Reporter gets shot and killed during live tv interview

[Hawk]

Vester Lee Flanagan II, who is now reported to be dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, faxed a 23-page page manifesto to the national news outlet [ABC]. It was time-stamped 8:26 a.m., almost two hours after the shooting.

“Why did I do it? I put down a deposit for a gun on 6/19/15. The Church shooting in Charleston happened on 6/17/15…,” Flanagan is quoted as saying in the document. “What sent me over the top was the church shooting. And my hollow point bullets have the victims’ initials on them.”

[jpx7]

This is a new low for this board.

I don't know about "new low," but it's certainly pretty damn base and untoward.

[50PoundHead]

Horrifying news. I don't know what else to say.

[sturg33]

The girl was in my major at college - 1 year behind me. I didn't know her from there... but several of my friends were very close with her.

[Runnin]

Vester Lee Flanagan II, who is now reported to be dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, faxed a 23-page page manifesto to the national news outlet [ABC]. It was time-stamped 8:26 a.m., almost two hours after the shooting.

“Why did I do it? I put down a deposit for a gun on 6/19/15. The Church shooting in Charleston happened on 6/17/15…,” Flanagan is quoted as saying in the document. “What sent me over the top was the church shooting. And my hollow point bullets have the victims’ initials on them.”

The sender also says he's a victim of racial discrimination and sexual harassment, and that he has been targeted for being a gay black man.

"The church shooting was the tipping point…but my anger has been building steadily...I’ve been a human powder keg for a while…just waiting to go BOOM!!!!”

San Diego 6 News Director Don Shafer told the California station that he worked with Flanagan in 1996 at an NBC affiliate in North Florida.

"He was a good on-air performer, a pretty good reporter. And then things started getting a little strange with him," Shafer said. "He threatened to punch people out. He was pretty difficult to work with."

Former employees told multiple outlets that Flanagan had violent outbursts. Station news director Kevin Zuber said Wednesday that "many people in the newsroom" had ongoing issues with the suspect.

[bravesnumberone]

The girl was in my major at college - 1 year behind me. I didn't know her from there... but several of my friends were very close with her.

Sorry, man. As a 26-year-old journalist in the newspaper industry, this one hits close to me as well. Two people just doing their job and some sick piece of **** can come down on a plane and do something like that.

[Runnin]

Just senseless. How does a person's thinking get so messed up?

[chop2chip]

Sorry to read that Sturg. I know how it feels when a tragedy that is general in nature feels when the feeling is brought onto a personal nature.

Not to compare apples to oranges as this story has a darker more avoidable element to it, but My nanny who helped raised me when I was younger died in a house fire a few months back with her youngest son. Unfortunately I found out about this from a local news outlet and that feeling of when it hit home is both cruel and immensely humbling.

My suggestion is to learn what you can from what happened and to appreciate the life that you have. It can all be taken from you in a moments notice in a way that you could never foresee.

[57Brave]

This blogger has grown weary of the depraved ignorance that has taken the place of rational discussion. He's long been amazed at how people who are wary of the motives of the government they elected don't have any suspicions of the organizations and corporations who only answer to the dollar. Very little surprises him anymore, not even this latest massacre. -


http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2015/...ways-guns.html

[bravesnumberone]

For ****'s sake.

[goldfly]

thank God for the 2nd amendment

we shouldn't make any changes to that AMENDMENT

[sturg33]

thank God for the 2nd amendment

we shouldn't make any changes to that AMENDMENT

I told myself I wouldn't have this argument in this thread.

But the only solution for something like this would be to ban all weapons. It wasn't an assault rifle. Do you want to ban all weapons? And only allow the government and police force to carry guns?

Additionally, he could have just as easily stabbed them. He was 2 feet away and they were unarmed and had no clue he was there.

You've said in the past you don't want to ban all guns. Why are you trying to politicize this?

This happens in every ****ing murder. We don't blame the sick psychopath... we blame the weapon he chose to use. That's the saddest part. We divert the attention away from the innocent victims. We divert the attention away from the person responsible. And we blame the weapon of choice as the reason this happened.

[weso1]

I think this one had more to do with trumped up racial tensions than it did guns.

[sturg33]

I think this one had more to do with trumped up racial tensions than it did guns.

Agreed... when the media drums up a "race war" this is what you get.

Now it's only a matter of time before a white racist retaliates.

[acesfull86]

I think this one had more to do with trumped up racial tensions than it did guns.

How much did the NRA pay you to say that?

[Hawk]

Ew, was just reading the article about police finding this guy's massive sex toy (read: dildo/butt plug) collection with 'human material' caked on them.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...or-murder.html

Also didn't realize that he was fired two years ago, but still lived in apartment less than a mile from the station.

[Krgrecw]

I told myself I wouldn't have this argument in this thread.

But the only solution for something like this would be to ban all weapons. It wasn't an assault rifle. Do you want to ban all weapons? And only allow the government and police force to carry guns?

Additionally, he could have just as easily stabbed them. He was 2 feet away and they were unarmed and had no clue he was there.

You've said in the past you don't want to ban all guns. Why are you trying to politicize this?

This happens in every ****ing murder. We don't blame the sick psychopath... we blame the weapon he chose to use. That's the saddest part. We divert the attention away from the innocent victims. We divert the attention away from the person responsible. And we blame the weapon of choice as the reason this happened.

Notice how the liberals chastised and ran the dentist out of town after he killed a lion, but if the dentist would had shoot another human it would be the 'guns' fault. Hypocritical?

[sturg33]

Ew, was just reading the article about police finding this guy's massive sex toy (read: dildo/butt plug) collection with 'human material' caked on them.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...or-murder.html

Also didn't realize that he was fired two years ago, but still lived in apartment less than a mile from the station.

My best friend's wife told me that he made a giant scene when he was fired... threw stuff on the ground and cursed at people and yelled as he was escorted out.