Gun control in our times?
Vestor Flanagan gunned down two former colleagues, an energetic, popular young newswoman and a young, enthusiastic, well-liked camera man. The murders happened during the filming of an early morning interview.
Alison Parker and Adam Ward were working on a story for WDBJ about the 50th anniversary of Smith Mountain Lake, a nearby reservoir. The horrifying images have marked a new chapter in the merging of video, violence, and social media and may spur the TV news media to pressure Congress on the issue of gun control.
Flanagan was fired from the same television station the reporter and camera person were from and had a history of conflicts at work. He sought revenge on Wednesday, describing himself as a powder keg, ready to blow. Flanagan used the tools of social media to make sure his crimes were broadcast live, recorded from multiple angles, and was posted online.
Vester Lee Flanagan II, 41, waited until Ms. Parker and Mr. Ward. were on the air and then killed them while personally recording on his own camera. Mr. Flanagan shot himself in the head a few hours later after a police chase.
The grieving father said his daughter’s legacy will be gun control.
Andy Parker, the father of Alison Parker, during an interview with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly Wednesday evening brought up the issue of gun control and stated:
“I’m not going to let this issue drop. We’ve got to do something about crazy people getting guns.
The problem that you guys have – and I know it’s the news business, and this is a big story – but next week, it isn’t going to be a story anymore and everybody’s going to forget it. But you mark my words, my mission in life – and I talked to the governor today. He called me, and I told him, ‘I’m going to do something, whatever it takes, to get gun legislation, to shame people, to shame legislators into doing something about closing loopholes in background checks and making sure crazy people don’t get guns.’ And he (the governor) said, ‘You go. I’m right there with you.’
This is not the last you’ve heard of me. This is Alison’s legacy (gun control legislation) that I want to make happen.”
Here is the Megyn Kelly interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Q1ccYYXsc
Hillary Clinton responded to the murders by saying,
“We have got to do something about gun violence in America, and I will take it on,” she said. “I believe we are smart enough, we are compassionate enough to figure out how to balance the legitimate Second Amendment rights with preventive measures and control measures so that whatever motivated this murderer, who eventually took his own life, we will not see more deaths, needless, senseless deaths.”
Said White House spokesman Josh Earnest for the President:
“As you’ve heard me say in the past, this is another example of gun violence that is becoming all too common in communities large and small all across the United States. And while there is no piece of legislation that will end all violence in this country, there are some common sense things that only Congress can do that we know would have a tangible impact in reducing gun violence in this country.
The president has long advocated Congress taking those steps, and the president continues to believe that they should do so.”
