Via The Associated Press
Dateline Moneta, VA — A television reporter and cameraman were shot to death on the air during a live broadcast this morning by a gunman the governor described as a disgruntled station employee who was being chased by police on a nearby highway.
During an appearance on WTOP-FM’s “Ask the Governor” this morning, Gov. Terry McAuliffe said that law enforcement personnel have a photo of the suspect and that he was known to the victims.
Mr. McAuliffe said the shooter was believed to be a disgruntled employee of the TV station and was being chased by police on Interstate 64. The governor said his arrest should be “imminent.”
“It’s just a tragedy,” Mr. McAuliffe said.
Jeffrey A. Marks, general manager of WDBJ-TV, identified the two killed as Alison Parker and Adam Ward.
Video shows Ms. Parker interviewing an economic development official around 6:45 about tourism on Bridgewater Plaza in Franklin County, looking at the upcoming 50th anniversary festivities for Smith Mountain Lake.
The station said in a tweet shortly before the shooting that Ms. Parker was looking into the planning process for a celebration.
Ms. Parker was smiling when suddenly at least eight shots were heard. Ms. Parker screams, runs and can be heard saying, “Oh, my God.”
As the camera drops to the ground, it 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.
The station then switches back to a shot of an anchor back at the station, who appears shocked and says, “Okay, not sure what happened there. We will, of course, let you know as soon as we find out what those sounds were from.”
In a tweet, the station said: “We love you, Alison and Adam.”
Ms. Parker, just turned 24, 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, Ms. Parker spent most of her life outside Martinsville, Virginia. She was an avid kayaker and attended community theater events in her spare time.
Her boyfriend, WDBJ anchor Chris Hurst, said they hadn’t shared their relationship publicly but “were very much in love.” He said they had just moved in together and wanted to get married. She had just finished a special package on child abuse for the station, he said.
“I am numb,” he said.
The station’s website says Mr. Ward was 27 and a graduate of Virginia Tech. He was engaged to a producer at the station, Melissa Ott, said WDBJ spokesman Mike Morgan.
“Adam was our go-to guy. He pretty much was available to do anything that we asked,” Mr. Morgan said. “He did live shots during our morning show for several years.”
The station is based in Roanoke, and serves the southwest and central part of the state. The shopping mall where the incident happened is just off Smith Mountain Lake in Moneta, about 25 miles southeast of Roanoke.
Twenty schools in the area, which are attended by about 10,000 students, were placed on lockdown as a precaution, said Bedford County schools spokesman Ryan Edwards.