ROANOKE, Va. — Hours after shooting a reporter and cameraman on live TV, Vester L. Flanagan II took his own life when a Virginia state trooper closed in. But what authorities found in his car hints he considered remaining on the run: a briefcase with three license plates, a wig, a shawl, an umbrella and sunglasses.
The details were contained in a request for a search warrant filed in a Virginia court Thursday, a day after the slayings of WDBJ reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward. Flanagan, a disgruntled former co-worker, also had a Glock pistol, ammunition, 17 stamped letters and a “to do” list in his rental car.
As authorities continued to investigate the shooting, family, colleagues and residents tried to cope with the brazen incident that hit the small southwest Virginia city — and figure out whether anything could have been done to stop it.
Parker’s distraught father spoke on national TV, calling for tougher gun control laws.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe also called for greater gun control, sparking criticism from Republicans who said he was politicizing the tragedy.
Officials at the station held a news conference, saying that while Flanagan had reacted angrily when he was fired in 2013 for erratic behavior and bad performance, workers who encountered him around town in the past 2½ years had no run-ins.
And inside the station, the close-knit news team kept reporting the story, juggling personal tragedy and professional duty. One anchor opened the day by saying, “We come to you this morning with heavy hearts.”
Parker, 24, was interviewing a local chamber of commerce leader, Vicki Gardner, about the most benign of events — the 50th anniversary of the Smith Mountain Lake tourist community — when the shots rang out early Wednesday. Parker and Ward, 27, died at the scene. Gardner was shot multiple times and was recovering Thursday, her husband said. After Flanagan fled, he added a video of the shooting to his Twitter and Facebook accounts.
