Tag Archives: roanoke

Adam Ward, the WDBJ cameraman who has horrifically murdered Wednesday morning, had a lot to look forward to. In April, Adam proposed to Melissa Ott, a producer at the Roanoke, Virginia, television station. Devastatingly, Ott was working in the control room watching the live video feed when her finance was murdered.  The 27-year-old cameraman was killed along with his co-work and WDBJ reporter Alison Parker. They were filming a live broadcast in Virginia when a gunman shot and killed both Ward and Parker. As Ward lay dying, he was able to capture an image of the shooter. The image that Ward caught helped the authorities identify the shooter as Vester L. Flanagan. Ward proposed to Ott in April.  A picture of the couple’s engagement was posted to Ward’s Facebook page earlier this year. Because Ott also works for the station, she witnessed the brutal murder live as it broadcasted in the station’s control room. Needless to say, Ott is shattered that she lost her fiancé so unexpectedly and in such a horrific way. Flanagan uploaded two videos on Twitter showing the graphic murders.  He posted the footage on his Twitter account under his pseudonym Bryce Williams. The Twitter account was quickly suspended, and the videos were removed. One video shows Flanagan filming himself as he approaches Parker.  Parker was interviewing a woman on-air when Flanagan displays his gun and Parker screams. In the second video, Flanagan is seen shooting at Parker, and she tries to run away. Six shots are fired before the video ends. Flanagan once worked for the same station.  He claimed that Parker “made racist comments” and that “Adam went to hr on me after working with me one time!!!” The general manager of WDBJ, Jeff Marks, described Flanagan as “an unhappy man” who “quickly gathered a reputation as someone who was difficult to work with.”  Flanagan was fired from the station. Marks disclosed that Flanagan filed an action with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming he was a victim of racism at the studio. But the EEOC “dismissed the claim out of hand, and that was that,” according to Marks. Flanagan fatally shot himself in the head as police began pursuing him. Reportedly, Flanagan faxed a 23-page document to the station, citing racism and homophobia.  The documents were turned over to authorities.

Read more:
Adam Ward’s Fiance Witnessed Shooting Live from Control Room