Im George Stephanopoulos in for david tonight. We want to get right to that deadly shooting in virginia. A gunman targeting two young journalists with cameras rolling, theirs and his. Two journalists killed, another victim expect to survive. The gunman killed himself after a police chase. Well never know why he set out not just to murder but to broadcast the crime on live tv and by filming it himself for social media. Something we wrestled with today, whether to grant the gunman his last wish by playing his video. We will not. Our Team Coverage starts with jim avila. Reporter a live tv interview on local tourism fatally interpreted. No warnings, just bullets followed by screams. After the victims fall, the shooters image briefly captured on camera before he flees. The anchor back in the studio is stunned. I heard a pow, pow, pow and it did not register that it was gunshots. It probably should have but shes doing a little feature at the at the lake. Reporter in the control room, the new
Flanagan fled the scene even stopping at the roanoke airport to switch cars. He was spotted by a state trooper on interstate 66. As that trooper approached, flanagan shot himself. It was only a minute or two later when the sonic ran off the road into the median. Flanagan was flown from the scene to Inova Fairfax hospitals where he died. Reporter the killer was 41. His victims were 24 and 27 both at the start of their careers and lives. Hay, everyone, im Alison Parker. Reporter parker was 24 and the reporter colleagues called a rock star. She grew up outside roanoke and treasured her family. She talked about them in this recent facebook video. My hobby is whitewater kayaking. Its something that my family does all the time. Reporter she was dating coworker and wdbj anchor chris hurst. The last thing she said to me was good night sweet boy. Reporter adam ward landed his job as a cameraman four years ago. Ward was engaged to the morning news producer, melissa ott who watched the horrifying
Doing a backflip just feet from tourists. The incredibly rare jump caught on camera. Jump we do say good morning, america, on this wednesday morning. That never happens to me when i go out on a whale watch. Occasionally i get a wave of a flipper. This was an incredible sight for those whale watchers. Very few people have seen Something Like that. And what did we see on the campaign trail yesterday with donald trump . He is again making headlines. He sure is from that key state of iowa facing off with americas top latino journalist over immigration. His controversial plan is getting all kinds of support and criticism. Were going to speak to that reporter, jorge ramos, in a moment. First abcs tom llamas was in the room for the fireworks and starts us off. Reporter george, good morning to you. Let me set the scene for our viewers. Donald trump had just started his News Conference last night. He was asking a couple of questions when suddenly jorge ramos who is the main anchor for univision
This is a breaking story. Lets go to sam sweeney and the newsroom. Us . Can you tell we have learned the shooter has taken his own life. This story is changing by the minute. As you said, he has taken his life. Cnn reporting he did this as lawenforcement officials approached him on66. In the last hour, as you also mention, the suspect in the shooting posted a cell phone video of him apparently shooting the reporter and in the cameraman. We are not going to show you this video, but i can to you it is horrific. He shoots the reporter multiple times. She runs away. In the video goes black. He posted this on his twitter within the last half hour. He also posted about his history he had with adam and allison, the reporter and photographer he allegedly shot. He reported alison and racist remarks and the photographer went to hr after only one time working with him. In the last half hour twitter and facebook have suspended his accounts. The suspect him his name is Vester Flanagan, a 41yearold
Hospital. This gentleman was disturbed in some way, the way things transpired at some point in his life. I would appear things were spiraling out of control. Jeff he sent a 23page letter to abc news saying he was motivated by the racism shown in the recent Charleston Church shooting and expressing admiration for the guantanamo in the Virginia Tech and the columbines many kers. Columbines massacres. The colleagues are forced to mourn as they continue covering the news. We are in a state of shock here. You can hear people behind us in the newsroom crying. Its hard to its really hard to even comprehend. Jeff parkers boyfriend the wdbj evening anchor tweeted the heartbreak and a picture calling alison the most radiant movie he ever met and consoling adam wards fiancee who worked as a producer at the station. I cant tell you much they were loved by the wdbj7 team. They both were in love with other members of the team here. Our hearts are broken. Jeff Vicki Gardner the tourism official who w