The
father of Alison Parker, one of two journalists killed live on air, has
appealed to US President Barack Obama to push through tougher gun laws.
"You
need to do this... I will help you do this and the press is with you on
this because they just lost one of their own," Andy Parker told the
BBC.
Staff at WDBJ TV in Virginia have been mourning the loss of his daughter, a reporter, and cameraman Adam Ward.
They were shot dead live on air by a disgruntled ex-colleague on Wednesday.
The
attack has reignited the debate about gun control laws in the US, with
Mr Obama calling for stricter background checks for gun buyers in the
wake of the attack.
Speaking to the BBC a day after the shooting,
Ms Parker's father, Andy, acknowledged it would be an uphill battle to
change the law, but said the president could take on the challenge.
"You
did it with healthcare reform which nobody said you could do. You did
it with an Iran deal that everybody said you couldn't do. These are
people's lives right here in the country," he said.
But Republican presidential hopefuls Jim Gilmore and Ben Carson have warned against any rush to introduce tougher gun controls.
'We will heal'
WDBJ
Roanoke news director Kelly Zuber said in a news conference on Thursday
that none of her news teams had been doing live shots for the last two
days "out of an abundance of caution".
She said the gunman, Vester
Flanagan, may have discovered the location of the news crew after
watching them in an earlier TV appearance at Bridgewater Plaza in Moneta
on Wednesday, and had enough time to drive to the area before their
second live appearance.
The station's general manager, Jeff
Marks, also said Flanagan had vowed to make "a stink" soon after he was
fired from the station two years ago.
Media captionIn an emotional broadcast, members of the WDBJ7 team held hands and wiped away tearsEarlier
on Thursday, the station held a minute's silence on air in memory of
the two slain journalists. "We will, over time, heal from this," WDBJ7
anchor Kim McBroom told viewers, holding hands with two colleagues.
Outside
the channel's headquarters in Roanoke, bunches of flowers and black
ribbons have been placed in memory of the two slain journalists.
At the scene - Tara McKelvey, BBC News, Roanoke
About 30 journalists have gathered in the parking
lot near WDBJ. They're standing near a heap of flowers and gifts people
have left under a tree.
Someone has placed a camcorder on the
wood chips under the tree. The camera is decorated with Mardi Gras
beads, and it has a cloth to wipe the lens.
Someone else has
folded a sweatshirt neatly and left it under the tree: the sweatshirt
says Virginia Tech, the site of a mass shooting in 2007 and also the
alma mater of Adam Ward.
The place smells like vanilla from
scented candles, and it's cool here in the morning air. Some of the
candles have burned all night.
Vester
Flanagan, who posted online a video he had filmed of the attack, died
from a self-inflicted gunshot wound later on Wednesday.
Memos from
the station reveal Flanagan, who used the on-air name of Bryce
Williams, had been ordered by the station's bosses to seek medical help
and expressed "aggressive" behaviour toward colleagues.
WDBJ's
former news chief Dan Dennison said on Wednesday Flanagan had complained
of racial discrimination but "all these allegations were deemed to be
unfounded".
Flanagan had to be escorted from the building by
police when he was fired "because he was not going to leave willingly",
he added.
Media captionAlison Parker's boyfriend Chris Hurst shared a photo album of the couple's special moments
In
a 23-page fax sent to ABC News, Flanagan said his anger had been
"building steadily" and a recent attack on black church-goers in
Charleston, South Carolina, had driven him to "tipping point".
But he also praised the gunmen behind mass shootings at Columbine High School in 1999 and Virginia Tech University in 2007. Alison Parker
Aged 24, was a reporter for WDBJ7's Mornin' show
Grew up in Martinsville, Virginia and edited her university newspaper
Joined WDBJ7 after internship and said she grew up watching the station
Was dating station anchor Chris Hurst
Adam Ward
Aged 27, was a cameraman for WDBJ7
Went to school in Salem, Virginia, and graduated from Virginia Tech
Described by his employer as committed and a "fine photojournalist"
Was engaged to station producer Melissa Ott
Who were the two journalists? Image caption
Reporter Alison Parker was doing an interview when she was shot and killed live on air
Image caption
The Twitter and Facebook accounts of Bryce Williams, Flanagan's on-air name, have been suspended Ms Parker was conducting a live interview with a
guest on tourism for the breakfast show, filmed by Mr Ward, when
suddenly shots rang out, and viewers saw the camera fall to the ground.
Screams
could be heard and the footage captured a brief glimpse of the gunman.
Flanagan later posted a video online he had filmed himself of the
shooting at close range, which was subsequently removed by Twitter and
Facebook. He killed himself after a police chase.
The interview
subject, Vicki Gardner of the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of
Commerce, is in a stable condition in hospital following surgery.
Virginia TV shooting
Image caption
Memorials have sprung up at the offices of WDBJ7
Comments
Post a Comment