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Suspect in Killings of WDBJ Reporter and Cameraman in Critical Condition

Alison Parker and Adam Ward
Vester Flanagan/Bryce Williams
Alison Parker and Adam Ward
Posted at 8:54 AM, Aug 26, 2015
and last updated 2015-08-26 11:35:29-04

11:27 a.m. update: Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital says the woman being interviewed at the time of the shooting, Vicki Gardner, is in stable condition after having surgery.

The shooting suspect, Vester Flanagan, was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries after authorities said he shot himself.

11:18 a.m. update: Virigina State Police have told WDBJ that Vester Flanagan is not dead after shooting himself, but he is in critical condition.

10:45 a.m. update: ABC affiliate WHSV in Harrisonburg, Va., is reporting Vester Flanagan has shot and killed himself on an interstate highway near Linden, Va. 

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10:30 a.m. update:

The Augusta County Sheriff's Office says the suspect is 41-year-old Vester Lee Flanagan II, of Roanoke.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe has said the suspect's arrest is imminent. He says police are in pursuit on the interstate, and he says the suspect is believed to be a disgruntled employee of the station, WDBJ-TV.

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Previous information: 

A reporter and cameraman for WDBJ7 in Roanoke, Virginia were killed Wednesday morning while covering a feature story. The shooting was caught on camera.

Alison Parker, 24,and Adam Ward, 27, both members of the morning news team, lost their lives after a shooting during one of their morning live shots.  

One other person, a representative from the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce who was being interviewed by Alison, was injured in the shooting. She is in surgery.

The feature story was on Bridgewater Plaza, a shopping mall in Moneta, Virginia. Alison was interviewing a member of the Chamber of Commerce when the gunman approached them. 

WDBJ-TV general manager Jeffrey A. Marks called the incident "a terrible crime against two fine journalists."

According to the station's website, Alison is from the area and studied at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Adam was a graduate of Virginia Tech and was engaged to be married to a producer at the station.

The cause of the shooting is unknown. Police are still looking for a suspect.

Alison was dating an anchor at the station, Chris Hurst. He sent the following tweets: