Within hours, posted that video to facebook. As police searched for flanagan, investigators say he was live tweeting derogatory remarks about the victim. Late this morning, Virginia State Police Spotted the suspects car on i66, in northern virginia. The sonic ran off the road into the median. When trooper neff approached the vehicle, she found flanagan suffering from a self inflicted gunshot wound. Reporter hours later, flanagan was pronounced dead. As investigators searched for answers, families and coworkers remembered their loved ones. They were special people, and t leo said, would brighten up a esom every morning. As investigators search for a motive, they may get some clues from a 23page manifesto faxed re abc news after the shooting by someone using the name of the suspect. It says flanagan was driven crtly by a recent massacre at a ndack church in south carolina. Back to you. Peggy, thank you. Common to see around here and across the country a tv crew mnng a live report. We ts
Firefighters are up in the air and on the ground putting water on the fire. Ambulances are standing by. Lots of interest in the neighborhood here. I talked with one neighbor who did hear an explosion and then saw a lot of flame. You can see from our live that was jean elle reporting live near the scene at this gas explosion. Apparently we have lost her signal. Again, shes about two blocks from this area, right at the lawrence expressway and point siena avenue, white oak lane. As we told you, a woman apparently a woman, crashed her honda civic into the strip mall. That ruptured a gas line and now theres a fire in the strip mall. We understand one person has been sent to the hospital with smoke inhalation. Were keeping a close eye on this as firefighters try to close down this mall with the fire still going on. We have sent out breaking news alert about the explosion and fire this afternoon. If you want some of those updates on your smartphone, download the nbc bay area app. Chilling and
Flanagan ii. He killed a reporter and camera man live on the air in virginia today, and hes from the bay area. Flanagan cited the Church Shootings in South Carolina as one motivation for actions today. He described himself as a powder keg, ready to explode. And that is apparently what happened this morning when a reporter and photographer he used to work with were conducting a live interview. This is as much of the video we feel comfortable showing. He is described as a 41yearold disgruntled employee of the station. He shot himself after the pursuit and died a few hours later. Laura anthony is live with reaction from his family. Laura, lets start with you. Reporter that is right, dan. Flanagan lived and worked on the east coast, but he grew up in oakland and still has family here in vallejo. We heard from a very somber family spokesperson. Our thoughts and prayers at this time are with the victims families and Wdbj Television station family. Reporter a spokesperson for the family read
Dismissed him. And he did not take that well. Reporter abc news says it received a 23page fax from someone claiming to be flanagan. The writer said that he was attacked for being a gay black man, the fax also referring to the june Church Shooting in charleston, South Carolina saying the cheat shooting was the tipping point. He said i have been a human powder keg for a while just waiting to go boom the subject of the tv interview the woman being interviewed there vicki garner was wounded in the back and is expected to recover. But such a waste of life two talented people and so young. Thank you. We are learning even more about that gunman. Vester lee flanagan grew up in oakland and attended skyline high school. He graduated from sf state in 1995 with his degree in radio and television and worked here at kpix 5 in 1996 as a Production Assistant and before that he was an intern in our newsroom. Kpix 5s joe vazquez continues our coverage. He is in vallejo in front of the flanagan family ho
Vester flanagan, a former reporter at the station who grew up right here in the bay area. Flanagan posted his own video of the shooting. And later he killed himself as Police Closed in. Tonight, coworkers are remembering Alison Parker and her cameraman adam ward. Parker had just celebrated her 24th birthday. She had been at the station for a year. Ward had been at the local station for a few years. They were both thought of highly. They did great work every day and put their all into what they did. Im going to miss them. I heard one of my colleagues say alison was ambitious but in a good way, not ambitious to climb over people but ambitious to be successful with whatever it is she was assigned. Adam, um, was a wonderful person to be around. Consistently positive. A really good photojournalist, good shooter and editor. Vester flanagan was fired from the station in 2013. A picture is emerging of flanagan as an angry disgruntled employee nothing like the person people remembered back here