So sad :( Why do people do such horrible things


A gunman killed a reporter and photographer during a live television broadcast on Wednesday, officials and colleagues at the station said.

WDBJ7 correspondent Alison Parker is seen conducting an interview at around 6:45 a.m. at a shopping center in Moneta, Virginia.

In chilling footage that has been posted online, several shots break out and screams are heard. The camera drops to the floor and the screams continue — before the broadcast cuts away to a confused and concerned-looking anchor.

WDBJ7 Reporter Alison Parker, Photographer Adam Ward Killed on Live TV - NBC News (http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/wdbj7-reporter-alison-parker-photographer-adam-ward-killed-live-tv-n416221)

So sad :( Why do people do such horrible things


A gunman killed a reporter and photographer during a live television broadcast on Wednesday, officials and colleagues at the station said.

WDBJ7 correspondent Alison Parker is seen conducting an interview at around 6:45 a.m. at a shopping center in Moneta, Virginia.

In chilling footage that has been posted online, several shots break out and screams are heard. The camera drops to the floor and the screams continue — before the broadcast cuts away to a confused and concerned-looking anchor.

WDBJ7 Reporter Alison Parker, Photographer Adam Ward Killed on Live TV - NBC News (http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/wdbj7-reporter-alison-parker-photographer-adam-ward-killed-live-tv-n416221)

What a horrible, horrible thing. Words fail.

I can't help but wonder if the murderous thug who perpetrated this was in some way related to the interview being conducted. I suspect we'll hear more about this as the days/weeks unfold. What a horrendous thing.

What a horrible, horrible thing. Words fail.

I can't help but wonder if the murderous thug who perpetrated this was in some way related to the interview being conducted. I suspect we'll hear more about this as the days/weeks unfold. What a horrendous thing.

The guy that shot them was a disgruntled former employee.

A one frame shot of the scumbag that killed them. 11380

The alleged gunman who shot a television reporter and cameraman to death on live television posted the shooting on Twitter and Facebook Wednesday along with comments suggesting he was angry with the victims.

Virginia, WDBJ shooting: Alleged gunman Vester Flanagan aka Bryce Williams posted video of shooting on social media - CBS News (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/virginia-wdbj-station-shooting-alleged-gunman-posted-video-of-shooting-on-social-media/)

Just reported that the shooter killed himself. Turd. Gutless turd.

Multiple outlets reporting the perpetrator has killed himself.

So are we going to talk about gun control or not?

So are we going to talk about gun control or not?

What a fabulously inappropriate response to this thread. Let's mourn the victims for at least five minutes before we make it political, please?

So are we going to talk about gun control or not?

Can't let a tragedy go to waste. Lucky for my perspective more people than ever support the 2nd amendment and are gun owners.

What a fabulously inappropriate response to this thread. Let's mourn the victims for at least five minutes before we make it political, please?

What I think is fabulously inappropriate is I just saw two people die on my computer screen and all I can do is shrug my shoulders because this is just a normal Wednesday in America.

You can flame me all you want, but I am quite tired of this bull**** about "we should talk about it later...lets mourn now." We all know later never comes.

Also , when did it become "political" to talk about how we can have less people killed in this country?

Shooter also posted POV video on his Twitter and Facebook accounts, which have since been suspended. Cuts off just before he pulls trigger, but still chilling and tough to watch. Be warned.

EDIT: apparently this video now shows the shooting portion too.

WATCH: Vester Lee Flanagan?s POV Shooting Video | Heavy.com (http://heavy.com/news/2015/08/vester-lee-Flanagan-bryce-williams-pov-shooting-murder-video-twitter-tweet-youtube-video/)

Latest report is that shooter is not, in fact, dead, but is in "very serious condition."

What I think is fabulously inappropriate is I just saw two people die on my computer screen and all I can do is shrug my shoulders because this is just a normal Wednesday in America.

You can flame me all you want, but I am quite tired of this bull**** about "we should talk about it later...lets mourn now." We all know later never comes.

Also , when did it become "political" to talk about how we can have less people killed in this country?

Go put this in politics while I put on you my ignore list.

What a fabulously inappropriate response to this thread. Let's mourn the victims for at least five minutes before we make it political, please?

Hey, it looks like we made it a whole hour and five minutes from the first post. Go us!

This is an awful thing. We've got probably 3 dead people now, over something as trivial as a workplace disagreement. Just terrible.

Apparently, the shooter is NOT dead. He still has a pulse but in very critical condition.

Shooter also posted POV video on his Twitter and Facebook accounts, which have since been suspended. Cuts off just before he pulls trigger, but still chilling and tough to watch. Be warned.

WATCH: Vester Lee Flanagan?s POV Shooting Video | Heavy.com (http://heavy.com/news/2015/08/vester-lee-flanagan-bryce-williams-pov-shooting-murder-video-twitter-tweet-youtube-video/)

That one doesn't cut off. It shows him firing. Wow. Just awful.

Apparently, the shooter is NOT dead. He still has a pulse but in very critical condition.

Oh, he's a dead man alright. There might be a trial first though.

Shooter also posted POV video on his Twitter and Facebook accounts, which have since been suspended. Cuts off just before he pulls trigger, but still chilling and tough to watch. Be warned.

WATCH: Vester Lee Flanagan?s POV Shooting Video | Heavy.com (http://heavy.com/news/2015/08/vester-lee-flanagan-bryce-williams-pov-shooting-murder-video-twitter-tweet-youtube-video/)

OMG. That is extremely chilling. You can also here him mumble under his breath "bítch. Obviously, a very hateful person.

My thoughts and prayers are with the news people, their family, friends and coworkers. I agree there's time to discuss the gun issue but now isn't it. Their bodies aren't even cold yet and people are posting ignorant posts.

That one doesn't cut off. It shows him firing. Wow. Just awful.

Doh. Sorry folks. I only watched it once and it cut off when I did. I guess they replaced it with the full version.

This is so sad, and I can't believe he filmed himself doing it and tweeted it. He honestly must have planned to die. I can't even imagine what has to happen to make someone do something like this.

Looks like they're now reporting that he is dead.

Looks like they're now reporting that he is dead.

Confirmed - authorities running a press conference now and the shooter died at the hospital.

What I think is fabulously inappropriate is I just saw two people die on my computer screen and all I can do is shrug my shoulders because this is just a normal Wednesday in America.

You can flame me all you want, but I am quite tired of this bull**** about "we should talk about it later...lets mourn now." We all know later never comes.

Also , when did it become "political" to talk about how we can have less people killed in this country?

‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens (http://www.theonion.com/article/no-way-to-prevent-this-says-only-nation-where-this-36131)

He detailed his grievances in a 20+ page manifesto faxed to ABC News. Among other things he felt he had been racially discriminated against and sexually harassed owing to being gay. He also said that he what put him over the edge was the Charleston church shooting and that he felt this was a response to that and was part of a coming race war. He was obviously pretty bitter and mixed up.

After Shooting, Alleged Gunman Details Grievances in ?Suicide Notes? - ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/US/shooting-alleged-gunman-details-grievances-suicide-notes/story?id=33336339)

I'm not against guns, I am against crazy people with guns. I am also against crazy people with knives, baseball bats, or just walking around throwing punches at things which don't exist. You know what you don't see in Western Europe? The mentally unstable walking around in a world they are not able to cope with. In America we put our mentally ill on their own reality TV shows.

If we could crack THAT unsolvable nut we might get somewhere.

This article details some of the elements of his HR case:

Virginia shooting: police say suspected gunman is dead - live updates | US news | The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2015/aug/26/virginia-reporter-cameraman-shot-dead)

He detailed his grievances in a 20+ page manifesto faxed to ABC News. Among other things he felt he had been racially discriminated against and sexually harassed owing to being gay. He also said that he what put him over the edge was the Charleston church shooting and that he felt this was a response to that and was part of a coming race war. He was obviously pretty bitter and mixed up.

After Shooting, Alleged Gunman Details Grievances in ?Suicide Notes? - ABC News (http://abcnews.go.com/US/shooting-alleged-gunman-details-grievances-suicide-notes/story?id=33336339)

A gay black man murdering a pretty blonde white woman. That's certain to calm things down and prevent prejudice. Right???

Reading the comments on here and on reddit tell me enough about this tragedy. I dont need to watch the video.

The poor woman who lived tho.... She is gonna need some major counseling. So sad.

I'm most distraught by the fact that the perceived situation that apparently set him off was two years ago.

Right, wrong, or indifferent, can you imagine being attacked (even non-violently, such as in the form of a strongly written letter), two years after something that you may not have even realized offended the attacker? It would be pretty jarring either way. Obviously with differing outcomes but still...

I'm most distraught by the fact that the perceived situation that apparently set him off was two years ago.

Right, wrong, or indifferent, can you imagine being attacked (even non-violently, such as in the form of a strongly written letter), two years after something that you may not have even realized offended the attacker? It would be pretty jarring either way. Obviously with differing outcomes but still...

Yes, the idea that somebody could be sitting on a homicidal grudge for years is disturbing.

So I saw an interesting idea about providing references when buying a gun (one non relative and one relative). No idea if it would have changed anything here, but I thought the idea was intriguing.

For the love of Pete, why not just solve a bunch of problems with one stone and start instiutionalizing crazy people again. This guy should have been in a padded room a long time ago.

http://www.salon.com/2013/09/29/ronald_reagans_shameful_legacy_violence_the_homele ss_mental_illness/

Oh, mental health reform and improvements are needed as well. I just thought the idea of requiring references was interesting.

Well that would never pass constiutional muster. Besides, a lot of these crazy people get their guns from a non-crazy relative in the first place, so what good will a note from their mother do?

My mom wouldn't sign my gun permission slip so I stabbed her to death. Dad, will you sign it?

To anyone seeking out the videos. Don't watch them.

Well that would never pass constiutional muster. Besides, a lot of these crazy people get their guns from a non-crazy relative in the first place, so what good will a note from their mother do?

My mom wouldn't sign my gun permission slip so I stabbed her to death. Dad, will you sign it?

Besides a magic mythical gun magnet, there's no perfect solution.

Besides a magic mythical gun magnet, there's no perfect solution.

Yes there is. Lock up crazy people. The whole world does it but us.

you mean in prisons or in asylums?

Yes there is. Lock up crazy people. The whole world does it but us.

Wow. And that would solve all gun crimes? Amazing.

you mean in prisons or in asylums?

Asylums. Prisons are for criminals.

What an awful tragedy.

The world is changing, social media is growing so strong that this will not be the last recorded "first-person shooter" video we see. In fact, all of this publicity may encourage other sick individuals to consider the same.

I feel for the families of all involved. Imagine having to apologize to the world on behalf of your family member who committed such a travesty. Imagine having to face the family of the person who did this to a loved one. I hope all involved parties can come together in love and peace and recognize the potential to raise awareness of mental illness and resolving job related disputes peacefully.

Wow. And that would solve all gun crimes? Amazing.

It would prevent a lot of them and free up resources to help prevent the others - not to mention make the streets safer in general AND get the mentally ill into the treatment they need to become the best humans they are capable of becoming.

It would prevent a lot of them and free up resources to help prevent the others - not to mention make the streets safer in general AND get the mentally ill into the treatment they need to become the best humans they are capable of becoming.


I just think it's more complicated than just lock them all up. In this case for example I'm not sure there was enough evidence for him to be locked up. I do agree there are mental health changes that need to happen, but we should at least consider other societal and gun license changes as well and I say this as someone who is very very very pro second amendment and am a gun owner. I do think someone who has decided to murder to people will find a way, so its a hard problem to solve.

I wish this wasn't the type of thing that happened in modern society, but you know what they say about wishes and buts.

Now that Alison Parker's father is talking about gun control (http://news.yahoo.com/online-posts-virginia-shooter-show-alarming-trend-victims-130619621.html), is it still too early to talk about gun control?

Now that Alison Parker's father is talking about gun control (http://news.yahoo.com/online-posts-virginia-shooter-show-alarming-trend-victims-130619621.html), is it still too early to talk about gun control?

Umm... isn't that what we've been doing?

I don't see guns as an issue in this case at all.

Yes, he used a gun. But this guy planned out the attack. He wrote a manifesto and sent it in to the news. He took the time to videotape the attack and then post it to Facebook or wherever. This was not a spur of the moment thing. He used a gun because it was available, not because it the only way to kill someone.

If he didn't have a gun, he could have used an axe. He blindsided these people. They didn't notice him pointing a gun at him from like 10 feet away. They wouldn't have noticed him standing there with an axe either. He could have run them over in the parking lot with his car. There are a lot of ways to kill someone, especially if you don't care about getting caught. This is not an instance where the gun made a difference. This isn't an issue with defective gun laws, this is an issue with a defective person.

I don't see guns as an issue in this case at all.

Yes, he used a gun. But this guy planned out the attack. He wrote a manifesto and sent it in to the news. He took the time to videotape the attack and then post it to Facebook or wherever. This was not a spur of the moment thing. He used a gun because it was available, not because it the only way to kill someone.

If he didn't have a gun, he could have used an axe. He blindsided these people. They didn't notice him pointing a gun at him from like 10 feet away. They wouldn't have noticed him standing there with an axe either. He could have run them over in the parking lot with his car. There are a lot of ways to kill someone, especially if you don't care about getting caught. This is not an instance where the gun made a difference. This isn't an issue with defective gun laws, this is an issue with a defective person.

I said the same thing to a friend yesterday. I don't think changes in laws would have changed this. I think if someone is intent on murdering someone or doing a mass shooting, there's very little you can do legislatively to stop them. However, I think there are plenty of gun deaths that could be preventable. As Chris Rock said once, and I'm paraphrasing, if bullets cost $1000 each, at least you know the victim really deserved it.

Umm... isn't that what we've been doing?

Mostly it has been dancing around the issue, like the side topic of how to handle crazy people that always comes up after events like this, or the distraction of how "anyone who wants to be a murderer will find a way". Sure, he could have been an axe murderer instead, but what could have happened is pretty irrelevant compared to what did.

I used to be fairly pro second amendment, but I've seen one too many mass shooting tragedies to consider it anything but a pox on our society.

Mostly it has been dancing around the issue, like the side topic of how to handle crazy people that always comes up after events like this, or the distraction of how "anyone who wants to be a murderer will find a way". Sure, he could have been an axe murderer instead, but what could have happened is pretty irrelevant compared to what did.

I used to be fairly pro second amendment, but I've seen one too many mass shooting tragedies to consider it anything but a pox on our society.

Really? I brought up the issue of references for a gun license....

I do think it's more complicated than "guns". There are societal issues, mental health issues, income issues, and more that should be addressed.

When Joe the Angry wants to kill someone as a statement, which is a very, very different homicide than one minute they are talking, the next arguing, the next one is watching the life leave the other, gun laws are rather irrelevant. The desire, need even, to end someone's life, is paramount to the how. These were personal targets to the killer. Nothing random about the actions.

It was going to be, and was, a close-in killing. A container with acid would have been as easy to hide from a car to the attack point as a firearm would be, perhaps easier.

It ain't the guns folks. It's a tiny percentage of the people who access them. It makes about as much sense as talking about banning autos because some folks refuse to pay attention behind the wheel.

It ain't the guns, and yet the fatalities and injuries in this incident were all caused by gun violence. It was the guns!

Anyone see the articles about the media present-at-the-time media at the end of the police chase was ordered by the police to delete footage?

Something about this has a very uneasy feeling about it.

Update: Virginia police order BBC journalists to delete footage of suspected shooter's crash | Public Radio International (http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-08-26/virginia-police-order-bbc-journalists-delete-footage-suspected-shooters-crash)

It ain't the guns, and yet the fatalities and injuries in this incident were all caused by gun violence. It was the guns!

This oversimplification is dangerous. Yes, he used a gun. However, mass shootings do happen in places with pretty strict gun control, albeit less often. So while looking at controlling accessibility isn't a bad thing, there are also mental health and societal (income disparities, gangs, etc) issues that will need to be addressed as well that are equally if not more important. So no, it isn't "the guns".

I think guns are the means to an end. Do too many people have guns or access to them that shouldn't, oh yeah and something needs to be done about that. As a nation we turned our backs on the mentally ill because we didn't want to spend the money on them so we let the courts and jails take care of them. I'm sure the number of people killed would go down if we had less access to guns and close the gun show loopholes but if an unbalanced person wants to kill you they probably will. This guy in VA had an escape plan so he wasn't suicidal in his planning, and I don't think very many are unless they are about to be caught. The USA is a violent and angry society so I'm not surprised when things like this keep happening. Unless we decide to make a serious change nothing will be different. As always jmho.

This oversimplification is dangerous. Yes, he used a gun. However, mass shootings do happen in places with pretty strict gun control, albeit less often. So while looking at controlling accessibility isn't a bad thing, there are also mental health and societal (income disparities, gangs, etc) issues that will need to be addressed as well that are equally if not more important. So no, it isn't "the guns".

Dangerous to who? And how? Certainly not to Alison Parker & Adam Ward, the danger they were in has been pretty well established, and what they were in danger from was this dude's gun, not any oversimplification about gun violence.

Dangerous to who? And how? Certainly not to Alison Parker & Adam Ward, the danger they were in has been pretty well established, and what they were in danger from was this dude's gun, not any oversimplification about gun violence.

Dangerous because I think it makes folks ignore the larger issues. I think if all guns were magically gone these two would still be dead. But yeah, let's not fix real issues. We need more "take off your shoes at the airport" type solutions...

Dangerous because I think it makes folks ignore the larger issues. I think if all guns were magically gone these two would still be dead. But yeah, let's not fix real issues. We need more "take off your shoes at the airport" type solutions...

I don't know that I agree with that statement that they would be dead if this man didn't have access to a gun.

They certainly wouldn't have died exactly as they did, and that would have changed the incident in ways that we cannot reasonably predict.