WDBJ7 in Virginia says their reporter and photographer were killed in the shooting around 6:45 a.m. Wednesday at Bridgewater Plaza on Smith Mountain Lake. Their names were Alison Parker and Adam Ward.
It is with extreme sadness that we report WDBJ7's Alison Parker and Adam Ward were killed in an attack this morning.http://t.co/oC9s4vLJXV
— WDBJ7 (@WDBJ7) August 26, 2015
The station’s website says law enforcement is on the scene and is searching for the suspect. No other details about the shooting were given at this time.
“We do not know the motive, we do not know who the suspect or who the killer is,” the station’s general manager Jeff Marks said in a special on-air report. You can learn more about Alison and Adam in that report. You can watch in the video player below or by clicking here.
Adam was 27 years old, and Alison just turned 24. Both are from the WFBJ7 viewing area. Both were in relationships with other employees at WDBJ7, Adam was engaged to a morning producer and Alison was in a relationship with anchor Chris Hurst. He spoke out about Alison on Twitter, saying they didn’t share their relationship publicly, but they were very much in love and wanted to get married.
“She worked with Adam every day. They were a team. I am heartbroken for his fiancee,” he adds.
We didn't share this publicly, but @AParkerWDBJ7 and I were very much in love. We just moved in together. I am numb. pic.twitter.com/tUrHVwAXcN
— Chris Hurst (@chrishurstnews) August 26, 2015
We were together almost nine months. It was the best nine months of our lives. We wanted to get married.We just celebrated her 24th birthday
— Chris Hurst (@chrishurstnews) August 26, 2015
I am comforted by everyone at @WDBJ7. We are a family. She worked with Adam every day. They were a team. I am heartbroken for his fiancee.
— Chris Hurst (@chrishurstnews) August 26, 2015
WDBJ7 anchor Kimberly McBroom says in their special on-air report that Adam’s fiance was celebrating her last day on the job Wednesday as their morning producer, and that the couple was getting ready to move to Charlotte for her new job.
“It was just an ordinary day, we were so happy for them,” McBroom says.
Bridgewater Plaza is approximately 150 miles west of Richmond. According to its website, the plaza is a shopping, dining and events center on Smith Mountain Lake, which is a large reservoir in the Roanoke Region of Virginia.
Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.