The gunman who killed two Virginia television journalists on air carried out a well-planned assault and identified with mass murderers and the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, authorities said on Friday.
The shooter, Vester Flanagan, gave no sign of his destination or next move when he fled after gunning down the journalists from Roanoke station WDBJ7 on Wednesday, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
“It is evident that Wednesday morning’s attack was well-planned and premeditated” and Flanagan apparently acted alone, the statement on the shooting investigation said.
Flanagan, a former station employee, fired 17 rounds from a .40 caliber Glock pistol when he attacked reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward as they were conducting a live interview at Smith Mountain Lake in southwest Virginia, the statement said.
Flanagan shot himself during a police chase in northern Virginia and died. The woman who was being interviewed was wounded and hospitalized.
Evidence and his writings show that Flanagan “closely identified with individuals who have committed domestic acts of violence and mass murder, as well as the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S.,” said the statement. Almost 3,000 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks.
The statement said two Glock pistols were recovered from Flanagan’s rental car. No other firearms have been found.
The on-air killings have brought renewed calls for gun control in the United States and in Virginia, where the National Rifle Association gun lobby is headquartered.
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, vowed to press ahead with legislation on background checks for gun buyers, although the Republican-led legislature has rejected his gun control efforts.
Citing a federal law enforcement source, USA Today said Flanagan had legally bought the handguns. He passed a background check despite his apparent emotional problems, it reported.
In a fax to ABC News the day of the shooting, Flanagan, who was black, called himself a “powder keg” over what he saw as racial discrimination. He was fired from CBS affiliate WDBJ7 in 2013.
A search warrant for Flanagan’s rental car said police were tipped to him when he sent a text message to a friend “making reference to having done something stupid.”
In the car, police found a pistol, 9mm ammunition, more magazines and a pistol case. Other items included stamped letters, a to-do list and briefcase with three license plates, a wig and sunglasses, the warrant said.
(Reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington; Additional reporting by Laila Kearney in New York; Editing by Susan Heavey and Eric Beech)
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The “father” of the reporter who was supposedly shot in Virginia (live on TV) , the man named Andy Parker, he is an actor.
They are now saying the lady who was shot on live tv actually ran to a waiting nearby ambulance.
Also saying the reporter was shot in the head as well…
The woman who as shot (being interviewed) says that the “shooter” was WEARING BODY ARMOR!??? Says the camera lights were in her eyes, so she couldn’t see the “shooter” right there.
What was an ambulance doing there? How could she run to the parking lot out front?
This whole Virginia “live tv shooting” story is falling apart.
Looks like it was one gigantic hoax.
Live chat going to start at 9pm Eastern time regarding this Virginia false flag media “live tv shooting” hoax issue.. recommended attendance for all parties interested.
If you’re a viewer or reader, you can listen and chat in the chat room with the live video here:
If The Federal Government Won’t Intercede In Our Affairs, Then We MUST Rise Up
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The gunman responsible for the live on air shooting of reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward said part of his motivation for the attack was Parker making “racist comments.”
The suspect, identified as Vester Flanagan, otherwise known as Bryce Williams, was a disgruntled ex-employee of news network WDBJ.
In an extraordinary series of tweets, which included point of view videos Flanagan posted of himself shooting Ward and Parker, the gunman said that Parker had made “racist comments”.
“They hired her after that?” Flanagan subsequently tweeted.
Twitter suspended the account within minutes of the tweets being posted.
Flanagan also sued the NBC network for racism.
#WDBJ shooting suspect Vester Flanagan went by Bryce Williams. Previously sued for racism. pic.twitter.com/6YuUUCCuaS
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) August 26, 2015
The gunman later shot himself following a police manhunt.
WARNING: EXTREMELY DISTURBING VIDEOS
Raw Footage Shooter’s Uploaded Video
Media ‘conflicted’ since TV shooter is black
If the federal government won’t intercede in our affairs, then we MUST rise up and kill those who kill us
In the aftermath of today’s latest tragic shooting of two Virginia reporters which was both caught live on tape — the deceased cameraman’s tape — and in a video clip uploaded by the alleged shooter who has since also passed away, the question asked by everyone is why did what he did. We now have the answer.
According to ABC, a man claiming to be Bryce Williams called the news tation over the last few weeks, saying he wanted to pitch a story, and wanted to fax information. He never told ABC News what the story was. This morning, a fax was in the machine (time stamped 8:26 a.m.) almost two hours after the shooting.
A little after 10 a.m., he called again, and introduced himself as Bryce, but also said his legal name was Vester Lee Flanagan, and that he shot two people this morning. While on the phone, he said authorities are “after me,” and “all over the place.” He hung up. ABC News contacted the authorities immediately and provided them with the fax.
In the 23-page document faxed to ABC News, the writer says “MY NAME IS BRYCE WILLIAMS” and his legal name is Vester Lee Flanagan II” He writes what triggered today’s carnage was his reaction to the racism of the Charleston church shooting:
“Why did I do it? I put down a deposit for a gun on 6/19/15. The Church shooting in Charleston happened on 6/17/15…”
“What sent me over the top was the church shooting. And my hollow point bullets have the victims’ initials on them.”
It is unclear whose initials he is referring to. He continues, “As for Dylann Roof? You (deleted)! You want a race war (deleted)? BRING IT THEN YOU WHITE …(deleted)!!!” He said Jehovah spoke to him, telling him to act.
Later in the manifesto, the writer quotes the Virginia Tech mass killer, Seung Hui Cho, and calls him “his boy,” and expresses admiration for the Columbine High School killers.
“Also, I was influenced by Seung–Hui Cho. That’s my boy right there. He got NEARLY double the amount that Eric Harris and Dylann Klebold got…just sayin’.
In an often rambling letter to the authorities, and family and friends, he writes of a long list of grievances. In one part of the document, Williams calls it a “Suicide Note for Friends and Family”.
He says has suffered racial discrimination, sexual harassment and bullying at work.
He says he has been attacked by black men and white females.
He talks about how he was attacked for being a gay, black man
“Yes, it will sound like I am angry…I am. And I have every right to be. But when I leave this Earth, the only emotion I want to feel is peace….”
“The church shooting was the tipping point…but my anger has been building steadily…I’ve been a human powder keg for a while…just waiting to go BOOM!!!!”.
And to think it was only August 4 when we wrote that Nation of Islam’s Louis Farrakhan urged the black community to “rise up and kill those who kill us”…
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