Journalist killings revive US gun control debate

By: 9 years ago

This undated composite photograph made available by WDBJ-TV shows reporter Alison Parker, left, and cameraman Adam Ward. Parker and Ward were fatally shot during an on-air interview, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015, in Moneta, Va. Authorities identified the suspect as fellow journalist Vester Lee Flanagan II, who appeared on WDBJ-TV as Bryce Williams. Flanagan was fired from the station in 2013. WDBJ-TV via AP

ROANOKE, United States鈥擳he brazen killing of two US journalists during a live television broadcast by a former reporter fired by the station reignited calls Thursday for tougher gun control in America鈥攖hough there was little hope for change.

Mass shootings in the United States鈥攆rom the 2012 school massacre in Newtown to June鈥檚 slaying of black churchgoers in Charleston鈥攔egularly prompt widespread hand-wringing about easy US access to guns, and a need for action.

The killings on Wednesday of reporter Alison Parker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27, as they conducted an early morning on-air interview for WDBJ鈥攁 CBS affiliate in Roanoke, Virginia鈥攚ere no different.

鈥淗ow many massacres do we have to have鈥� before the public cries out and says what it is that they want us to do?鈥� Roanoke Mayor David Bowers said on CNN. 鈥淲e just haven鈥檛 reached a consensus on this in America.鈥�

Parker and Ward were shot dead at close range by 41-year-old Vester Lee Flanagan, who was dismissed from WDBJ in 2013 over angry, erratic behavior. Images from Ward鈥檚 camera as the attack took place were aired live.

The woman they were interviewing was also shot, but was in good condition on Thursday.

Parker鈥檚 father Andy made an impassioned plea for change, saying his daughter鈥檚 death had left him heartbroken.

鈥淚鈥檓 for the Second Amendment, but there has to be a way to force politicians that are cowards and in the pockets of the NRA to come to grips and make sense鈥攈ave sensible laws so that crazy people can鈥檛 get guns,鈥� he said.

鈥淚t can鈥檛 be that hard, and yet politicians from the local level to the state level to the national level, they side-step the issue. They kick the can down the road. This can鈥檛 happen anymore.鈥�

Right to bear arms

The constitution鈥檚 Second Amendment鈥攅nshrining the right to bear arms鈥攊s defended tooth and nail by the National Rifle Association (NRA), the main US gun rights lobbying group, which has been successful in blunting drives to restrict weapons sales.

US lawmakers have been hesitant to enact tougher limitations on access to guns, in part because they are loath to anger voters for whom gun rights cannot be abridged in any way.

President Barack Obama made a concerted effort to push gun control legislation through Congress in the wake of the Newtown school shooting, but the draft went nowhere.

鈥淚t breaks my heart every time you read or hear about these kinds of incidents,鈥� Obama told an ABC affiliate in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

鈥淲hat we know is that the number of people who die from gun-related incidents around this country dwarfs any deaths that happen through terrorism.鈥�

After the Roanoke attack, Wal-Mart said it will stop selling the AR-15鈥攖he type of rifle used in Newtown and in the Colorado theater massacre鈥攁nd other semi-automatic weapons, but cited flagging demand as the reason.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said efforts should focus on bolstering mental health treatment, rather than on gun restrictions.

鈥淭hey should be talking about mental health because there are so many things to be done,鈥� Trump told CNN.

Moment of silence

Flanagan鈥攁lso known as Bryce Williams鈥攆atally shot himself after fleeing the scene, but not before posting video of the attack on social media.

He sent a rambling manifesto to ABC 黑料社, saying he was a 鈥渉uman powder keg鈥� just waiting to go BOOM!!!!鈥� and had endured racial discrimination and bullying 鈥渇or being a gay, black man.鈥�

Flanagan said he was sent over the edge by the Charleston church shooting, carried out by a white gunman who expressed support for white supremacist causes.

WDBJ general manager Jeffrey Marks said that Flanagan鈥檚 complaints about workplace discrimination had all been shelved, after being 鈥渇ound to be without merit.鈥�

鈥淎ll of these investigations determined that no reasonable person would have taken any of the cited incidents as discrimination or harassment,鈥� Marks told a press conference, with dozens of staff members flanking him, many holding hands.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we identified that he had mental health issues. We certainly identified that he had performance issues,鈥� he said. 鈥淰ester鈥檚 behavior annoyed a lot of people in the news station.鈥�

Devastated WDBJ staff mourned their colleagues, observing a moment of silence on-air.

鈥淲e will, over time, heal from this,鈥� said a grief-stricken morning anchor, Kimberly McBroom, holding hands with two colleagues on the set.

The moment of silence at the station in Roanoke, about 240 miles (385 kilometers) southwest of Washington, came at 6:45 a.m.鈥攖he exact time that Parker and Ward were shot and killed at close range.

Outside the studio gates, bouquets of flowers and shiny remembrance balloons were placed under a tree wrapped with two black mourning ribbons. Viewers and local residents came by to pay their respects.

鈥淪he was looking forward to life. I was looking forward to a life with her,鈥� WDBJ anchor Chris Hurst, Parker鈥檚 boyfriend, told NBC 黑料社.