six years ago a tv news journalist and station photographer were killed by a former co-worker while reporting live for virginia station wdbj. and now video of the deadly attack of alison parker and adam ward surfaced on social media, some of it taken by the gunman himself. and yearste continues to surface forcing their loved ones to relive the terrible day. and now parker s father is calling on the ftc to take action against facebook. posting content, violence content, and murder on social media is not free speech. it is savagery. as you all know, allison s murder shared on facebook, instagram and youtube is just
take this on and i promise you, and i ve said this time and again, these people are messing with the wrong family. we re going to effect a change and it s going to happen and we need people like senator murphy and governor mcauliffe courageous to stand with us. the general manager is speaking out about how the tragedy has affected their jobs and how they cover stories. let s go to polo sandoval. it will be an interfaith memorial in roanoke and a relatively large venue. the two families, the parker and ward families, are expected to have a more private memorial later in the week. so this is their way and really that station wdbj s way of allowing members of the community to take part in this.
because we just returned from roanoke, virginia, and i can tell you there is this constant support we ve seen from the community. people, strangers alike, that have been stopping by the studios there where adam and really his co-worker actually worked, alison, and dropping off really just a sign of support. so we do expect in the next hour this memorial to begin shortly, expect several speakers including jeffrey marks and other people as well. fred? in addition to the memorial service, it makes everyone take pause. at the same time, the television station, wdbj, is also having to make some adjustments. this has been a very difficult time for them. in what way, why is your understanding, how they are trying to resume, you know, their routine news gathering business yet, at the same time, they are grieving? i can tell you, that s on the minds of not just folks at that
story that that local used in station wdbj will to cover while being at the center of it. they had to first report the news here and then grieve publicly, all in real-time. all on live television. we are following breaking news this morning. news that has affected our wdbj family very deeply. our morning crew was live this morning at smith mountain lake when shots were fired at 6:45. kim, it is my very, very sad duty to report that we have determined through the help of the police and you were on employees that alison and adam died this morning shortly after 6:45 when the shots rang out. the gunman, state police, the suspected gunman, the virginia state police caught up with on instate 66 in fauquier county, a former employee who was let go two years ago whose legal name is vester flanagan.