push alerts to our smartphone as updates come in with the nbc washington app. >>> right now, president obama is on his way to new orleans. today marks ten years since katrina. we have a live picture of air force one taxiing down the runway. the president scheduled to leave for new orleans right now. he arrives to joint base andrews

alison parker and adam ward were there. a gunman fired again, and again and again, you hear at least eight shots before the broadcast cuts back to the anchor desk, both parker and ward and on tv for a fraction of a second, that camera caught a clear picture of the man responsible, the man dressed head to toe in black, knew the two victims. authorities identified the killer as vester flanagan, also known as bryce williams. he had worked for the tv station. twitter has a motive, and even worse, he posted videos of the crime, flanagan later took his own life. >>> chris, my friend is live in roanoke. he begins our coverage. chris, we'll get to the killer in just a moment. you're standing outside that tv station where alison and adam worked. makeshift memorial into the shade tree, balloons, flowers, but mostly there are tears and there is shock. so many people who have come by are people that work at wdbj. this is a true news family here. so many are just locals in this tight community. we're coming up with the same questioning

it was yesterday around this time that we went live to alison parker and adam ward. we are ending this moment with our continued thanks for support to all of you at home. our rock, our strength at this time. it hurts all of us so much, as you can see, but we will betimes and the blessings of many friends, all of you, we will heal from this. >> as a shattered community pays tribute, alison parker's father talked to fox news about the enormous loss. >> she loved this guy with all her heart. and that's the toughest thing for me, that she -- everybody that she touched loved her. and she loved everybody back. >> just a couple moments, i'm going to play for you "morning joe's" interview with alison's boyfriend chris hurst and station manager jeff marks. now, we're going to go live to stephanie gosk with the latest. good morning. >> good morning, jose. well, you mentioned that they had that moment of silence here at wdbj at the moment 24 hours after the shooting, but they were live on air for two hours this morning, like they always are. this time, reporting on themselves,

former colleague of alison parker and adam ward shot and killed them during live television interview at an outdoor shopping mall in virginia this morning. the gunman shot a woman park derr was interviewing. she's in stable condition with non-life threatening injuries 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 o'connell 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: it's 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. rep

it's believed that alison parker was then shot as she was trying to run away. the woman they were interviewing was also shot in the back, we're told, and we're also told she is now in surgery. we're going to show you this video only once, the moment the attack played out on live tv. i will warn you, it is very difficult to watch. >> talk about why it's important to get business leaders involved. >> this is our community. we want to come together. we want to share information that can help us grow and develop to provide a better experience. we're seeing tourism -- we want the people that come here to say -- >> you hear screams and then you hear nothing. so hard to watch. but it is important because it appears that the photographer's final act was this, capturing the suspect briefly on camera after he fell to the ground. you can see in the image -- in the video of this man holding what appears to be a gun, very clearly pointing right there. cnn's brian todd is joining me now by the phone with more on who authorities believe this suspect is. brian, you're on your

wdbj reporter alison parker and photographer adam ward were fatally shot at 6:45 a.m. during a live broadcast at moneta, virginia. vester flanagan, using the name bryce williams, was a disgruntled former reporter at the station. following a police chase williams shot himself and is in critical condition. one other person, vicki gardner, from the local chamber of commerce, was shot and injured. she was being interviewed. thankfully, she is in stable condition after emergency surgery. msnbc live with thomas roberts is next. thank you for your time on this terrible day. ep trauma unit 5. what've we got? bp 64/40 sterilize sites. multiple foreign objects in the body. tweezers. (buzz!) (buzz!) if you're the guy from the operation game, you get operated on. it's what you do. (buzz!) if you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. it's what you do. ugh! heartburn! no one burns on my watch! try alka-seltzer heartburn reliefchews. they work fast and don't taste chalky. mmm...amazing. i have heartburn. alka-seltzer heartburn reliefchews. enjoy

alison parker and adam ward were both killed. there is a major police presence in the area around 30 to 40 officers already there. they responded almost immediately. members with bedford, frankly county and virginia state police all on the scene. police say as of right now they are continuing to search for the shooter and hoping to get a description out to the -- the incident remains under investigation. i want to bring in clint van zandt, msnbc contributor and former profiler and jim cavanaugh. let's ask what we're seeing here, a shopping mall at 6:45 in the morning during a live broadcast. you would think there would be a lot of not only the video that was being shown on the air but cameras all around the mall, right? >> i would agree. i think the cameras around the mall are going to be critical to law enforcement to get earliest possible description of shooters and of course the eyewitnesses that are available. they've got to put that together fast. that's the strongest evidence to find out the description so they can broadcas

alison parker just 24 years young. she went to jmu, james madison university, both grew up in the area, worked together and were a team each and every morning waking up very, very early to get the news on. wdbj reflects on the friendship these two had and the stunning talent of both alison and add am. >> alison was smart and ambitious. adam was a capable photographer who would go the extra mile to get the job done and they had a lot in common. >> they worked together every morning. >> i wanted to go through a sleep study to see if my job impacts how i snooze. adam and i work the same early morning shift but have completely different sleep schedules. >> alison parker and add am ward were natives of this area. >> hey, everyone, i'm alison parker and photo journalist adam ward and i are putting the final touches on our special report. >> alison grew up in martinsville and add am in salem. alison was a graduate of james madison university and loved the outside. >> in salem, adam ward, news 7 sports. >> and add am attended

many of them feel as if they knew alison parker. they saw her on tv every day and were forced to witness her murder. it hits home. >> i tell you something i don't want to -- see again. >> reporter: after the morning attack flanagan drove to the roanoke airport switched cars and was finally spotted driving on interstate 66. he shot himself as police closed in. late in the day, the dead man's family issued a statement -- is as we mentioned the staff at the station's news department is back on the job this morning. >> half hour ago, they began broadcasting their morning show as scheduled. cbs2's don champion joins us live now from roanoke. don? >> reporter: yeah, good morning mary and chris. the day later viewers and staff members here at wdbj are still trying to make sense of what happened even if that's -- if that is even possible. as you mentioned just over a half hour ago, the morning show did return to the air here's how it started. >> good morning, it is just after 5:00 on thursday, august 27th. 2015. we come to you this morning

among those sharing their thoughts - alison parker's boyfriend, chris hurst, who's an evening anchor at w-d-b-j. in a series of posts on twitter and facebook, he shared that they were together for nine months ..and wanted to get married. hurst also wrote: i am comforted by everyone at w-d-b-j seven. we are a family. alison worked with adam every day. they were a team. i am heartbroken for his fiancee. the support is overwhelming. sorry if i haven't been able to respond personally. alison's life will be shared today and forever. stay with abc7 and w-j-l-a dot com as we follow the investigation into this shooting. we'll have another report from moneta coming up at 4:30. another report from moneta coming up at 4:30. coming up on a-b-c seven news at four... the colorado movie theatre shooter james holmes receives his sentence. the harsh words from the judge as he handed down his decision. also, donald trump is not making friends in the press corps. the high-profile journalist he kicked out of a news conference ... and, it's a list d.c. does not want to be on .. just how many hours commut

alis alison parker and adam ward were in the middle of a live interview when the gunman walked calmly up to them, aimed a handgun, started recording video and waited several seconds before opening fire. parker and ward died while horrified co-workers and viewers watched it all unfold live on television. flanagan used a pistol which he purchased legally. flanagan then fled the scene. police and state troopers in hot pursuit tracking him via his cell phone and his license plate. as law enforcement caught up with him on a highway, flanagan ran off the road and shot himself, dieing in a hospital just a few hours later. president obama said, "it breaks my heart to read about shootings like this." we will speak live to the station's manager later. victor, heartbreaking what happened behind you there this morning. >> reporter: jim, absolutely. and we can tell you there's a vigil happening as friends of the survivor, they are gathering to pray for the recovery of vicki gardner. that's happening as the police and people of this community wonder what led this man to kill a reporter and her phot

alison parker, age 24, and adam ward, age 27, died at the scene. both parker and ward were residents of roanoke, virginia. let us not forget, they grew up in this area, part of our community. >> reporter: the person they were interviewing, vicki gardner, we are told, still in the hospital at this hour in stable condition, still being treated. during the pursuit of flanagan, we noticed playing out on social media a rather troubling exchange. it was as though he was posting under his on-air name, bryce williams, and he was almost taunting police and the public, posting video, disturbing images of the attack. he captured it, it appears, from a cell phone that he was carrying as he carried out the attack here in the place behind me. as you heard there, the search for the suspect, flanagan, continued 200 miles north and that's where we find my colleague, pat collins, who is covering this angle of the story. pat? >> reporter: david, i'm in markham, virginia, it's about 11 miles east of front royal. this is where it all came to an end. and this is what it

john berman reports. >> i'm alison parker. adam and i are putting the final touches on our special report. >> reporter: their love, their passion for their work, it leapt through the screen. they informed and drielighted a community, a community now in a state of pure disbelief. >> this place is in shock, as you might expect. there's a lot of crying and hugging going on. >> reporter: 27-year-old adam word and 24-year-old alison parker were unfailingly positive, relentlessly hard working and never shied away from a story. >> i wanted to go through a sleep study to see if my job impacts how i snooze. >> reporter: or a challenge. >> my hobby is whitewater kayaking. >> reporter: in this profile, parker spoke about her love of the outdoors and the arts. >> my dad was on broadway back in the day. >> reporter: her father released a statement today saying, i find my grief unbearable. not hearing her voice again, crushes my soul. both parker and ward began as interns at the station, eventually becoming a morning show team as staff repo

in an interview, alison parker's father said my grief is unbearable. i don't know if there is anybody unthis world or another father who could be more proud of their daughter. he said i can't watch any news. all it would do is rip out my heart further than it already is. >> when the shooting happened most people found out on social media and played a role with how fast the gunman spread his message. coming up we talk about how social media changes the way criminals behave. we posted more photos on the ktvu facebook page. you can send condolences condolences there as well. >>> now to other news. one of the most desired vacation spots but san francisco can come at a price. on the heels of a tourist shot over his camera, they are saying they are working to keep people safe. ktvu's cristina rendon is in san francisco with details about what's happening. >> reporter: it was two hours ago the supervisor and police chief spoke to us about what happened yesterday. they admit property crimes are an issue they are working to reduce. yesterday you saw it was a su

thank you. >>> coming up more on the chilling murder of alison parker and adam ward. they're in the middle of their first show since it went live on the air. >>> we hear from joe biden directly about the possible 2016 bid. >>> and hillary clinton responds as donald trump gives his knew higher energy. that and much more coming up next on morning joe. ok at it. it's beautiful. mmmmmmm, thank you so much... but you know tomorrow night... ...how 'bout we just assume i do want to eat... ...you know speed things up a little. (vo) beneful chopped blends, a healthy blend... ...your dog will love. made with real beef. plus carrots and barley that you can see. beneful. healthy with a side of happy. just in case you were wondering what cheerios are made of whole. grain. oats. ♪ ♪ isn't it beautiful when things just come together? build a beautiful website with squarespace. look more like a tissue box... you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin®. because it starts working faster on the first day

and -- alison parker and adam ward. the two spent most of their days together diligently waking up, getting in a truck and working on whatever story popped up. they both grew up in virginia and went to college here and started at wdbj as interns and it's also where they both found love. >> alison was the brightest light that i have ever met. she was the funniest kindest, most beautiful woman that i ever met and she just happened to love me back. >> reporter: ward with melissa ott, producer for the morning show. they had happy lives by all accounts filled with promise and opportunities that were cut short wednesday morning. ward's fiancee was working when it happened. she would have been sitting in a control room just likethis watching the feed from our fiancee's camera even after the video went off the air, but that moment isn't what they will be remembered for. ward and parker will be remembered because of these smiles. >> i've never had a better day at wdbj than last thursday, two days before my birthday, when i got t

alison parker and adam ward died on the scene. the person being interviewed, vicki gardner of the chamber of commerce, was badly wounded. police say flanagan, a former reporter at the station, fled in one car, went to the roanoke airport, where he got into a previously rented vehicle and drove away from the city. flanagan was spotted about 200 miles from the shooting scene. with police in pursuit, he crashed his car alongside interstate 66. police say when they approached the car, flanagan had shot himself. he was taken to a hospital where he later died. >> now, if you missed today's performance. >> reporter: flanagan was a longtime television reporter who went by the name of bryce williams on air. besides roanoke, he had worked in several cities across the country. shortly after the attack, someone identifying himself as flanagan called and faxed a 23- page letter to abc news. in what he describes as a suicide note, flanagan says he was attacked for being a gay black man. according to abc, flanagan also said today's shootings wer

alison parker's father is numb. dealing with unbearable grief. we haven't heard from adam ward's parents but i have to believe that the feelings are similar. do you remember rich martinez, the father of christopher michael martinez, the university of california student killed in the santa barbara shooting rampage more than a year ago. listen to his torment then. >> why did chris die? chris died because of irresponsible politicians and nra. they talk about gun rights. what about chris' right to live? >> he was the most loving, kind-hearted person you could ask for. i mean, you talk to people who knew him, they would tell you, he's a great kid. >> and the family of dawn hochsprung, the hero the sandy hook elementary school, the principal, who was killed. >> every game she was there, every practice she was there, all of my cheerleading competitions she was there. she was doing homework on the bleachers but she was there. and she was my rock. my rock. >> what would you say to your mom right now? >> come back. just come back. >> erica and richard are

alison parker is one of them. and as we continue the web that is this story we will talk about the shooter, but want to talk about the victims as well. we have an opportunity to get a personal perspective on the story. laura weeks went to college with alison and we appreciate the time you are giving us today. tell us about alison and when did you first meet here? >> sophomore or junior year of college. we worked on the paper together. here passion for journalism and story telling and getting the facts right were so inspiring not only to me but the whole staff. >> was being a journalist her goal in life? >> she did an internship in the paper, and yeah, that was her passion. >> when did you last see alison? >> i saw her, i guess it was may or june. i had a an event in roanoke that she came to and that meant so much to me. and went on a date with her and kris to the baseball game and i am glad i got to witness the love they shared. >> chris was her boy p friend. they recently decided to move in together and were very

alison parker was only 24 years old. as you heard earlier, adam ward was alison parker's photojournalist, partner. ward was a graduate of virginia tech, the station's morning meteorologist recalled how when his co-workers came in groggy, ward would wake everyone up with talk about virginia tech football or whatever else was going on. ward's fiance, the morning show's producer, was in the control room when the shootings happened earlier this morning. it was her last day, actually, on the job as she was about to take a new job? charlotte, north carolina. adam told the station's general manager he was thinking about getting out of news, maybe doing something else to follow his fiance to charlotte. adam ward was only 27 years old. and one of adam's fellow photographers at wdbj just tweeted throughout heart wrenching picture. this is adam ward's locker at the tv station. >>> coming up, officials in virginia are expecting to hold a news conference on the latest developments in this horrific, horrific shooting. what's going on

left behind after killing journalist alison parker and adam ward. in one chilling passage he says this, and i'm quoting, hell, i am surprised i didn't do this before now. we are also, by the way, getting new information about complaints and grievances that he filed, flanagan filed, against former employers. they include allegations of racial harassment. we've learned flanagan purchased two glock 19 pistols legally at the same gun store and at the same time. this was 47 days ago in the roanoke, virginia, area, according to a federal law enforcement source. and her father vows to keep access from guns. he owes it to his daughter, a daughter he spoke to every day. >> she would be texting me right now saying, dad, what did you think of my story? what did you think of it? and i'm never going to hear that again. she was so loved by all, and my heart is broken. but i want to try to do something that will change that and make her life -- will do something meaningful for her life so that this doesn't happen to someone else again. >> alison parker's boyfriend

alison parker realizar una entrevista en vivo esta maÑana en virginia cuando ella y su camarÓgrafo fueron asesinados a balazos, como muestran estas devastadoras imÁgenes. parker trata de oÍr, se escuchan sus gritos y al menos 15 disparos. cuando la cÁmara profesional cae al piso canta la imagen de un hombre armado. fue escalofriante, que el asesino grabÓ estas imÁgenes del crimen y las enviÓ por los medios sociales. se habÍa acercado a ellos, grabando el video en su celular, se colocÓ detrÁs de la cÁmara y se puede ver su pistola. la estaciÓn cortó a la perpleja conductora, las vÍctimas fueron alison parker de 24 aÑos del camarÓgrafo adam ward. el supuesto asesino es un desempleado que el gerente dijo fue su reportero y fue despedido tambiÉn hace unos dos aÑos. dejÓ manifiesto del 23 pÁginas que enviÓ a la cadena abc. en el dice que lo motivÓ la masacre de charlestÓn, carolina del sur. compra un arma dos dÍas despuÉs. el tiroteo en la iglesia fue el punto de inflexiÓn pero mi ira ha ido aumentando de manera constante. e sido un polvorÍn humano durante los Último

. >> colleagues at wdbj held a moment of silence had morning to remember alison parker and adam ward, those who knew the young journalists described both as special people who loved getting up each morning to help others get their day started. >> "today in the bay" stephanie chuang joining us live from our san francisco newsroom. both parker and ward were about to start new chapters in their personal lives on the verge of it. >> reporter: they were. so is young. alison parker had had just celebrated her 24th birthday with her family and her boyfriend, a coworker at that station, and 27-year-old photographer adam ward was recently engaged, also to a coworker. absolutely heart breaking and this morning a colleagues at wdbj 7 in roanoke, virginia their voices broke as they remembered both parker and ward, virginia natives and former interns at the station. friends who worked together every morning. ward was set to marry the morning show producer who was actually in the control room when both ward and parker were gunned down on the air. parker and her boyfriend had just moved in together,

ung see right there the father of alison parker, andy ward. let's listen in a little bit. all right. well, people there are beginning to assemble and take their seats as this service will soon be getting under way. among those who will be speaking, jeff marks, who is the station general manager and, of course, you're seeing them open up with a video tribute of alison and then i'm sure adam. ♪ ♪ >> all right. the general manager of wdbj will be speaking soon to those gathered there in roanoke. earlier today he spoke on cnn's "reliable sources" about how the tragedy has forced his newsroom to rethink how they do their jobs. >> the plan going forward is to look at each live opportunity separately and make the proper decisions. but i'm not going to go here and say, every live shot is going to have three or four people because there are crazy people out there and i think it's best if we keep our plans to ourselves but it's certainly a subject of discussion here and i can imagine every newsroom in the country that are you teenly does what we call these live shots. >> polo sa

a team, alison parker and adam ward. 24 and 27 years old. friends say they were like brother and sister. >> i cannot tell you how much they were loved, alison and adam. >> the sheriff charged with investigating their murders says he knew them well. >> sheriff overton: it was difficult this morning. i did a remote with miss parker and adam about three weeks ago. brad: like many in the roanoke area, he, too, was watching this morning. >> it really stopped me in my tracks. i couldn't understand what was happening myself. brad: as the reality of the murder sank in, the colleagues at wdbj7 had to do the unthinkable. report the news of deaths in their own family. >> adam graduated from salem high school. went to virginia tech. alison, martinsville high school, graduated early from her class. graduated j.m.u. brad: cameraman adam ward was engaged to be married to a coworker on the morning shift. alison was dating an anchor at the straights. -- station. her family issued a state saying in part "her spirit will always be with us." leon: brad bell rep

alison parker was 24 years old. her photoing to gray officer adam ward 27. >> a document faxed to abc news is revealing chilling insight into the motives of the gunman. he is identified as vester flanagan, a former reporter at the station. >> the killings, which played out on live tv almost 24 hours ago shocked the small virginia community that is offering prayers for the third victim in the senseless attack. kala rama has the latest. >> reporter: when you thought it couldn't get worse seeing that on live tv, while the shooter was on the run, tito social media. the video he posted is something that we will not show you. we have seen the community come together and show their support. to let you know how strong the morning team is, the same morning team from yesterday is back on the air right now. >>> reporter: a community devastated by a violent attack playing out on live tv gathered for a vigil honoring reporter alison parker and photographer adam ward. parker's boyfriend and anchor at the same station in roanoke s

alison parker and adam ward were fatally shot. here is right before the shooting occurred. >> this is our community. we want to come together and share information to help us grow and develop. provide a better experience. we want the people to come here say that -- >> shots rang out moments later. we can't show you the rest of the video. vicki gardener is in stable condition.

for the first time tonight, days after tragically losing her daughter, we are hearing from alison parker's mother. alison was a beloved reporter at wdbj. she and adam ward were murdered this week, shot during a segment on live television. i sat down with barbara and andy parkerer. we spoke at length about alison and adam, their tough road ahead, and their mission to end gun violence. >> if you are a parent, if you're a mother, if you have children, can you look your child in the eye and say, we are willing to allow you to be collateral damage in order to keep what some people perceive at their constitutional rights. >> my interview with the parents of alison parker coming up at the bottom of the hour, 5:30 eastern only right here. first, we do begin this evening in textexas. that is where people in the houston area are still shocked at the sudden and violent death of the ten-year deputy in the sheriff's department. the sheriff calls it cold blooded and cowardly and believes his deputy may have been killed simply because he was wearing a uniform. houston officials believe this is the man ca

alison parker was dating a journalist there. she had a passion for hard news. and adam ward graduated from virginia tech, he was 27 years old. the third victim of the shooting survived. ward and parker were interviewing vicki gardner. she was hit in the chest and rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. she is in stable condition right now. >>> and so much more to this story than we can tell you here. we have more on how the community is recovering. you can check the nbc washington app for more stories. we will find out more about the vigils going on there in roanoke in 15 minutes. >>> today's d.c. mayor is expected to ask for more power to fight crime in the district. she took her plan to council members yesterday and will make it public today. part of the plan is to allow police to search and detain people who are on probation for violent and gun related crimes. 45% of suspects arrested for murder this year had a prior gun charge. 103 people have been killed on the streets of d.c. so far this year. >>> it is now 4:31. time for weather and traffic on the

the shooting killed alison parker and ward. he later killed himself. the aff said he obtained his gun legally. president obama calls the shooting heartbreaking. don champion is in roanoke. good morning, don. >> reporter: good morning, alison. there's been a huge show of support from the community. many here in southwest virginia watched at what was supposed to be a live feel good story turned into anything but. a memorial of flowers and balloons degree overnight. the station still can't believe two beloved colleagues are gone. >> all day the community has provideded an outpouring for us. >> reporter: reporter alison parker and photographer adam ward were ambushed and killed by a former disgrunted employee of their station. that employee was a fellow journalist. vester flanagan. he went by the name bryce williams while reporting for the station. the 41-year-old was let go two years ago. andy parker says his daughter died doing what she loves. >> it's hard to wrap your arms around. >> reporter: before killing himself he said alison made racist comments a