US reporter, cameraman shot dead on air

MONETA – A television reporter and cameraman were shot dead on the air during a live broadcast yesterday morning from a shopping center in Virginia.

Jeffrey Marks, general manager of WDBJ-TV, identified the two killed as Alison Parker and Adam Ward and called the shooting “a terrible crime against two fine journalists.”

Video shows Parker interviewing someone about tourism on Bridgewater Plaza in Franklin County. She was smiling when suddenly at least eight shots were heard. The camera drops to the ground and captures what appears to be a fleeting image of the shooter. The person is wearing black pants and a blue top and appears to be holding a handgun. Parker can be heard screaming.

The station then switches back to a shot of an anchor back at the station, who has a shocked expression on her face.

No arrests have been made. Police were looking for a certain Vester Flannigan, a co-worker of the victims, reports said.

In a tweet, the station says “We love you, Alison and Adam.”

Chris Hurst, an anchor at the Virginia TV station, says he was in love with Parker and that they wanted to get married.

The station’s website says Ward was 27 and a graduate of Virginia Tech.

Parker just turned 24 and attended James Madison University, where she was the editor of the school’s newspaper, The Breeze. She also had been an intern at WDBJ-TV.

According to her Facebook page, Parker was an avid kayaker and theatergoer.

The station is based in Roanoke, Virginia, and serves the southwest and central part of the state.

The shopping mall where the shooting happened is just off Smith Mountain Lake in Moneta, southeast of Roanoke.