With the family how we do this. As Hillary Clinton weighs in on her potential new challenger. He should have the space and the opportunity to decide what he wants to do. What biden says it will take for him to enter the race. In his own defense, owen labrie takes the stand. I didnt have sex with her. Closing arguments set for today. Well be live at the courthouse. On alert. The southeastern u. S. Preparing for erika as the Tropical Storm strengthens. Could florida be in for its first hurricane in ten years . Today thursday, august 27th, 2015. Announcer from nbc news, this is today with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. Live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. Good morning, everyone. Welcome to today on a thursday morning. Matt is on assignment. Willie is here. I think were all in shock about what happened and unfolded at the television station in virginia. We have the latest on that shooting. Tributes pouring in this morning for adam ward and Alison Parker. They were shot and killed while live on the air. Vicki gardner, their guest at the time, is recovering in the hospital after undergoing energy surgery. We will talk to them in a few minutes. Were learning more this morning about the gunman, a selfdescribed human powder keg waiting to explode, who claimed the Charleston Church shooting was his tipping point. We have got it all covered this morning. Well talk to the stations general manager in a moment. Let us begin with nbcs Stephanie Gosk in roanoke. Good morning. Reporter good morning. Wdbj was back on the air, live this morning, covering a story about themselves and, at times, holding back tears. Overnight, there were candlelight vigils here. This is a tightnight news room. Adam ward and Alison Parker grew up here in virginia and were beloved. Now their community and colleagues are heart broken. We come to you with this morning with very heavy hearts. Two of our own were shot and killed during a live shot yesterday morning. Reporter a surreal morning of remembrance on wdbj, just 24 hours after two of their colleagues and friends were killed live onair their air. Real estate tourism. Reporter the horrific event began yesterday morning at 6 45 a. M. , when Vester Lee Flanagan approached Alison Parker and cameraman adam ward while they were live on air. Flanagan, a former station colleague of parker and ward, opened fire killing them both and wounding their guest, vicki gardner. As ward lay dying, his camera captured this image of flanagan. As the police pursued the shooter. Subject is a black male. Suspect is believed to be armed and dangerous. Use caution. Reporter he began live tweeting. First, citing grievances he had with parker and ward, and then posting two graphic videos of the shooting himself as flanagan took as he approached and killed the victims. We are only showing this image of them. A brief highspeed pursuit of flanagan followed. Police finding him in his car severely wounded with a selfinflected gunshot. As he was airlifted to a hospital, wdbj went back on the air at noon. We have determined through the help of the police and our employees that alison and adam died this morning shortly after 6 45 when the shots rang out. Reporter in a 23page documented in faxed in an abc news report back in new york, a man claiming to be flanagan said he had been discriminated against for being gay and motivated by a shooting at a Historic Black Church in charleston. Why did i do it . I put down a deposit for a gun on june 19th. The Church Shooting in charleston happened on june 17th. Ive been a human powder keg for a while, he wrote. Just waiting to go boom. As the days surreal and excruciating events settled, those closest began to mourn them, including parkers boifed boyfriend, wdbjs anchor chris hurst. Outside the apartment the couple had moved into together. Ill carry it with me for the rest of my life. Shes made these past nine months i shared with her the best time of her life. Reporter her father spoke with megyn kelly Late Wednesday night. She was extremely happy and she loved this guy with all her heart. Thats the toughest thing for me that, you know everybody she touched, loved her and she loved everybody back. Reporter there are so many details about this story that put a point on the tragedy. Adam ward was engaged to the morning producer here. Melissa ott. Last night, one of the anchors at the station tweeted that yesterday her Wedding Dress arrived in the mail. Savannah and willie, back to you. Unthey. Just unthinkable. Stephanie, thank you so much. As stefanie mentioned, new information has come to light about the gunman and his troubling past. Hallie jackson has that part of the story. Good morning. Reporter good morning, willie. Overnight at the crime scene a touching moment as visibly emotional wdbj employees packed up the live truck and drove it off. The shooters family out with with the new statement and sending thoughts and prayers to the victims as we learn more about who Vester Flanagan was. Today, new details about the man in this chilling image as we hear from Vester Flanagans family for the First Time Since wednesdays shooting. A friend reading this statement. It is with heavy hearts and deep sadness we express our deepest condolences to the families of Alison Parker and adam ward. We are also praying for the recovery of vicki gardner. Reporter the picture i merging of the 41yearold a man who felt under fire, filing complaints of racial discrim nation at jobs he held, including at wdbj 7. Flanagan known as Bryce Williams on air was oldered to contact an employee ordered to contact an Employee Assistance program after confrontations with photographers. He filed a lawsuit after he was fired two years ago, the day he was dismissed station files described how flanagan had to be physically lifted from his chair by management who called 911. Parts of his violent outburst recorded. The photographer adam ward who was killed wednesday morning. He seemed to have a short fuse. Something didnt go his way. He didnt fit in because people found it difficult to work with him. Reporter flanagan lived here in roanoke. Police are look for a four door toyota. Reporter posting his resume online, hired and fired at a station in tallahassee in 2000. As time went on, he kind of devovled into a difficult guy to work with, to the point he had such conflict going on with the studio crew for instance it became a physical thing. Reporter police say it appeared flanagans life had been spiraling out of control. The local sheriff here who knew both of these young journalists say the police are just in the beginning stages of what will be a very long investigation. Willie . All right, hallie jackson, thank you. Chris hurst was alison park parkers boyfriend and coworker and we have the general manager. Im sure you opened your eyes this morning and cant come to grips with what had happened. It seems so surreal. Chris and jeff, how are you doing this morning and how are you holding up . Were doing okay. The my greatest concern is about the news team. And theyre doing a marvelous job of holding it together. Doing the regular broadcast. Choking back some emotion, but but doing what needs to be done. The only thing that is helping us is that this is our job. This is what we do. We cover the news and do the news and its about us and its about two lives lost that were a part of this family. Two people who loved this job and loved their fiancee and boyfriend immensely. Two of us died yes ed in this business and we feel a sense of duty to celebrate their life and this arena for us feels more comfortable than others because this is what we do every single day. Chris, you were more than just coworkers with alison. You were in love and it sounds like you were in the magical moment of your relationship where it was starting out, and im sure that loss is so crushing this morning. Youre absolutely right. And adam and melissas love was just as white hot as mine is for alison and hers was for me. I am happy to know that yesterday when i sent her off and basically i would come home from doing the 11 00 news and would make her breakfast and pack her a lunch and give her a kiss goodbye as she drove off in her car and that was the last that i saw her and it was a great morning, and before that we celebrated her birthday on the river in north carolina. Her favorite place on earth. Where she went Whitewater Rafting with me, a close friend and her parents. It was the best time of her life. And she was just about to get started working on a new long form special report, a series of reports on hospice care in this area that she had just secured interviews for. She was looking forward to life. I was looking forward to a life with her. Jeff, you have the solemn duty of going on the air and telling viewers what had happened to alison and adam and adams camera caught a glimpse of the gunman up. Were there people who immediately recognized him . How was it that police were so quickly able to identify who this guy was . Our chief photographer said to me, you have to see this. Everybody was gathered around it said thats vester. I wasnt sure but they were. We immediately passed that on to the Franklin County sheriff. One of the most disturbing aspects of this is that as it was unfolding we had learned he actually videotaped this encounter and was posting it on social media. Chris, were you aware that that was happening, god forbid did you see it . No no no. And and what does it say that he would do such a thing . I dont know. He was obviously in a state of mind that was not reasonable or rational. So for me to speculate on his motivations for why, i think it does a disservice to alison and adam. I think that what we are starting to see is continued boldness from people who want to commit murders in cold blood for notoriety. And he did it to my sweet alison and he did it to adam and i just i have no words for him. I have no thoughts for him. My thoughts are of alison and. But we had month of anniversaries and here she said we were the cutest, newsiest, prettiest couple ever. And we are. And thats what my intention is today. She has scholarships already in her name at James Madison university for the school of media arts and design and for Patrick Henry community college. She barely even went there but she got College Credit because she was a whiz in calculus in high school. She was an excellent dancer, a gymnast, a great daughter and a sister and a boy friend and a lover and we were betrothed to each other. We had moved in at the beginning of august because we wanted to save up money to get a house and to get a ring. Well, chris, you have given her such a beautiful and eloquent tribute and she deserves all of those words and accolades and more, as does adam. Every picture i have seen, they have bright, shining faces and i know they were rising stars and so talented. It breaks our heart to have to share this news. Thank you for being here. It takes courage. I wouldnt have had these pictures if it wasnt for her. She made us take these pictures even when i didnt want to smile. She brought out a smile in me that i didnt know existed and im so thats what well have forever. Those are the images were going to remember. Chris, jeff, our love and prayers are with you in this terrible time. Thank you for being here. Thank you, savannah. And coming up, were going to talk to the husband of vicky gardener, the woman wounded in the shooting. Well hear his story as well. You listen to chris and jeff. We should pause and salute that station for the way it conducted itself over the last 24 hours with such grace and such professionali professionalism. Thats truly a familyabsolutely. He has made her come alive again to everybody. Well have much more on this story throughout the show. There is some other news this morning. Were hearing directly now from Vice President joe biden for the first time about his possible entry into the president ial race, and current democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton is weighing in as well. Kristen, good morning. Good morning. Secretary clinton continues her Campaign Swing through the midwest, democrats are gathering here in minneapolis for the Democratic National committees summer meeting. Many of the same members were on a Conference Call with Vice President joe biden on wednesday, who indicated just how much hes wrestling with the decision of whether to run for president. As secretary clinton courts voters in ohio today, new signs that Vice President biden may be struggling with whether to make his own bid for the white house. In a Conference Call with members of the Democratic National committee on wednesday, biden said hes still grieving over his son beaus recent death. Ive been giving this a lot of thought and dealing internally with the family. Biden also told the dnc members his family was trying to determine whether or not theres the emotional fuel at this time to run. And if i were to announce to run, i have to be able to commit to all of you that i would be able to give it my whole heart and my whole soul, and right now, both are pretty well banged up. This comes after secretary clinton weighed in on the mountain speculation for the first time in iowa on thursday, seeming to get personal. I was at his sons funeral. I cannot even imagine the grief and the heartbreak. Clinton said she had want spoken to bidens team, but added he deserves space to decide. He has to do what he has to do, but im going to continue with my campaign. Still, there is a groundswell of democrats who want biden to run, sensing the email scandal could make clinton vulnerable. On wednesday, she again found herself on defense for using a private server as secretary of state, and acknowledged she should have known better. I should have used two emails, one personal, one for work. And i take responsibility for that decision. In a new quinnipiac poll just out today shows secretary clinton is still the democratic frontrunner, but it also shows biden does better when matched against Top Republicans in a top election. Take a look at the nps. Biden tops donald trump 48 to 40 . Clinton tops trump 45 to 41 . Biden will undoubtedly be looking at those numbers as he continues to mull a decision, expected some time next month. Back to you. And the plot continues to thicken for the 2016 race. Kristen, thank you. Weather is a big story, too. Tropical storm erika strengthened overnight, and florida is beginning to prepare what could be its first hurricane in a decade. Actually, now the whole southeast may be under the gun for this. Were keeping an eye on it. His is the latest on what we see with erika after strengthening overnight. Right now, aerika over god uada. It has winds of 55 Miles Per Hour. Its moving west, still pretty quickly at 16 Miles Per Hour. Now, it still has challenges. Right now, we have Tropical Storm warnings up in puerto rico, Dominican Republic looking at this. 4 to 8 inches of rain possible for puerto rico. An upper level shear thats going to tear this thing apart. As it continues its forward motion, can it hold together . Then once it does, by the time we get into sunday, its into the warmer waters. 90 degree waters. That will start to strengthen it, sunday morning, 2 00 a. M. , at 60 Miles Per Hour. As it continues its trek to the west, starting to intensify. 70 miept winds by monday, 2 00 a. M. Tuesday 2 00 a. M. , its offshore. This cone of uncertainty, day four, 180 miles wide. Day five, 240 miles wide. So as you can see, the entire southeastern Atlantic Coast has ry about erica and will continue to track that. Were going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. Good morning. Im meteorologist kari hall. We have a clear sunrise today and clear blue skies and now temperatures in the mid 60s. Expect a high of 80 degrees today the in the east bay. The trivalley will be up to 99 degrees. Hot temperatures today. In the south bay 90 degrees, 85 in the peninsula, in San Francisco it will be 75, in the north bay look for a high of 92 degrees today and temperatures coming down a lot this weekend. And thats your latest weather. Al, thank you so much. Coming up more more on the journalist murdered on live television. And our conversation with the husband of the woman who survived that attack. Hell tell us how shes doing. And the former prep School Student accused of raping a younger classmate. He takes the trial. Did he help or hurt his case . Closing arguments are the clever toddlers who know what to do when mom catches them. Youve got this video youve got this video the feds taking a visa checkout is such an youve got this video the feds taking a easy way to pay online. Enter your username and password. A few clicks. And check out. Simple as that. 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