Suspect in Virginia TV shooting had history of workplace issues
- Author:Tony
- Release on:2015-08-27
Suspect in Virginia TV shooting had history of workplace issues
The suspected gunman in the shooting deaths of two television journalists in Virginia on Wednesday was a veteran anchorman with a history of workplace grievances who had previously sued a Florida station alleging discrimination because he was black.
While authorities said they had not determined a motive, perceived racism appeared to be a factor in the shootings, according to recent postings the suspect is believed to have made on social media and a fax that ABC News said the suspect sent.
Vester Flanagan, 41, who went on the air under the name Bryce Williams, was a former employee of WDBJ7 in Virginia, where both of the slain journalists worked. The journalists, who were both white, were killed during a live television broadcast earlier this morning.
Posts on a Twitter feed by a man identifying himself as Bryce Williams, Flanagan's on-air name, accused one of the victims of "racist comments," and noted that a complaint had been filed with a government agency that enforces discrimination claims.
(This TV video frame grab courtesy of WDBJ7-TV in Roanoke, Virginia shows two WDBJ7 employees killed in an attack at Bridgewater Plaza in Moneta, Virginia on August 26, 2015)