Both from the area were doing a live interview with a local tourism official when they were shot and killed on live television. The shooter later identified as 41yearold Vester Flanagan, a former wdbj employee fired years ago and went by the name Bryce Williams on air. Flanagan fled the scene. At 11 00 they found his gray mustang at the roanoke airport and he was later tracked by authorities in another car on i81 before finally being located on i66 in faquier county where authorities tried to pull him over. The car went off the road and he shot himself and died at Inova Fairfax hospital. Now part of the investigation will include a lengthy letter sent by flanagan to abc news where he expresses anger about the Charleston Church shooting calling himself a powder keg ready to go boom. It goes to show where the gentlemans minds was the night before or what was taking place there that there was forethought given to the chain of events that would happen. Jeff the sheriff says it was unknown if flanagan specifically targeted ward and parker. Vicki gardner also injured in the shooting and she is recovering in stable condition. She is surrounded by family and friends at an area hospital. Live in moneta, virginia, Jeff Goldberg, abc7 news. Leon all right, thank you, jeff. Now the tv industry is really like a family for those of us who are in it. Even those of us who work at smaller stations in tight knit communities at abc7. All communities like wdbj. We learned more about who they were when they werent at work and brad bell has more of their lives and the stories. Easy to see how so many take this so personally. Brad absolutely. These were young people doing what we do. It has had an impact on our industry. Really Community Wide this is being felt. We want to go right now and show you a live picture of a memorial that is now growing and building outside the roanoke tv station, wdbj. Where the two young people worked. Alison parker only worked on air for about a year. But she had grown very popular. She worked the morning shift. She did stories that made people feel good about the Community Like today. She was talking about the vacation area here. Smith mountain lake. We know she was involved in a relationship with a coworker, another anchor at that station. As for the camera man, well, he is also familiar to the community. Adam ward, his name. 27 years old. He wasnt just behind the camera. On occasion he appeared in front of the camera and we are told when he got that opportunity he loved to go on and tell his stories. He was engaged to the producer of todays morning newscast. The woman who was in the booth running the show and who witnessed this murder. Amazingly the crew of this tv station carried on. They actually had to report the deaths of their colleagues, their friends, their loved ones. I cannot tell you how much they were loved. Alison and adam by the wdbj7 team. We are all in a state of shock here. You can hear people behind us in the newsroom crying. Its just really hard. Its really hard to even comprehend. We cover these things all the time. But its really tough. She says we cover these things all the time and hard to talk about when theyre strangers. Its brutally difficult to talk about it when its their loved ones they were describing. The producer today was her last day on the job. She was leaving. Adam ward also planned to leave the area and go with her. As Jeff Goldberg said earlier both of them from the area. They had their roots here. They were part of the fabric of the community. In moneta, brad bell, abc7 news. Leon all right. Thank you, brad. Also makes the story so striking is the suspected gunman Vester Flanagan was also at one time a member of that family there. He now, though, is dead. Apparently after taking his own life. This happened after a chase with Law Enforcement on i66 in faquier county. After his car crashed, he was rushed off to Inova Fairfax hospital. Jay korff continues the Team Coverage now with the information we are learning about flanagan. Apparently, jay, leaving words behind in his own hand. Jay indeed, leon. A lot of disturbing information to tell you. Seemingly troubled life ended here this an. At Inova Fairfax hospital. You know the helicopter transported his critically injured body, touched down at 1 11 p. M. We have that video. It was only about 15 minutes later that he was pronounced dead. At 1 26 p. M. Now the painstaking work of trying to understand and determine a motive. Get this, wdbj general manager jeff marks says that flanagan who went by the name Bryce Williams on air as a reporter was troubd, an angry employee. Difficult to work with. When he was dismissed he was escorted out of the building by security. Fellow coworkers were so concerned about their safety. This official says that flanagan filed an eeoc complaint alleging that racial comments had been directed at him. Station management quite frankly believed that these remarks by flanagan were actually fabricated. And that eeoc officials actually dismissed this claim. Also, yankee said they receive also, abc news said they received wednesday morning two hours after the shooting what they believe to be flanagans manifesto. Now the writings and what is believed to be a suicide note have not been independently verified but its 23 pages of ramblings, laced with allegation of wrongdoing and hatred directed at the author. The author claims he was bullied and harassed because he is a gay black man and expressed rage over the recent South Carolina Church Shooting that claimed nine africanamericans lives. There is a quote i will read to you. This is from the manifesto. The author says, yes, it will sound like i am angry. I am. I have every right to be. When i leave this earth, the only emotion i want to feel is peace. Another quote, the Church Shooting was the tipping point. But my anger has been building steadily. I have been a human powder keg for a while just waiting to go boom. One last ver important critical detail uncovered by the iteam joce sterman and lynn davis. They said flanagan filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against station after he was let go. February 1, 2013. In it says as he was being escorted out by the Roanoke Police officers he was yelling and screaming at employees. One of the employees, one of the victims adam ward who was recording with some recording device this confrontation. Live in fairfax, jay korff, abc7 news. Leon thank you, jay. Abc7 is committed to keeping you informed on the deadly shooting and the motivations behind this. We will bring you more as we get it. Expect more on the manifesto at world news tonight after abc7 news at 6 00. Maureen how can americans stomach a deal with a country like that . Leon our Maureen Bunyan goes toe to toe with the president. The topic is the controversial deal with iran. Plus, the national zoo talks to us about the breakk news from there today, the death of one the d. C. Panda cubs. Doug another day with sunshine, low humidity. How many more days to come before heat and the humidity returns . I have it in the forecast as abc7 news at 6 00 continues. Stay with us. Wow. This thank you. Ectacular. We worked with a designer from havertys for a complete refresh. You must be happy to get out of that tiny house . Yeah you know when we realized how great the furniture could be, we knew we wanted more space. How much more space . We went from a hundred square feet to. Three thousand whispers three thousand we still have the original structuture. She uses it as a yoga studio. Its more like a tool shed. Refresh your space with an extra onehundred dollars off every thousand at havertys. Plus enjoy thirtysix month, nointerest financing. Havertys. Discover something you. Leon more breaking news. This time from the national zoo where the smaller of the twin panda cubs born over the weekend has died. Chris papst just spoke with the zookeepers there. Chris, what can you tell us . They have to be disappointed. Chris well, they very much are, leon. Its very rare for pandas in captivity to have offspring and its even more rare to have twins and both of them survive. So to a certain extent this was expected. Director the zoo told me today they feel this is a success even though one of the panda died. The smaller of the two pandas that weighed 3 ounces whenth was born on safed, the other one weighed 4. 8 ounces. Died 2 05 this afternoon. Up until this morning both cubs were doing very well. They were switching them back and forth between the mom so the mom would fete used to handling both of them, not just one of them. But something happened and by the early afternoon they couldnt keep the second one alive. They had to let it go. This is a big loss for the zoo. But the director said they also learned a lot from the panda that tied today so that the future pandas may survive. When we receive back the result from the pathology, depending what they identify may alter how we handle the next panda cub. Well share that with our partners. Chris as far as the other panda is concerned, the other cub. Were told it is robust and doing well and the zoo is optimistic for its future. Live at the national zoo, chris papst, abc7 news. Leon all right. Thank you, chris. Up next here at 6 00 maureen more challenging, obamacare or the Iran Nuclear Deal . I asked the president about that today. My exclusive interview coming up. This is another example of gun violence that is becoming all too common in communities large and small, all across the United States. Leon there you have it. White house responding to the deadly shooting of the tv reporter and the photographer this morning near roanoke. We are staying on top of the story and we will bring you new developments as soon as we learn them right here. This is unfolding as Maureen Bunyan was speaking with the president about a crucial issue for america and the entire world. Maureen is standing by at the white house to tell us more about that. Maureen maureen this was such an important issue to the white house. It took the United States and the International Community nearly two years to come to an agreement that effectively keeps iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. This could become major part of the president s legacy. He has three weeks to sell the deal to the american people. How can americans stomach a deal with a country like that . President obama because we dont want them to get nuclear weapons. Its precisely because iran has been so antagonistic to us, friends of ours like israel. Maureen president obama telling me today while dealing with a country whose people chant death to america is the most promising way to keep them in check. President obama it doesnt mean we trust iran. It means that we set up such a vigorous system to inspect and verify they are not getting a nuclear weapon, making them shut down facilities that would give us cause for concern, that we and most Nuclear Experts are able to see into what they are doing. Maureen as a result, he is working the phone daily, pressing on the fence lawmakers to get on board, aware there is no shortage of skeptics on capitol hill, members who could derail the man. A little arm twisting here and there we understand. President obama the truth is, this is probably going to be challenging but not as challenging as getting the Affordable Care act done. Maureen israels Prime Minister chief among the critics. Ambassador ron dermer says the argument is a simple one. Moses didnt have these numbers. You have overwhelming opposition in israel. If as the deals proponents argue this deal was blocking irans path to nuclear weapon, dont you think everyone in israel would embrace such a deal . Maureen the alternative, president obama insists, no monitoring of Irans Nuclear facility and possibly putting in jeopardy any International Support for any future deal. President obama the politics of the things today is different from politics a year or two years from now when people see we have been able to shut off Iran Nuclear Program from advancing in a way that could pose a threat to us. Maureen you may remember the president was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in the first team in office. Some people thought he was given that prize prematurely. Now if this Iran Nuclear Deal goes through the president may finally have earned the peace prize. By the way, you can see the entire interview with president obama online at wjla. Com. Leon . Leon thank you, maureen. Nice work there. Nice work to this young man here, as well. What a Beautiful Day out there doug only good news we have got for you is the weather. Sadly the truth. But its the same pattern for the past couple of days. A couple more Beautiful Days and then the heat and the humidity comes back for the weekend. Lets get you started with a live look. Is this gorgeous or what . Rockville Montgomery College campus. 75 degrees there. If there is a down side with the error pattern when its dry we have huge pollen count. Today ragweed is making the story. Of all the pollen ground counted for weeds today 80 was just ragweed. We have several more weeks of that at the high levels as well. No worries at all. This evening is good. Nats tonight going for four currently ws in a row so the numbers will stay in 70s in the game. Pleasant. Pitch perfect weather. 70s across the board. Most spots stay in the 70s more hours. Later tonight we drop in 60s. Just like this morning tomorrow morning is still, clear, quiet. The coolest air continues west of the mountains because of the circulation of the atmosphere. Cool air there. Its warm and hot in spots but not overly hot anywhere in the country. Calm weather pattern because of the gigantic area of high pressure. This is the center of it. This is spread out all over the place. To the east is the leading edge. We call this a cold front. Not much colder but dry air behind it. The low pressure over northern and the southern section of canada. The two Work Together to bring dry air in day after day. The high will move eastward. As it does toward the weekend the heat and the humidity comes back. Tonight is gorgeous. 56 to 66 degrees. That is the range under partly clear skies. Tomorrow is sunny and pleasant again. The temperatures are 84. Partly cloudy skies. Northwesterly winds at 5 miles per hour. I told leon a minute ago the heat and the humidity is coming back. You will see in the sevenday when it happens. Heat picks up on saturday. 88. Sunday, monday, tuesday, hot and humid around 90 degrees. Because the heat and the humidity each day with the southerly winds 30 chance each afternoon of the scattered showers and the thunderstorms. That is the latest. Leafion leon and robert. Leon more bad news. Robert junior galette. A report says its his ace keels. We look at the injury. Nats are playing well but so are the mets. Too little too late . We preview that next in sports. Announcer now the toyota sports desk brought to you by your local toyota dealers. Robert tough news to report about the redskins new pass rusher junior galette. The redskins say he was carted off the field late after todays practice at redskins park. This is after galette suffered an apparent injury to his left ankle foot area. According to head coach jay gruden there is a good chance galette wont make his debut saturday against the ravens. Gruden said he is very concerned about the injury and multiple reports say they fear galette has torn his achilles. Coach gruden at the end of practice running around the corner and went down. He is not the type of guy that would lay down if there was nothing. Im very concerned. With the achilles and things you can never tell. Sometimes they just give out. He is a strong guy and young. He will bounce back and come back stronger. Robert hoping for the best. Nats continue the series with the padres. Gonzalez will try to lead the nats to fourth straight win. Speaking of that, since he returned from the d. L. , Stephen Strasburg on august 8 allowed five earned run in 2 innings with 32 strikeout and three walks. The only nats starting pitcher with e. R. A. Of below 4. 0 this month. Hopefully not too little too late with the good pitching there. All right. Strass has gone 31 since coming back from the d. L. Not only that, you see the nats with the full lineup in there. You saw what happened. Even samerman smacking a grammy. Leon we need it 15 more times. That is what we need. Doug talk about the weekend at the beaches. We start with that. Its sweet. Low 80s. 80 degrees. Maryland delaware beaches. Warmer at outer bank of virginia beach. Water temperature upper 70s. A lot of sun for the upcoming weekend. Loaf callly we expect sunshine. Comfortable weather thursday and friday. Increase the humidity and the heat on saturday, sunday, monday, afternoon showers and storms. We have more at 11 00. Leon world news tonight up next with the coverage of the attack that killed the reporter and p. Tonight, deadly shooting targeted on tv. A young reporter and her cameraman gunned down. The shooter, a former coworker stalked them from behind, opened fire on live tv and taped it all himself. The gunmans motive, range, race. We have the document he sent before the shooting. Team coverage tonight. Donald trumps Heated Exchange kicking out a top journalist, grilling him about his immigration plan. On the stand, the former student accused of raping a girl at an elite prep school makes his case. Did he convince the jury. And ten auto makers face a major lawsuit. The new device used by millions of americans, why some say it may be putting lives at risk
comparemela.com © 2020. All Rights Reserved.