Reporter Alison Parker And Photographer Adam Ward Shot Dead During Live Broadcast, Vester Flanagan Sought As Alleged Shooter

Two local Virginia journalists – reporter Alison Parker and photographer Adam Ward – were shot dead while delivering a live broadcast early Wednesday morning.

Alison Parker And Adam Ward Shot Dead

At about 6:45 Wednesday morning, Parker was in the middle of interviewing a woman outside Moneta, Va., when they both heard the sound of gunfire, reported CNN. Parker suffered a fatal wound, as did Ward, whose producer fiancée was in the control room and witnessed the shooting live.

The woman Parker was interviewing, Smith Moutain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce executive director Vicki Gardner, is currently in surgery for a gunshot wound to the back.

The gunman has been identified as former WDBJ-TV reporter Vester Flanagan, reported the Washington Post. Flanagan was fired from the station after working there for about a year, reporting under the name Bryce Williams. Upon being fired, Flanagan had sued the TV station, alleging discrimination.

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe condemned the senseless killings and used them as an opportunity to call for stricter gun control laws in the United States.

“What a tragedy. We just finished a family vacation standing literally on the dock area, where we rented out boats. Such a beautiful site,” McAuliffe said. “There are too many guns in the hands of people who should not have guns. That  is why I’ve long advocated for background checks. … We’ve got, in America, we’ve got to come together. There’s too much gun violence in the United States of America.”