Virginia, USA (BBN)– A man suspected of shooting two US journalists on live TV in Virginia is under arrest after apparently shooting himself, police say.

Vester Lee Flanagan, a disgruntled ex-employee of WDBJ7 TV whose car was surrounded by police following a chase, has “life-threatening injuries”, reports BBC.

WDBJ7 TV reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward were killed during an interview in the town of Moneta.
The gunman later uploaded a video of himself opening fire at close range.

Virginia State Police said the suspect’s vehicle was spotted on the Interstate 66 highway, and crashed off the roiad following a chase.

“Troopers approached the vehicle and found the male driver suffering from a gunshot wound. He is being transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries,” the force said in a statement.

The Twitter account of Flanagan, known professionally as Bryce Williams, suggested he held a grudge against Mr Ward, 27, who he accused of lodging a formal complaint against him, and Ms Parker, 24.

And local media reported that he had filed a lawsuit against WDBJ7, alleging discrimination by the whole station and naming most of the staff of his complaint. The case is said to have been dismissed by a judge in July 2014.

Shots and screams
The attack on the journalists took place at a large shopping centre, Bridgewater Plaza, near Smith Mountain Lake.

Ms Parker was starting a breakfast TV interview about tourism at the shopping centre when suddenly shots rang out, the camera spun and dropped to the ground, and her screams could be heard.

The footage then captures what appears to be a fleeting image of the gunman, who is wearing black trousers and a blue top – and holding a handgun.

The TV station said the woman who was being interviewed, Vicki Gardner of the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, had survived the attack but was in hospital and required surgery.

Bryce Williams’s Twitter and Facebook feeds, which have now been suspended, subsequently showed video shot by the gunman, showing him raising a handgun, training it on the trio, and opening fire 14 times.

‘Our hearts are broken’
Staff at the TV station, which continued broadcasting after the live report, expressed shock and sadness at the loss of their colleagues.

“Alison and Adam died this morning at 06:45 shortly after the shots rang out,” the station’s president and general manager, Jeffrey Marks, announced on air.

“I cannot tell you how much they were loved by the WDBJ7 team… our hearts are broken,” he said.

WDBJ7 anchor Chris Hurst revealed that he and Ms Parker had been in a relationship and had planned to marry.

“We were together almost nine months. It was the best nine months of our lives. We wanted to get married. We just celebrated her 24th birthday.

“She was the most radiant woman I ever met. And for some reason she loved me back. She loved her family, her parents and her brother.”

He added that Ms Parker had worked on a regular basis with Mr Ward, and that he was heartbroken for his fiancee, a producer at the station.

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