Two journalists shot dead during live US TV news report

A REPORTER and cameraman have been shot dead during a live interview on a US television channel.

Jeffrey A Marks, general manager of WDBJ-TV in Virginia, identified the two killed as Alison Parker and Adam Ward. Video shows a female reporter interviewing someone about tourism on Bridgewater Plaza in Franklin County. She was smiling when at least eight shots were heard. The camera appeared to drop to the ground and the reporter can be heard screaming. The station then switches back to a shot of a presenter back at the station, who has a shocked expression on her face. In a tweet, the station said: “We love you, Alison and Adam.” The station’s website says Mr Ward was 27 and a graduate of Virginia Tech and Ms Parker had just turned 24 and attended James Madison University. It is not clear who the gunman is. The station is based in Roanoke, Virginia, and serves the south-west and central part of the state. The shopping centre where the incident happened is just off Smith Mountain Lake in Moneta, southeast of Roanoke. Mr Marks said on Wednesday: “It is my very, very sad duty to report that we have determined through the help of the police and our own employees that Alison and Adam died this morning shortly after 6.45 after the shots rang out.” “We do not know the motive, we do not know who the killer is. “I just got off the phone with the state police they are working very diligently to track down both the motive and the person responsible for this crimes against two very fine journalists.”

He added: “I cannot tell you how much they were loved, Alison and Adam, by the WDBJ7 team. “Our hearts are broken and our sympathy goes to our entire team but also their parents and families of Alison Parker and Adam Ward, who were just out doing their job today covering a story near Smith Mountain Lake. “We have members of the team holding back tears frankly.”

We love you, Alison and Adam. pic.twitter.com/hLSzQi06XE

— WDBJ7 (@WDBJ7) August 26, 2015

One of the station’s presenters, Chris Hurst, said he was in love with Ms Parker and that they wanted to get married. Hurst said on Twitter that although the two didn’t share their relationship publicly, they were in love and had just moved in together. He tweeted: “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.” He also tweeted about the second victim, Mr Ward, saying that Ms Parker “worked with Adam every day. They were a team. I am heartbroken for his fiancee”. Mr Hurst described the TV station as a family, tweeting: “I am comforted by everyone at {M0WDBJ7.” According to the station’s website, Ms Parker was a morning reporter. She graduated from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and was news editor of its recognised newspaper, The Breeze. She had also been an intern at WDBJ-TV. The TV station also linked to her Facebook page, which says she spent most of her live outside Martinsville, Virginia. Ms Parker previously worked at WCTI NewsChannel 12 in Jacksonville, North Carolina, near Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. She was an avid kayaker and attended community theatre events in her spare time. Mr Hurst paid tribute to his girlfriend as the “most radiant woman”. “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.” Mr Marks said Adam was a “fine photo journalist”. He added: “He was the kind of guy, if he was on his way home from work and heard about something breaking, he would turn around and go do it.” Speaking on behalf of Mr Hurst, Mr Marks said: “Alison was everything. She brightened up every room and no matter what was going on she was a positive person.” Mr Marks appeared on air and called it a terrible crime, saying authorities do not know who the gunman is. He said the station and officials do not know the motive for the shooting or the identity of a suspect. In the video of the incident, as the camera falls to the ground, it captures a fleeting image of a man in black trousers and a blue top who appears to be holding a handgun.