WDBJ7 Co-Workers Hold An Emotional Moment Of Silence For Colleagues Alison Park And Adam Ward

Local news channel WBDJ7 has proved that in the wake of tragedy, they still know how to tell the news effectively. As the Inquisitr reported, reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward were shot and killed live on air by former anchor Bryce Williams, who was described as a “disgruntled employee.”

During this morning’s broadcast, Virginia’s TV station, WDBJ7, held a moment of silence for their colleagues a day after they were shot and killed by a former employee of theirs.

Co-anchor Kimberly McBroom, who heard the shooting while it was being broadcast, gathered at the desk and held hands with meteorologist Leo Hirsbrunner and anchor Steve Grant. Hirsbrunner was wiping his tears away during the moment. Grant came over from KYTV in Springfield, Missouri, to join the station in their grieving.

Prior to the moment, McBroom said, “It was this moment around this time that we went live to Alison Parker and photojournalist Adam Ward. As we approach that moment, we want to pause and reflect and we want to share with you once again what made these two so special, not just to us, but to all of our hometowns that WBDJ7 serves. Please join us now in a moment of silence.”

According to E!, not only are people remembering the two that were killed all over the nation, but various people left bouquets, pots, and wreaths of flowers for Parker and Ward outside of the station to express their sorrow.

Williams, whose real name was Vester Flanagan, also shot Vicki Gardner during the broadcast. Parker was interviewing Gardner at the Bridgewater Plaza in Moneta, Virginia, about the 50th anniversary of Smith Mountain Lake. Gardner is the executive director of the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce. Garner was shot in the chest and brought in for emergency surgery. It is said that she’s now in good condition.

Prior to the shootings, Flanagan sent a 23-page fax to ABC News on why he decided to kill Ward and Parker. In the manifesto, he referred to the Virginia Tech shooting, the Columbine shooting, and also called himself a “human powder keg.” After he shot and killed Ward and Parker, he left a social media trail of angry rants directed at the public. He released footage of the shooting that he filmed with his GoPro, and said that Ward had reported him to HR once during his employment at the station, while Parker had made a “racist comment.”

One of the most devastating facts surrounding this tragedy is Ward’s fiancée, producer Melissa Ott, who was in the control room at the time of the shooting and witnessed the killings. Parker’s boyfriend was Chris Hurst, the station’s other reporter, who remembered her in an emotional Facebook post.

“We didn’t share this publicly, but Alison Parker and I were very much in love. We just moved in together. I am numb. 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.”

[Photo by Facebook]