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Who was suspected gunman Vester Lee Flanagan?

The man suspected of gunning down WDBJ news reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward during...
Newstalk
Newstalk

19.44 26 Aug 2015


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Who was suspected gunman Veste...

Who was suspected gunman Vester Lee Flanagan?

Newstalk
Newstalk

19.44 26 Aug 2015


Share this article


The man suspected of gunning down WDBJ news reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward during a live broadcast had a history of workplace wrangles.

Vester Lee Flanagan, who used the screen name Bryce Williams, was fired from WDBJ in 2013.

The CBS affiliate's general manager, Jeffrey A Marks, said Flanagan was "an unhappy man… who quickly gathered a reputation as someone who was difficult to work with".

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Mr Marks added: "Eventually after many incidents of his anger coming to the fore, we dismissed him. And he did not take that well, we had to call the police to escort him from the building."

As news of the shooting filtered through, Flanagan - who died in hospital of a suspected gunshot wound just hours after the shooting - boasted online about filming the attack and posting it on Facebook.

In a series of tweets Flanagan, from Roanoke, Virginia, appeared to explain his motive.

He alleged that staff at WDBJ had made "racial comments" towards him - and had complained that Adam Ward had reported him to HR.

In the hours before the attack, the suspect also tweeted that he had filed a complaint with the Equal Opportunity Employment Committee.

Meanwhile, the US news broadcaster ABC has said it received a 23-page fax from someone claiming to be Flanagan.

The rambling manifesto expresses admiration for the Columbine High School killers and refers to a "race war".

ABC have turned it over to the authorities.

The 41-year-old's troubles at WDBJ were not the first time he had an acrimonious relationship with an employer.

In 2000, the Tallahassee Democrat reported on Flanagan filing a lawsuit against NBC affiliate WTWC-TV for alleged racism. 

Flanagan claimed he and another black employee were referred to as "monkeys" and that a supervisor once told him that "blacks are lazy and do not take advantage of free money" for scholarships and economic opportunities.

According to his LinkedIn page, Flanagan studied at San Francisco State University where he earned a degree in Broadcast Journalism.


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