Suspected Newscast Gunman Shot Himself On Virginia Interstate

TPM Breaking News
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

The suspected gunman who shot and killed two Virginia journalists during a live newscast early Wednesday morning shot himself on Interstate 66 in Fauquier County, Virginia, hours later, state police told television station WDBJ.

There were conflicting reports on Wednesday morning about whether the suspect, Vester Lee Flanigan, had died. After initially reporting that he had died, WDBJ indicated that he remains alive. The station’s general manager reported on air that the suspect was in “very critical condition.”


Later on Wednesday afternoon, the Washington Post reported that Flanagan had died.

The alleged gunman was a former WDBJ employee who also went by the name Bryce Williams.

The alleged suspect uploaded videos of the shooting to Twitter and Facebook before the social media sites took down the accounts.

Two WDBJ journalists, Alison Parker and Adam Ward, were shot and killed during the live newscast early Wednesday morning.

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Virginia state police are now saying the gunman’s self inflicted wound is ‘life threatening’…not that he is deceased.

  2. Avatar for estamm estamm says:

    Sick fuck. Horrible.

  3. So, it turns out this was a disgruntled employee??? WTH! That is Messed Up.

    This would be one of the reasons I appreciate full time work at home positions. I remember working in the office. There were always one or two folk who everyone know might one day go postal. The kind of folk who had to take “anger management” classes and/or whose casual conversation usually involved their gun collection.

  4. Gunz iz gud for 'Merka! Fuk yeah!

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for estamm Avatar for austinite Avatar for cessnadriver Avatar for sherlock1

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: