Just moments after he was identified by police as the man who opened fire on a news crew this morning, killing two people and injuring at least one other, Vester Lee Flanagan has reportedly killed himself.
Alison Parker and Adam Ward died instantly after being shot several times while filming a live segment for Roanoake, Virginia's WDBJ. Flanagan fled the scene with police in close pursuit.
The shooter - a former reporter for WDBJ who used the name Bryce Williams on the air - took responsibility for the murders on social media and even posted a video of the shooting to Facebook.
"I filmed the shooting, see Facebook," Flanagan wrote on a Twitter account that has since been suspended.
He then attempted to justify the killings in a bizarre online tirade:
"Adam [Ward] went to hr on me after working with me one time," he tweeted. "Alison [Parker] made racist comments...EEOC report filed."
Little is known about Flanagan's suicide, but early reports indicate that he shot himself on Virginia's I-66 highway when it became apparent that his arrest was imminent.
Sources say Flanagan sent a 23-page fax to his former employers at WDBJ sometime last night. That fax has now been turned over to authorities.
UPDATE: Despite earlier reports to the contrary, Flanagan is still alive. The suspect has reportedly been hospitalized, and is in critical condition due to a self-inflicted gun shot wound.
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