his name is vester flanagan. police were able to pursue and apprehend flanagan later in the day. this is new video, though, of how he was taken out of his vehicle after allegedly shooting himself. you can see on the top left of your screen he was taken out of that vehicle, but there is a stretcher then loading him into an ambulance. now, it was earlier today that there were reports by the virginia state police that flanagan was dead. it was shortly after noon that was adjusted and wdbj had reported, saying they were directly contacted by the virginia state police saying that he was alive and listed in kris cal condition. all of this started to unfold this morning after 6:45 a.m. when two local journalists from that station, wdbj, were doing a live shot for their early morning show. and that's when flanagan walked up on them, actually shot video of what he was doing from a first-person perspective, and opened fire on his former colleagues. 24-year-old alison parker and the videographer, 27-year-old adam ward. my colleague, frances rivera, is following the reaction we've been witne

vester flanagan went to skyline high school.days ago he tweeted out a picture of himself as a teen. back in oakland, neighbors say he's from a great family and his dad is a key part of the community neighborhood watch. >> i don't look at him as a murderer. he really did it and killed himself, but i don't look at it that way. >> community values. this area here, he went out of his way to make sure that this -- the community was safe and people were aware of one another's property. >> reporter: again, the flanagans are not talking on camera right now, but in a written statement they said words cannot describe the hurt they are feeling for the victim's families. reporting live, i'm jodi hernandez, nbc bay area news. >> it's an emotional story for all of us. >>> new at 6:00, a new issue is now jeopardizing the landmark deal between san jose and its police and firefighters. the city has nine more unions to make deals with. robert honda joins us from the san jose library. robert, it's under construction where you are. this is a notabl

bob, you talked to a man who grew up with flanagan. >> reporter: sam and kris, vester flanagan grew upn the oakland hills, lived in a house a couple miles from where we're at where his sister now lives. we just spoke with virgil barker who still lives across the street from that house who knew vester flanagan, watched him grow up in the family home as a little boy. barker tells us he still has fond thoughts of flanagan even though he is convinced flanagan did commit that horrific crime in virginia. barker couldn't believe what he saw as he watched the story develop this morning on tv. >> my neighbor from across the street, the little boy, we grew up together. i'm in shock right now. i'm devastated. i don't know what to say. >> reporter: what kind of person was he? >> very nice, demure. personab personable. he was on camera, wasn't he? >> uh-huh. >> okay. i haven't seen him in years. >> reporter: the last time he saw vester flanagan was about eight years ago at the funeral for flanagan's mother. barker tells us flanagan comes from a good family. they're all professional, college educate

we now know that is bryce williams, aka vester flanagan. police quickly arrive at the scene but the gunman is long gone. now heading down hardy road for about 25 miles to this fedex where he faxes to us at abc news that 23-page manifesto and suicide note. meanwhile back at the station -- >> we are following breaking news this morning out of franklin county. >> reporter: the rest of the news team struggles to balance grief and reporting. >> our wdjb crew was live this morning when shots were fired. >> reporter: what is it like, kimberly, to be on the other side? that's hard for a journalist. you're used to being detached. >> our job being journalists is hard and it's so important, but being on the other side is rough. >> reporter: and then at about 8:45 a.m., this solemn announcement to their viewers. >> it is my very, very sad duty to report that alison and adam died this morning shortly after 6:45 when the shots rang out. >> reporter: the 24-year-old reporter alison parker and her cameraman, 27-year-old adam ward killed on the job. the wom

a trooper spotted vester flanagan on i-66. despite speeding away he crashed minutes later, 190 miles from where he started. police radio recordings captured what happened next. [ indiscernible ] >> reporter: vester flanagan died at the hospital. he already posted his video of the shooting on social media. in a manifesto faxed to abc news vester flanagan said anger over the charleston church shootings drove him to kill his former colleagues and he said he was the target of racial discrimination and bullied at work but wdbj7 disputed the claims. >> he was looking out for people to say things he could take offense to. he -- and -- eventually after many incidents of his anger coming to the for, we dismissed him. >> reporter: wasn't the first time vester flanagan portrayed himself ass a victim. he filed a lawsuit against another station in 2000 alleging racial discrimination. also injured in the shooting was the woman who they were interviewing, vicki gardner, but she in stable condition. >> we heard from people who have known the

flanagan, the former employee of wdbj. this is the picture of the man they do want to speak with and to be very careful, they're not calling this man a suspect yet but they are pursuing him. and this is the license plate that authorities have and this is the car they're pursuing, they're looking into? >> this is the only person it seems police have identified as somebody they are looking for. they earlier said they had a name and a license plate number. the key in this case, of course, was that image that you showed, that image captured on the camera. we know that there was a photographer who was out there this morning, adam ward, who was doing this live shot for the morning show. he was rolling on the reporter who was in the middle of an interview with vicki gardner from the chamber of commerce. he is shot first, he continues to roll. the camera drops but it does record that image that could be key to solving this case. you pointed out this happened live on air this morning, not only for the viewers who were watching tv t

vester flanagan's getaway car. this is how he made his escape. it didn't last long. [ sirens ] just about four hours after that shooting of the tv crew down near roanoke, a virginia state trooper, using a tag reader on her car, spotted the silver chevy on the eastbound lanes of i-66. police moved in to make a traffic stop. and as they did, as they did, that silver car crashed into the median strip. >> all i know the sequence is that we were behind the vehicle, attempting to stop it, when it went into the median. subsequently when they approached shall found he had a self-inflicted gunshot wound. >> they tried stop him and he wouldn't stop? >> that's correct. >> reporter: 6:45 a.m., the shooting of that tv crew near roanoke. 11:24 a.m., the traffic stop here on i-66. 1:26 p.m., vester flanagan pronounced dead at a hospital in fairfax. coming up at 5:00, we will hear from the trooper who made that most important traffic stop. jim, back to you. >> pat collins, david culver, thank you both. wendy rieger joins me here in the newsroom. this was a chill

flanagan went to skyline high school. just days ago, he tweeted out a photo of himself as a teen, saying he was voted skyline's homecoming prince. virgil barker lived across the street from flanagan. the two grew up together. >> he's not the kind of monster, not the one i knew. evidently he just -- something snapped in his mind. i don't know. >> reporter: flanagan's family still lives in the east bay. neighbors in vallejo say his father is a model neighbor. >> he's solid. he is so solid. he's helpful to the community, and he always keeps his place, you know, pristine. >> reporter: and we are back here live where you can see an impromptu news conference is taking place. friends of the family -- of the suspect's family have come out to read a statement. again, that statement we read to you a few moments ago. the family says they have -- their hearts are heavy today. they want to express their deepest condolences to the victims. reporting live in vallejo, i'm jodi hernandez, nbc bay area news. i> jodi, thank you. >>> chuck c

vester lee flanagan also knew them. he was recently fired from the wdbj. >> the gentleman thinks that things tran spired and spiraling out of control. >> reporter: after the shooting flanagan fled the scene. in the aftermath he posted a video of the shooting. police found his car at the roanoke airport. >> flanagan then left the airport in a chevrolet sonic that he rented earlier in the month. >> reporter: flanagan fled north on i-81 and then onto i- 66 where a state trooper located him in northern virginia fauquier county through a license plate reader. in your view how instrumental were the license plate readers in catching the suspect? >> license plate preceders are a great tool. the state police threw several others throughout the state and it helps. >> reporter: and that is what identified flanagan's vehicle. when a state trooper tried to pull him over, he refused and police say he shot himself right there on i-66. now as far as the other person who was wounded, vicki gardner who is with the local chamber of commer

vester flanagan had been fired from wdvj in roanoke in 2013. he used his cell phone to record the killings and posted the video on social media. >> state police say flanagan killed himself when troopers caught up with him hours later on i-66 in fauquier county in virginia. nbc's david wagner has all the developments. >> reporter: it was a violent end to a shocking moment of horror, played out on live tv. two journalists from the cbs affiliate in roanoke, virginia, in the middle of a live interview, shot and killed as viewers watched. this is the broadcast right up to the point of the shooting. the 24-year-old reporter, alison parker, and 27-year-old photographer, adam ward, are dead. the woman being interviewed, seriously wounded. as the photographer fell, his camera captured the killer's image, an early lead that helped police identify the suspect. vester flanagan, a former reporter who went by the name of bryce williams. flanagan had been fired and filed a complaint of discrimination. >> vester was an unhappy man. after many incidents of his

the sites suspended his account. >> flanagan then fled before deputies arrived on the scene. the franklin county sheriff's office with the assistance of the virginia state police immediately began a search operation in the area to locate the shooting suspects. >> reporter: in what appears to be a calculated may nuf ed mane flanagan fled in a rented sonic. virginia state police spotting the suspect's rental car. the suspect refusing to stop. instead running the vehicle off the road and crashing. a trooper approaches the car. >> she found flanagan suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. flanagan was flown from the scene to a nova fairfax hospital where he died at approximately 1:30 p.m. today. >> reporter: during his escape from the murder scene, two hours after the shooting, flanagan sent a fax to abc news offices in new york from this fedex location in roanoke, a 23-page manifesto and suicide letter which abc news turned over to authorities. in it he identifies himself as bryce williams and says god spoke to him. he writes, the church shooting was the tipping point. bu

flanagan outlining what people did wrong. he did out mind that has performed his former station that he work with was on that list. as we spoke earlier, about social media content and on twitter. he did plan directly towards allison. >> pam: we will be back later to update the information and the virginia. --in virginia >> pam:vester flannagan the second. who was known on the air as brice williams. grew up here in oakland. our sources tell us he went to skyline high school. and later to san francisco state. where he graduated in 1995. with a degree in radio and television >> pam:his parents live in vallejo. where he also lived for a couple of years. >> pam:his broadcasting career. includes jobs at kpix tv in san francisco. as well as a station in greenville north carolina, tallahasse, florida and roanoke virginia. >> reporter:i'm on garnet drive in the neighborhood where the gunman vester flanigan's parents live. neighbors i talked to are shocked to hear the news. >>"if something like that happened to my child, i'd just be de

flanagan fled the scene. at 11:00 they found his gray mustang at the roanoke airport and he was later tracked by authorities in another car on i-81 before finally being located on i-66 in faquier county where authorities tried to pull him over. the car went off the road and he shot himself and died at inova fairfax hospital. now part of the investigation will include a lengthy letter sent by flanagan to abc news where he expresses anger about the charleston church shooting calling himself a powder keg ready to go boom. >> it goes to show where the gentleman's minds was the night before or what was taking place there that there was forethought given to the chain of events that would happen. jeff: the sheriff says it was unknown if flanagan specifically targeted ward and parker. vicki gardner also injured in the shooting and she is recovering in stable condition. she is surrounded by family and friends at an area hospital. live in moneta, virginia, jeff goldberg, abc7 news. leon: all right, thank you, jeff. now

police say when they approached the car, flanagan had shot himself. he was tan to a hospital where he later died. >> now, if you missed today's performance. >> reporter: flanagan was a longtime television reporter who went by the name of bryce wilson on air. besides roanoke he had worked in several cities across the country. shortly after the attack, someone identifying himself as flanagan called and faxed a 23-page letter to abc news. in what he describes as a suicide note, flanagan says he was attacked for being a gay black man. according to abc, flanagan also said today's shootings were retaliation for the church massacre in june in charleston, south carolina. flanagan, referring to dylann roof, the man charged in the charleston shooting wrote, "you want a race war, bring it." >> we're in shock. >> reporter: wdbj general manager jeff marks said flanagan was fired two years ago and police had to escort him out of the building. >> a few months into his employment, i kept getting reports of uncomfortable situations that would arise between him and the

: i read flanagan's personnel file this afternoon.a pretty thick one for him only having been at that station for about a year. nothing in it, nothing in it explains why his anger grew and twisted into the unspeakable and monstrous act committed today. the 50 odd pages of personnel file accumulated at wdbj known as bryce williams indicated there was trouble within weeks of his march 6th, 2012 hiring reprimand note lead separate occasions in which coworkers felt threatened after disagreements with him. by july 31st, he was told he make improvement or face termination. >> he seemed to have a short fuse if something didn't go his way. he didn't fit in because people found it difficult to work with him. and so after a while, and a number of incidents, we thought it was best if he left the company. and he did, but not happily. >> reporter: february 1st, 2013, the day he was fired, flanagan grew angry that he was only offered two week's severance pay. he demand lead months. he told assembled managers you better call police because i'm going

flanagan worked as a reporter at

they had tracked flanagan on various highways in virginia. within the last hour, we learned that flanagan did shoot himself somewhere on route 66 in virginia but, again, not clear if he survived the self- inflicted shot. as you can imagine, this brazen acetaminophen of violence has deeply shaken the newsroom. both the victims were in relationships with colleagues at the station. the general manager said, quote, i will step out of character here and say i'm not sure whether i want him, meaning flanagan to live or die. i know i'm not supposed to say that. we expect to hear from police later this hour. we will bring you that press conference live. >> rob, thanks. >> we will stay on top of this story as the details come in. >>> new details about a man accused of vandalizing red light cameras on long island. >> police released this video after a man posted a -- the man posted a picture of him vanda local -- vandalizing the camera on long island. >> n.j. burkett has more from suffolk county. >> reporter: that's right, dave, suffolk police headquart

vester flanagan had worked there as a reporter. he was fired in february of 2013 and disgruntled to this day. in a manifesto after today's attack, he described hip self as a human powder keg. how the events unfolded. >> reporter: 24-year-old reporter alison parker and adam ward never saw him coming. police say it was a former reporter, vester flanagan, known on tv as brice williams, fired from the same roanoke tv station more than two years ago. after the shooting, flan began took to twitter and facebook posting his own video of the attack. around 6:45, investigators say flanagan fled the scene. at 11:00 a.m., police found his mustang at the roanoke regional airport, where they believe he got into a chevy rented earlier this month. 30 minutes later, a virginia state trooper spotted flanagan on i66. despite speeding away, they say flanagan crashed minutes later in the median. 190miles from where he started. police radio recordings captured what happened next. >> shooting, 16-mile marker. self-inflicted gunshot wound. >> reporter: fl

. >> vester flanagan, wtoc news. >> reporter: bryce williams, the professional name for vester lee flanagan. until two years ago, an on-air reporter at this station. >> live in henry county, bryce williams, wdbj 7. >> reporter: management says he was fired after being warned he needed medical attention. minutes after those troubling tweets, virginia state police spotting the suspect's rental car. the suspect refusing to stop, instead, running the vehicle off the road and crashing. a trooper approaches the car. >> she found flanagan suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. flanagan was flown from the scene to nova fairfax hospital where he died at approximately 1:30 p.m. today. >> reporter: tonight tributes pouring in for the reporter and the photographer who died at the scene. >> when i walk around, whenever i would run into alison or adam, it was a high point of my day because they always made me smile. >> reporter: tonight the surviving victim, vicki gardener, is in stable condition. this live attack on tv has had its effect on the audience, too, flowers for the victims arriving at

wdbj officials say they fired flanagan in 2013 for anger issues. a judge also dismissed a discrimination suit he brought against the station. parker wants her daughter to be remembered as the catalyst who stopped gun violence in the u.s. and are calling on her daughter's co-workers and viewers to join in their fight. we've also learned tonight that the memorial service for photojournalist adam ward will be held next week. ward's obituary says the ceremony is set for tuesday at first baptist church in roanoke. >>> well, jan, the woman who survived the attack now listed in good condition tonight at a roanoke hospital. vicki gardner had surgery today to further repair the damage done by that gunshot wound to the back. gardner is executive director of the chamber of commerce. her husband was watching on tv when the shooting happened. tim gardner says he was stunned but then relieved as he was able to talk to his wife via the telephone as she was on the way to the hospital. >>> tonight the investigation into vester lee flanagan's descent from a tv repor

in it flanagan described himself as a cumin powder keg waiting to go boom. flanagan shot and killed himself 2 and did miles north of the crime scene. jeffrey marx, general manager at wdbj said the station had many his time there. >> after many incidents of his anger coming to the 4 we dismissed him and he did not take that well. we had to call the police to escort him from the building. >> reporter: flanagan's family released this statement read by representative. >> with heavy hearts and deep sadness we express our deepest condolences to the families of adam ward and alison parker and are praying for the recovery of the key gardner. >> reporter: in that statement flanagan's family members said their thoughts and prayers are television family. we are learning a little more about flanagan, he spoke on social media of being not only a companion. obviously he led a very complex life in a lot of ways. loved ones of these two very good young people. juliet: we are going to move on to teresa priolo who is talking about these victims, young journalist just getting

police zeroed in on vester flanagan aka bryce williams. flanagan later died at the hospital from a self-inflicted gun shot wound. flanagan called abc news and sent a letter explaining the charleston church shooting was his tipping point. >> our investigators have a copy of it and its use in the course of this investigation will be continuing. >> reporter: parker's boyfriend, a wbdj anchor tweeted we were very much in love. we just moved in together. i am numb. today her colleagues were going to celebrate a new job before the two moved away to start a new life together. the third victim a local chamber of commerce official is expected to survive. in the manifesto flanagan expressed admiration for virginia tech shooter describing himself as a human powder keg. >> vester flanagan was voted homecoming prince his junior year. >> he was such a happy, positive person. >> i'm devastated. i mean, i grew up with him. i'm a little bit older than he was but he was a kid. we would barbecue together. he was in my backyard. >> flanagan went on to sf stat

flanagan died at a local hospital this afternoon. the franklin county sheriff said they are investigating why and how flanagan targeted this particular cruise. >> that is a question-- crew. >> that is a question, did he know they would be at this remote location doing a broadcast? did he see it aired that morning? this morning? as many people were watching. >> shooting and getting tracked down by police, flanagan took time for a tirade and post the videos of killing to social media and faxed a 23 page note to abc news with a long list of grievances and strange rationale for the attack expressing anger over the church shooting in charleston earlier this year and he said he was targeted for being a gay black man, flanagan had ties to the bay area. an old friend told us he and flanagan went to sky line high school in oakland, that friend said he never anticipated anything like what happened today. >> this is totally out of his aircraft. never saw it coming. you couldn't tell me that he did that. i can't believe it and i will never belie

name on air and flanagan was no different. his tv name was bryce williams. like many tv reportersá÷?Ñ loo for a job, flanagan posted his resume reel online, showing snippets of what he considered some of his best work. the news4 i-team found the reel posted on youtube a year earlier when flanagan started at wdbj in roanoke, the station put out a press release calling him a veteran reporter, saying he worked in greenville, north carolina, savannah, georgia, and tallahassee, florida. court records said that flanagan should florida station 12 years earlier for race discrimination and retaliation, alleging he was called derogatory name buys newsroom staff n documents, the florida tv station said it fired flanagan because he failed to properly perform his job in a satisfactory manner and later cemented the suit. his tenure in roanoke lasted about a year before he was fired in 2013, according to wdbj's general manager, who talked about why he was let goz a the police were still searching for flanagan this morning. >> vester was an

flanagan's case was dismissed. station general manager jeff marks said flanagan was initially ordered to get counseling. >> we made it mandatory that he seek help from or employee assistance program. we complied with what we asked him to do. >> the loss of a job can be a pretipitator. >> reporter: mary ellen o'toole, a former criminal profiler with the f.b.i., says the evidence suggesting flanagan's killing spree may not have been over. >> so when the police have recovered to-doe list or notes or journals in his car, writings, i think that becomes significant because hopefully he put in there where he intended to go. >> reporter: flanagan, a california native, stayed in this area even after he was fired. the other reporters in town would see him. maurice, station management says it did not know that he was such a threat until alison parker and adam ward were gunned down right here on this deck overlook a lake. >> dubois: jeff pegues, thank you tonight. now, to the tributes being paid to the victims. kris van cleave

flanagan alleged wrongful termination, a hostile work environment, and harassment.the kc said, "what i encountered while employed at was nothing short of vile, disgusting, and inexcusable. your honor, i am not the monster here." internal memo showed numerous times how coworkers felt threatened by flanagan's behavior. on the day he was fired, one coworker's said that vester "i'm not leaving, i'm going to make a stink and it will be of the headlines." while roanoke these officers escorted him out of the point, he was yelling and cursing employees and photojournalist adam ward, wednesdays victim, was recording the tirade. wednesday morning, less than two hours after the shooting, vester flanagan sent abc news a manifesto. he said the race related shootings at a south carolina church motivated him. "the church shooting was the tipping the, but my anger has been building steadily. for been a human powder keg a just waiting to go boom." in the manifesto, vester flanagan wrote about his admiration for number of mass murderers. jay korff, abc 7 news. leon: late this evening

brian fuqua worked as a of practicer with vester flanagan, said he was always on edge around flanagan because of his temper and recalls one instance when a live report had technical problems. >> he got so irate, threw his stuff down, walked out into the woods. stayed there like 20 minutes. >> reporter: flanagan outlined his frustrations in a 23-page money confess toe he faxed to abc news. cnn obtained a copy. "in the final weeks of my life i put on a smiley face to disguise what was to come. around town i told random strangers or people i interacted with at businesses how i hated people but i would often say it with a smile on my face." in that manifest tore flanagan writes abouted a version for virginia tech shooter cho, the shooting at an african-american church in charleston, south carolina, describing it as the incident that "sent him over the top." he says he put down the deposit on his guns two days after that shooting took place. cnn has learned flanagan purchased those guns, two glock 9 millimeter pistols, legally at a gun store in the roanoke area of virginia. after getting f

flanagan used a pistol which he purchased legally. flanagan then fled the scene. police and state troopers in hot pursuit tracking him via his cell phone and his license plate. as law enforcement caught up with him on a highway, flanagan ran off the road and shot himself, dieing in a hospital just a few hours later. president obama said, "it breaks my heart to read about shootings like this." we will speak live to the station's manager later. victor, heartbreaking what happened behind you there this morning. >> reporter: jim, absolutely. and we can tell you there's a vigil happening as friends of the survivor, they are gathering to pray for the recovery of vicki gardner. that's happening as the police and people of this community wonder what led this man to kill a reporter and her photographer. these are the final moments before a deranged shooter ambushed a roanoke virginia news team on live television. we're not going to show you what happened next. the entire incident could be seen and heard as it happened. wdbj reporter alison parker and photographer adam ward

vester flanagan grew up in the bay area.used the name bryce williams during the time as a tv reporter. after killing the crew he posted video on facebook and later killed himself as police were closing in. >> the suspect from this incident, the shooting, died at fairfax in northern virginia as a result of a self-inflicted wound. the shooter had sued the television station 15 years ago for racial discrimination. that station denied the allegation. the lawsuit was dismissed and he filmed the shooting as it happened and posted it on social media. along with comments about the victims. ktvu's john sasaki talked to experts today and he is in the news room now. seems this gunman wanted this to go viral. and he wanted the notoriety. >> reporter: this was an attack intended to be as high profile as possible, happened on live tv and social media. >> reporter: like most journalists bryce williams had a big presence on social media but none of his posts was like this tweet, he said i filmed the shooting. >> he planned this. you know? a

flanagan dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound

say flanagan sent a text message to a friend making a reference to having done something stupid.nside flanagan's getaway vehicle police found a glock pistol and ammunition, along with a briefcase with three license plates, a wig, and a black hat. also inside, a "to do" list. the contents of which was not released. officials say flanagan legally bought two glock pistols from this gun shop less than 10 minutes away from wdbj. at a trailer park -- >> reporter: flanagan who used the name bryce williams on air was fired from the station in 2013. he sued for discrimination and wrongful termination. in court papers, the station said that flanagan was dismissed for unsatisfactory job performance and that after being let go, he said, you better call police because i'm going to make a big stink. flanagan's case was dismissed. >> the loss of a job is a precipitator. >> reporter: a profiler with the fbi says the evidence suggests flanagan's killing spree may not have been over. >> so when the police have recovered "to do" lists or notes or journals in his car writings, i think that becomes s

who is vester flanagan? well, we talked to neighbors and tried to find out through one family member, as well. >> wow, that was great, you know what? i'm going to have to try this is. >> reporter: on his resume we found on youtube, vester flanagan used the on-air name. >> bryce williams. >> reporter: early in the '90s he started his television career at kpix after receiving a degree in radio at san francisco state. but his neighbor in vallejo knew him as mark. >> he was always very nice to my wife and i. and i would never guess that he had anger issues. >> reporter: flanagan lived in vallejo for several years near his father, vester senior, a former nfl football player. but the 41-year-old grew up in oakland. >> he was softspoken. kind of -- he was a big guy, but he was a gentle giant. >> reporter: the same was said about him in his years at sky line high school. he graduated in 1991. he worked for a year at pacific gas and electricity before taking a tv news job in north carolina. >> he actually came over t

we now know that vester flanagan came with good references. he became a concern to those around him, arguing with his colleagues, even threatening his bosses. brian todd is "outfront" tonight live in roanoke, virginia. what are you plans tonight? >> reporter: the vigil will be given by a group called stop the violence star city. people are starting to gather now. it will start in less than an hour. this group was formed to combat violence, the growing violence in roanoke. they say wdbj covered their first event. so they want do their part to pay respects to the victims. just one way tonight that this town is still trying to get its mind around this senseless act. trying to honor the victims and trying to figure out exactly how this could have taken place. >> a big part that was question is his history at the station, what led him to target his former colleagues there. what more is the station telling us about the shooter's history there, his work history there? >> reporter: well, fascinating new details tonight about that. they are laying out

flanagan shot an killed himent himself 200 miles. jeffrey marks the general manager said the station had many problems with flanagan during his time there. >> after many incident of his anger coming to the floor, we dismissed him, and he did not take that well. we had to call the police to escort him from the building. reporter: flanagan family released this statement read by a representative. >> heavy heart an deep sadness we express deemest condolences to adam and alison parker we're praying for the recovery of vicky gardner. reporter: in this rambling manifesto that we referenced flanagan suggested that the killings of nine black parishion ergs at a church in charleston served as a his timing upon the according to a copy of that manifesto on tinged by new york times flanagan said victim initials are wren on the bullets. now if there's anything remotely good to come all out of this story sses that vicky gardner is in stable condition and she will likely make a full recovery. ben and juliet. >> that is one bit of good news we've hea

flanagan then starts ranting on twitter about this particular morning team flanagan saying quote allison made racist comments and adam went to hr on me after working with me one time. flanagan had filed a discrimination claim against wdbjtv which was dismissed. >> none of them could be corroborated by anyone. we think they were fabricated. >> reporter: after a lengthy chase about 11:30 this morning virginia state police spot flanagan on interstate 66 using a license plate reader. troopers tried to stop him. minutes later, his car goes off the road and crashes. that's when police say flanagan turned the gun on himself. dying at the hospital at 1:30 this afternoon. >> it's obvious that there was this gentleman was disturbed in some way the way things transpired at some point in this life it would appear things were spiraling out of control. >> reporter: the woman who survived the shooting vicky gardner is in stable condition following surgery this morning. this story certainly has shaken our newsroom to the core. we don't even know allison. we don't know adam. we don't know their families

he is vester lee flanagan ii. he's 41 years old. this is the information we're just getting in right now. the virginia state police are pursuing leads and not engage in an actual pursuit on the interstate. that contradicts what the governor said in his interview a short time ago on the radio. so the pursuing lead not engaged in an actual pursuit on the interstate. it says franklin county virginia sheriff's office is investigating the shooting that happened this morning at bridgewater plaza near smith mountain lake. at this time, sheriff's officials can confirm that at this time three people were shot, the deceased being the reporter and her cameraman. this was around 6:45 local time. the shooter has not been apprehended and they provided another still image of the suspect. pat, back to the conversation of how they were able to identify this man who was now vester lee flanagan. perhaps he had no idea that this image was caught from. from all the information we received, he approached firing off that gun, and had no idea that the came

police identified the shooter as 41-year-old vester flanagan.e posted his own view of the shooting on social mia. police say he shot himself as they closed in on his car about 200 miles away. he later died. flanagan used the name bryce williams on the air. >> live in henry county bryce williams. wdbj7. >> they fired him in 2013 and police had to escort him from the building. >> toward the end, there were issues with temper and ability to work with other. >> this is hard day for all of us here. >> 27-year-old ward was engaged to the morning producer who was in the control room when her fiance' was killed. 24-year-old parker had just moved in with anchor chris hurst. >> we wanted to get married. we were determined to be a news couple. >> parker family said in statement although her life was brief she was so happy with it. >> parker's boyfriend chris hurst who you saw in that video is a graduate of conestoga high school chester county. earlier today he tweeted this message we didn't share this publicly but allison and i were very much in love we ju

. >> flanagan was raised here in the bay area. abc 7 news reporter laura anthony joins us with that part of the story. >> reporter: this crime happened 3,000 miles away but has touched many here in the bay area including vester flanagan's father and sister here and in oakland where flanagan grew up and still has connections. >> i can't believe it. i will never believe it. >> reporter: like so many he was shocked when he saw what happened to a virginia news crew on live tv and then heard the name of the suspect, vester flanagan. >> very polite, educated. i never seen this coming. i never seen it coming. >> reporter: according to parker flanagan grew up in this house in oakland. flanagan attended skyline high school where a schoolmate told us he was a popular outgoing student named to homecoming court. senior class president when flanagan was a junior. >> unbelievable because he is such a happy person. he was our prom king. at the time everybody loved him. >> reporter: after graduating flanagan went on to san francisco state and the

rob says flanagan, known to say odd things admitted to shooting two people and says flanagan was on the phone with him as he was being chased by police. during the final talk, he thanked rob for being a good friend, said he had to go and hung up the phone. >> thanks, rob. >>> he was 41 years old, held reporting and anchoring jocks at a number of tv stations, most for only a few years. letter today he reported his own story using facebook and twitter to show the world his vengeful rage. tim fleischer is here with more on what set him off. tim? >> reporter: that's what is so hard for many to understand, the suspect was a former reporter. he went by bryce williams as we told you. he worked at the same tv station as the victims. his former general manager describes him as an unhappy and angry man who was fired. he admits he was a human powder keg. in the end he took his own life. after crashing his car on the side of a virginia highway, troopers rushed vester lee flanagan that they saw sitting inside wounded. >> she saw flanagan suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. he was flown fr

the wdbj gunman vester flanagan was prepared to cause a lot more carnage than he did. that's what search warrant documents released this afternoon indicate. after flanagan fatally shot himself on i-66 officers recovered a glock 9-millimeter pistol and six magazines of ammo and tools of disguise in his rental car, a wig, sunglasses, extra license plates. we learned that flanagan became a person of interest when police learned that he texted a friend just after shooting that news crew. the text said, "i've just done something stupid." as more information surfaces about flanagan, new questions arise about his mental health history. >> some ask could it have been prevented if there were more resources available? andrea mccarren spoke with a clinical psychologist whose research is focused on the mind of a criminal. >> reporter: dr. santin samino says the former reporter knew exactly what he was doing when he carried out a well planned ambush. murderer vester flanagan wrote in a rambling 23 page suicide note, "i've been a human powder keg for a while just waiting to go pipe.

flanagan. talk about the manifesto and how he was captured, a license reader was behind the capture. you want to talk about this area. this is smith mountain lake a resort area. a beautiful area. there is a lake in front of me, a lake behind me. they were talking about the tourism in the area. the head of the chamber of commerce was being interviewed. you saw the camera panning around to the docks and people come here to fish. and it is just the middle of the summer and they were talking about tourism in this area. and just from out of nowhere he comes up behind them and starts shooting. just unbelievable. >> lest bring in pete williams here. i know you have some of the latest information on the suspect's so called manifesto he sent to abc news today. what can you tell us about some of the details in it. >> i think manifesto is a little too grand a term for what he himself describes as a suicide note. but we've been talking about this before. adam talked about it too. let's come back to that in