Vester Flanagan shot three people and killed two of his former coworkers from WDBJ-TV during a live morning broadcast on Aug. 26, in Virginia, according to AP.
After shooting, Flanagan explained that Alison Parker the reporter, and Adam Ward the cameraman, had wronged him before, reported AP. He then turned the gun on himself when police caught up to him two hours later, according to AP. The third one shot, Vicki Gardner, the executive director of the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, was reported to be recovering, reported AP.
Employees talked about Flanagan after the shooting, telling how he was set off by things that he imagined were real, reported AP. After being fired, he filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and filed a lawsuit, according to AP.
“I don’t think he did it intentionally for the attention, I think he thought that was his best choice with where he was in his life, and obviously he needed professional help,” said Rachel Richards, a junior studying marine biology from Utah.
“He needed do something to help the mental issues going on. I don't think he sat down one day and told himself, ‘Well, how about I shoot two people on live television so that everybody knows I’m so discriminated against.’ I don’t think it was that.”
“Even reporters who assume they’ll be safe when they’re on the scene can be endangered by someone,” said Kenzie Gilbert, a sophomore from Utah studying exercise and sports science. “I hate that we’re at a time where people are shooting and making all these scenes where they can get attention.”
Approaching the shooting, Flanagan had filled up his Facebook page with videos and photos designed to introduce himself to more people, and contacted ABC news that he had a story tip, reported AP. AP also reported he released a suicide note hours after he shot Parker and Ward, to explain his motives.
“It was really unnecessary,” said Gilbert. “If he has problems with people and he feels like he’s treated unfairly, there are different steps and actions he can do. I understand he didn’t have the same opportunities and was being discriminated against, but that’s no reason to do what he did.”
The following morning, WDBJ-TV opened their broadcast with a memoriam for their coworkers, Parker and Ward, said AP. They had a moment of silence for the two. Kim McBroom, the morning anchor whose shocked face the world saw following the broadcast, said it was “another tough morning for us, but we’re soldiering on,” reported the New York Times.
“It’s horrible when something like that happens,” said Richards. “[Parker] had just moved in with her boyfriend and [Ward] was engaged. I always think it's really sad when something like that happens and when it’s hard to heal from something like that.”