On the morning of August 26, 2015, in the quiet community of Moneta, Virginia, 27-year-old cameraman Adam Ward was doing the job he was passionate about. He and reporter Alison Parker, 24, were conducting a live television interview for WDBJ7 at Bridgewater Plaza. The segment featured Vicki Gardner, the executive director of the local chamber of commerce, discussing the 50th anniversary of Smith Mountain Lake.
It was a routine morning broadcast that would soon turn into a national tragedy.
Without warning, a former colleague, Vester Lee Flanagan II, 41, approached the news crew and opened fire. The horrific attack was captured on Ward's still-recording camera as it fell to the ground, broadcasting the chaos live to viewers. Both Ward and Parker were fatally shot at the scene, while Gardner was wounded but survived. Flanagan, who used the on-air name Bryce Williams, had been dismissed from the station in 2013 for disruptive and volatile behavior.
Following the shooting, Flanagan fled, initiating a manhunt that lasted for hours. During this time, he posted his own videos of the murders on social media and sent a 23-page manifesto to another news organization, citing grievances against his former coworkers and claiming to be a victim of racial discrimination. In his writings, he specifically mentioned that Ward had reported him to human resources after they had worked together on one occasion. The chase came to an end when law enforcement cornered Flanagan, at which point he shot himself. He later died from the self-inflicted gunshot wound in a hospital. The investigation into the tragic event revealed a history of workplace conflicts and anger issues involving Flanagan, who had previously filed an unsuccessful discrimination lawsuit against the station.
