Alison Parker

Slain cameraman remembered with jokes, goofy stories

Adam Ward, 27, was killed Wednesday alongside WDBJ-TV reporter Alison Parker by a former co-worker. But those who loved him say that while his loss is devastating, they've found comfort in sharing funny stories about Ward and relating jokes he loved to tell poking fun at the rival of his favorite football team and alma mater, Virginia Tech.

Here is a look at some of the stories shared during Ward's funeral in Roanoke:

STANDUP COMEDY

On-air gunman became increasingly volatile before killings

Flanagan offered a variety of motives before he killed himself Wednesday: A rambling 23-page manifesto sent to a national news network described his ambush as revenge for the killings of nine black people inside a church in South Carolina, which prompted federal hate crime charges against a white suspect. 

On social media, Flanagan claimed his victims, 24-year-old Alison Parker and 27-year-old Adam Ward, had wronged him.

On-air killings gripped millions in social media storm

Within hours, the carefully scripted carnage carried out by a disgruntled former colleague spread to millions of viewers gripped by what had transformed into a social media storm. 

The governor initially described a car chase on his weekly radio show, with police on the shooter's tail on an interstate highway.

Grieving station comes together for newscast after deaths

The show began with an image of the two victims — reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward — and the words "In Memory."

Morning anchor Kim McBroom, who was on the air Wednesday morning when the shooting happened, briefly fought through tears as she prepared for the newscast Thursday. On the air, McBroom said, "We come to you with heavy hearts. Two of our own were shot during a live shot yesterday morning." She noted the outpouring of support that followed the deaths.

Clinton mourns TV shooting, pledges to fight gun violence

"We've had so many terrible instances of it in the last two years, but it happens every day," the 2016 Democratic front-runner said. "There is so much evidence that if guns were not so readily available, if we had universal background checks ... maybe we could prevent this kind of carnage."

Clinton also extended condolences to the victims' families and co-workers.

Suspect in on-air fatal shooting dies

     

Virginia Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran says Vester Flanagan died at 1:26 p.m. Wednesday.

Flanagan went by the name Bryce Williams on the air. He was a former employee at the station. The general manager says that he was known for being unhappy, angry and hard to work with, and that he was fired.

The shooting took place  during a live interview outside a shopping mall.

Slain TV reporter, cameraman were team working on careers

Friends and colleagues said Wednesday that Alison Parker and Adam Ward were part of a close-knit family at TV station WDBJ in Roanoke, Virginia.

The 24-year-old Parker was hired at WDBJ full time about a year ago. The 27-year-old Ward had worked at the station for several years, first in the production department, then as a video journalist.

They both found love at the station. Parker was dating an anchor. Ward was engaged to a producer.