Another disgruntled employee

[SpacemanSpiff]

WDBJ in Roanoke had two member of the news crew killed on the air this morning by a former employee (kick out two and a half years ago). The cameraman killed was engaged to the producer, who was working the story at the studio when it happened. In fact, this was her last day, as that she was taking a job at another station (and her fiancé was to follow). The on air reporter killed was engaged with another member of the station news crew.

The gunman has since killed himself after police pursuit about 2 hours away on I-66. Along the way, he posted a video feed on social media (since disabled) of him doing the deed.

Just sad all around.

http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/a ... e75b9.html

http://news.yahoo.com/cbs-journalists-s ... 23506.html

[Bob Juch]

The gunman shot himself but is in critical condition, not dead.

[Bob Juch]

The gunman shot himself but is in critical condition, not dead.

He died at 1:30.

[SpacemanSpiff]

The gunman shot himself but is in critical condition, not dead.

He died at 1:30.

The news wasn't greatly exaggerated, just premature.

[Bob78164]

The season finale of Mr. Robot was postponed for a week. The explanation given was that it contains a graphic scene reminiscent of yesterday's events in Virginia. --Bob

[Jeemie]

I saw the killer's POV video- very creepy. You can still find it on the web in several places.

Amazing he got so close and none of the three saw him- he was just out of the line of sight of the interviewee and Alison Parker, but might have been picked up in their peripheral vision.

Just shows how absorbed they were in the interview.

[SpacemanSpiff]

I saw the killer's POV video- very creepy. You can still find it on the web in several places.

Amazing he got so close and none of the three saw him- he was just out of the line of sight of the interviewee and Alison Parker, but might have been picked up in their peripheral vision.

Just shows how absorbed they were in the interview.

I haven't seen the POV video (other than a few stills).* As far as the seeing him in the periphery, the news crew would have been very focused on the interviewee -- after all, that's their job, and distractions under normal circumstances would be many so they'd learn to block those out -- although the interviewee might have noticed, but likely she was focused on the camera or the newsperson.

Needless to say, this person had plotted this out all too well -- rental car stationed nearby (that he'd rented a month ago) to switch off to, cameras, manifesto, tweets and video uploads. Just sad all around.
-----
* I've chosen not to watch the videos, although I did watch the story on the local news, which was from the broadcaster's perspective up until you can see from the women's faces what's about to happen, and they froze the video (but not the audio).

After making the mistake of watching the video of the Pocono race accident Monday night (when you see a piece of a car about the size of a medium TV hit a man in the head and bounce 30 feet up in the air, it's pretty disturbing), I figure I don't need to see any more death for awhile.

[Jeemie]

I still wonder how he knew where she was going to be. He was dismissed quite some time before this happened.

Maybe it was a feature story that had been in the works for some time?

[Bob Juch]

I still wonder how he knew where she was going to be. He was dismissed quite some time before this happened.

Maybe it was a feature story that had been in the works for some time?

He probably followed them from the station.

[Jeemie]

I still wonder how he knew where she was going to be. He was dismissed quite some time before this happened.

Maybe it was a feature story that had been in the works for some time?

He probably followed them from the station.

I guess.

But how far away from the spot of the story was the rental car again?

And if he was following them, I wonder if he was following them a lot, looking for a particularly vulnerable remote location.

They were pretty much trapped where he shot them...no easy avenues of escape and she fled, so his first shots obviously did not critically wound her, even at point blank range).

Other remote locations might not have suited his needs.

[Bob Juch]

I still wonder how he knew where she was going to be. He was dismissed quite some time before this happened.

Maybe it was a feature story that had been in the works for some time?

He probably followed them from the station.

I guess.

But how far away from the spot of the story was the rental car again?

And if he was following them, I wonder if he was following them a lot, looking for a particularly vulnerable remote location.

They were pretty much trapped where he shot them...no easy avenues of escape and she fled, so his first shots obviously did not critically wound her, even at point blank range).

Other remote locations might not have suited his needs.

He parked his car at the airport and rented a car about a month before so yes, he probably stalked them for quite a while.

[K.P.]

The New York Daily News decided to put stills from the shooter's video on their front page today. Disgraceful.

[Bob Juch]

The New York Daily News decided to put stills from the shooter's video on their front page today. Disgraceful.

As did the Post.

[SpacemanSpiff]

When I was driving home and heard the 5:30 news, the Roanoke station also wondered how the gunman knew about the remote. However, they did point out that it was mentioned when the broadcast started at 5:00am, and it was implied to be in the second hour (it aired at 6:20). Obviously, someone in the area that was ready to do this vile deal had time to get there.

I just saw on the TV newscast that the guy had a wig, three license plates, and 17 stamped letters in the car with him (among other things). Obviously, he didn't change the plate on the car, since that was how he got caught -- the State Police got his license plate number, and one of the troopers on found it was on one of the high-speed readers she was using (in fact, was maybe three cars previously).

This basically was some sick person who was determined to do this, and planned out his assault carefully. I'm not sure how you can prevent this thing from happening.

[Bob Juch]

When I was driving home and heard the 5:30 news, the Roanoke station also wondered how the gunman knew about the remote. However, they did point out that it was mentioned when the broadcast started at 5:00am, and it was implied to be in the second hour (it aired at 6:20). Obviously, someone in the area that was ready to do this vile deal had time to get there.

I just saw on the TV newscast that the guy had a wig, three license plates, and 17 stamped letters in the car with him (among other things). Obviously, he didn't change the plate on the car, since that was how he got caught -- the State Police got his license plate number, and one of the troopers on found it was on one of the high-speed readers she was using (in fact, was maybe three cars previously).

This basically was some sick person who was determined to do this, and planned out his assault carefully. I'm not sure how you can prevent this thing from happening.

Not letting people like him buy a gun would be a start.

[SpacemanSpiff]

Not letting people like him buy a gun would be a start.

I've tried to avoid getting into the gun debate on this -- let's be honest, if killing a bunch of kids at Sandy Hook Elementary doesn't get Congress to move, nothing will -- primarily because I didn't want this thread to devolve into something it wasn't meant to be.

But, the sad part is, the more I hear and read about this, I'm not sure what could have been done (legally and otherwise) to prevent a determined killer like this. He purchased the gun legally several months ago (ATF says he passed the background checks) and, other than being a jerk (to put it mildly) at some of his jobs and filing some legalities against a couple, there was nothing on record to say he shouldn't have a gun. No mental health record, no criminal record. Could the station have been more vigilant? Yes, but why? The perp had been gone for two and a half years, and nobody at the station had any direct dealings or threats from him.

I heard on the radio this morning some of the EEOC complaints against the Roanoke station (dismissed). He claimed subtle racial terms used against him as a reporter. Specifically? When he was doing a remote, the anchor at the studio said, "let's go to our man in the field" (he claimed that was a reference to farm slaves) and another, this one from the reporter he killed, when he had trouble with a feed to the studio, said "don't leave us hanging," which he said was an allusion to lynching.

No, I'm just afraid this guy was determined to do something very bad and was able to do so with minimal warning signs.

[Bob Juch]

Not letting people like him buy a gun would be a start.

I've tried to avoid getting into the gun debate on this -- let's be honest, if killing a bunch of kids at Sandy Hook Elementary doesn't get Congress to move, nothing will -- primarily because I didn't want this thread to devolve into something it wasn't meant to be.

But, the sad part is, the more I hear and read about this, I'm not sure what could have been done (legally and otherwise) to prevent a determined killer like this. He purchased the gun legally several months ago (ATF says he passed the background checks) and, other than being a jerk (to put it mildly) at some of his jobs and filing some legalities against a couple, there was nothing on record to say he shouldn't have a gun. No mental health record, no criminal record. Could the station have been more vigilant? Yes, but why? The perp had been gone for two and a half years, and nobody at the station had any direct dealings or threats from him.

I heard on the radio this morning some of the EEOC complaints against the Roanoke station (dismissed). He claimed subtle racial terms used against him as a reporter. Specifically? When he was doing a remote, the anchor at the studio said, "let's go to our man in the field" (he claimed that was a reference to farm slaves) and another, this one from the reporter he killed, when he had trouble with a feed to the studio, said "don't leave us hanging," which he said was an allusion to lynching.

No, I'm just afraid this guy was determined to do something very bad and was able to do so with minimal warning signs.

I'd say the warning signs were pretty clear. Yes, he bought the gun legally; I'm not sure what could have been done to prevent that.

At least WalMart is going to stop selling assault rifles.

[BackInTex]

Blame the liberal society that tells blacks over and over and over again, "it's because your're black", "it's because of racism", "it's because of slavery". This guy, and many others, buy it hook, line, and sinker.

[Bob Juch]

But in Texas they have this:

http://www.nbcdfw.com/video/?_osource=S ... /323230791