The Killing Of Alison Parker and Adam Ward on Live Television

Reporter Alison Parker and her cameraman, Adam Ward, showed up at work on August 26, 2015, prepared to go on television.

In Roanoke, Virginia, Parker worked for the regional news station WDBJ7. Parker and Ward were in Moneta on that particular day to speak with Vicki Gardner, the chamber of commerce's executive director.

However, gunshots broke out in the middle of the interview.

A shooter opened fire on Parker, Gardner, and Ward as the camera kept transmitting live. All three of them dropped to the ground, with Ward’s camera catching a brief glimpse of the shooter.

The last seconds of Alison Parker’s life were also captured by her killer, who posted the footage online.

The Killing Of Alison Parker and Adam Ward on Air

Alison Parker was raised in Martinsville, Virginia, where she was born on August 19, 1991. Parker started an internship at WDBJ7 in Roanoke after graduating from James Madison University, and in 2014 she was offered a coveted position as a correspondent for the channel's morning show.

Parker and Ward prepared for their assignment to cover the 50th anniversary of the neighboring Smith Mountain Lake on the morning of August 26, 2015. Parker interviewed Vicki Gardner about the events.

Then, in the middle of the live broadcast, a man dressed in black and carrying a gun approached.

At 6:45 a.m., the gunman fired from his Glock 19 at Alison Parker. Then, he turned the weapon on Adam Ward and Vicki Gardner, who was shot in the back after she curled into a fetal position in an attempt to play dead.

The shooter fired 15 times in all. As the camera kept broadcasting, it recorded the victims' agonized screams.

The shooter fled, leaving a chaotic scene behind. Journalists in the studio tried to digest what they had just seen.

Parker and Ward were already dead when officers arrived at the shooting scene. Gardner was brought to the hospital in an ambulance. Following an emergency procedure, she lived.

Alison Parker had turned 24 just days before the shooting that took her life. She died from gunshot wounds to her head and chest, while Ward died from shots to his head and torso.

Why the Gunman Did It

Alison Parker's stunned coworkers at the news organization watched the horrifying video while focusing on the shooter. They were horrified when they realized who he was.

“Everybody who was gathered around it said, ‘That’s Vester,'” general manager Jeffrey Marks said. They immediately called the sheriff’s office.

The shooter, Vester Lee Flanagan, once worked for WDBJ7 – until the station fired him. Coworkers had complained to the station of “feeling threatened or uncomfortable” around him.

Furthermore, Flanagan's firing by a news organization wasn't unprecedented. Years ago, he was fired from another station for making threats against staff members and engaging in "bizarre behavior."

Flanagan had a history of being explosive and confrontational while working at WDBJ7. The station sacked him in 2012, less than a year after hiring him. He had to be led out of the structure by police.

It appears that the irate reporter had planned the shooting and leased a car to get away from the scene. However, after several hours had passed and authorities were looking for him, the murderer tweeted his confession.

Alison Parker and Adam Ward were his targets, according to Vester Lee Flanagan, because neither wanted to work with him. The murderer said that Ward went to human resources "after dealing with me once!!!"

Flanagan uploaded videos of the shooting to his Facebook page at 11:14 a.m. The graphic video rapidly went viral on social media.

Vester Lee Flanagan then crashed his automobile, shot himself in the head, and died as the police closed in.

The families of Alison Parker and Adam Ward, along with their WDBJ7 colleagues, held a memorial service for the journalists.