Two young TV journalists cut down at the start of promising careers by a murderer’s bullets – on a live early morning broadcast from Smith Mountain Lake by a former colleague, was followed by an incredible outpouring of support from around the region, the country and the world.
Everyone knows Alison and Adam at this point – as in Alison Parker and Adam Ward, a young, energetic WDBJ reporter and her videographer “sidekick.”
It happened last Wednesday morning when Vester Flanagan – known on air at WDBJ-7 as Bryce Williams – shot Parker and Ward dead at Bridgewater Plaza. He also wounded the person they were interviewing, Vickie Gardner with the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce. She is recovering after losing a kidney and part of her colon after being shot in the back.
Within hours the world seemed to come to Roanoke – CNN, Fox News and the major TV networks, radio networks and newspapers from many cities camped outside the WDBJ studios on Hershberger Road. Candlelight vigils and memorials were set up outside the television studios; Virginia Tech football players prepared to wear special decals on their helmets for their big game against top ranked Ohio State. Adam Ward (27) graduated from Tech; Alison Parker (24) studied journalism at her alma mater James Madison.
Teal and maroon ribbons were being worn on shirts and jackets; teal was Alison’s favorite color and maroon is a Virginia Tech color – Adam would have liked that.
Jennifer Pfister, director of marketing for the Girl Scouts Skyline Council, worked with the duo on Scouts-related stories. Pfister said Alison grew up as a girl scout and knew how to hold an audience. “The first thing she would do is put her three fingers up in the style of the Girl Scout promise – and she would just start reciting it. The girls were just amazed.”
Pfister remembers Parker as “genuine [and] so smart. An incredibly sweet, funny and [bright] young lady.” Ward was great at putting the young scouts at ease before he turned on the camera to ask a question or two for a story. “He was just hilarious. They just worked together so well as a team. It’s just heartbreaking for us … to lose such incredible people. Amazing and shocking at the same time. They were phenomenal people. We will remember them.”
Mayor David Bowers spoke with Wolf Blitzer on CNN the day after the shooting. “It’s important for us to be resilient and heal,” said the mayor on national television.
On the day of the shooting WDBJ had to stay on the air with their Mornin’ Show, not sure of what had happened at the Lake – until General Manager Jeff Marks confirmed just before 9am that their two colleagues had fallen.
Over the next several days the station brought in reporters and anchors from other stations owned by their parent company, as its own personnel took time off to grieve and attend memorial services. Even the retired Keith Humphrey came back to sit in at the anchor desk for a stint.
Governor McAuliffe visited the WDBJ studios two days after the shooting to meet with station personnel, and took a few minutes on air during the noon broadcast to commend the news staff for the job they had done in the face of such terrible tragedy.
“Two great individuals have lost their lives – it happens too many times in this country,” said McAuliffe, who also met at the station with Andy Parker – Alison’s father – who has vowed publicly to push for tighter gun laws that keep firearms out of the hands of what he called “crazy people.”
Vester Flanagan had deep anger issues which led in part to his firing at WDBJ several years ago and at several other stops. He shot and mortally wounded himself on I-66 several hours after the Parker-Ward murders as the police closed in.
“We are all sticking together,” said Mornin’ show anchor Kimberly McBroom to the Governor, “[even as] we’re grieving.”
They have done just that and been such a beautiful inspiration to us all. Godspeed WDBJ.
By Gene Marrano
