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Reporter
Alison Parker (centre) and cameraman Adam Ward (right) were killed in the early
morning shooting
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A US gunman is on the
loose after killing two broadcast journalists in a shooting that was captured
on live television in Moneta, Virginia early Wednesday morning. WDBJ camearman Adam Ward
was filming reporter Alison Parker interviewing Vicki Gardner, the local
chamber of commerce director, for a light-hearted segment at a water park at
6:45am when about eight shots rang out. Screams are then heard as the women
duck and the camera falls to the floor. A person dressed in all black is then
seen standing nearby with what appears to be a gun raised in one hand pointed
at Ward.
The
general manager at the CBS station later came on the air to confirm Parker and
Ward's deaths. Parker was 24 and Ward was 27.
'It's
my very very sad duty to report... that Alison and Adam died this morning,'
WDBJ's general manager came on the air to say after the incident.
Daily Mail/CNN report continues:
Gardner
was also shot in the back in the attack and was taken to the hospital where she
was last reported in surgery.
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A
gunman is on the loose after apparently attacking a television crew during a
live broadcast early Wednesday morning in Moneta, Virginia. Above, a screen
grab of the moment the apparent shooter appears on the camera
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About
30 to 40 police officers are in the area, trying to track down the
shooter.
A
spokesman with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries confirmed
that half of their department are searching the scene on shoreline and
surrounding area for the shooting.
Meanwhile
the Dudley, Burnt Chimney and Windy Gap elementary schools as well as Bedford
County school have been placed on lockdown.
No
description of the suspect has been released yet.
According
to her bio at WDBJ7.com, Alison Parker was the station's morning reporter. A
local girl, Parker had spent much of her life outside Martinsville, about an
hour from where she was tragically gunned down Wednesday.
Prior
to her time at WDBJ, Parker worked near the Marine base Camp Lejeune for the
Jacksonville, North Carolina bureau of WCTI.
She
graduated from James Madison University just three years ago. While there, she
interned at the local ABC/Fox affiliate and was news editor for her
university's nationally recognized newspaper, The Breeze.
Photographer
Adam Ward was a Virginia Tech graduate who attended high school in Salem, less
than an hour from the scene of his murder.
The
two Virginia natives often worked together on WDBJ stories.
In
April, they traveled together to Appomattox for the 150th anniversary of the
end of the Civil War. In February, the station posted photos of the duo to
Facebook as they dressed up as bride and groom at a local bridal store.
According
to CNN, Adam was engaged to WDBJ morning news producer Melissa Ott. He's worked
at the station since 2011. Ott produced the ill-fated show.
It
was also her last for WDBJ and there had been a celebration that morning as she
prepared to move on to a station in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Ward
had planned to follow her.
Parker was also dating a
co-worker--one of the morning news show anchors, according to Heavy.com.
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