Two journalists with a local American news broadcaster, WDBJ7, were shot dead by an gunman during a live broadcast in Virginia on Wednesday morning.
News reporter Alison Parker, 24 and cameraman Adam Ward, 27 died shortly after the incident, WDBJ general manager Jeff Marks told The Roanoke Times.
The shooting at Bridgewater Plaza in Moneta was caught on video during WDBJ's morning broadcast. The two WDBJ7 journalists were interviewing Vicki Gardner, head of the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce when they were shot.
Gardner was also shot in the back and was taken to the hospital for an emergency surgery. The gunman, reported to be a former disgruntled formerly employee of CBS San Francisco affiliate station KPIX.
An image of the shooter was captured on the camera. The police have launched a manhunt.
Parker's colleague, Kimberly McBroom, anchorwoman of the "Mornin'" newscast said, "We've lost two members of our family. [Others have] lost a daughter, a son, a fiancee."
WDBJ evening co-anchor Chris Hurst was dating Parker, while Ward was engaged to WDBJ producer Melissa Ott.
Christ Hurst tweeted that although they had kept their relationship somewhat private, he and Parker had recently moved in together. "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," Hurst wrote. "I am numb."
