Double homicide in Franklin County, VA

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April 24 2017
Alexa Deo

ROANOKE, Va. At 6:43 a.m. this morning, 911 dispatchers received a call
reporting fired shots are the Bridgewater Plaza near Smith Mountain Lake in
Franklin County, Virginia. WDNJ journalists Alison Parker, 24, and Adam
Ward, 27, were both killed in the line of duty.

Parker and Ward were conducting an interview with the Executive Director of
the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, Vicki Gardner,
when suspect Vester Lee Flanagan II approached and fired shots.

Gardner is currently in stable condition at the Carillion Roanoke Memorial

Hospital, suffering from a gunshot to the back. Parker and Ward were
pronounced dead at the scene.

The suspect, 41-year-old Flanagan fled the scene before police arrived.
Around 11 a.m. Roanoke City Police Department located Flanagans 2009
Ford Mustang at the Roanoke Regional Airport. He fled the airport, however,
in a rented Chevrolet Sonic.

State troopers quickly located Flanagan on Interstate 81 in Fauquier County,

and tried to stop the vehicle with the help of local and state departments.
He would not stop, and sped away.

It was only a minute or two when the Sonic ran off the road and into the
median, said Sergeant Rick Garletts.

After finally approaching the vehicle, troopers found Flanagan with a self-
inflicted gunshot wound. He was airlifted to NOVA Hospital in Fairfax and
died around 1:30 p.m.

Parker and Ward were both Roanoke residents and grew up in this area.
Parker was a WDBJ News reporter, who interned two years prior to being
hired. She was dating anchorman Chris Hurst. Ward was engaged to WDBJ
producer Melissa Ott. Flanagan is a former WDBJ News employee as well,
known on air as Bryce Williams.

The investigation only begins, as information regarding Flanagans 32-page

manifesto being faxed to ABC News headquarters earlier this morning has
just surfaced.

The document mentions Flanagan feeling discriminated due to his African

American race and sexual identity at WDBJ. It also speaks of shootings at
the Charleston Church, which occurred two days before he purchased the
gun.

Yet, his motive for the shooting of Parker and Ward is unclear.

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