But let’s take a moment to focus on the innocent victims of this horrific event: the highly talented individuals that were news reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward.
Parker, 24, was an energetic and vibrant person who was known to report on issues in a timely and enthusiastic manner. When her and Ward, 27, collaborated they were an energetic pair.
Together, they had just completed a story about sleep patterns and their final story was about foster children being abused in care homes. The way she concluded her report, focusing on a child named Hope, is a testament to her good nature. She said:
When I first met Hope, I immediately thought that this 13-year-old girl is wise beyond her years. In some cases, that’s a compliment… In her case, she lost her childhood.
Here’s a video she posted whilst working on a story about a charity mini golf tournament:
Of course, this happens right after I’m finished with my live shots for the morning! Here’s what you need to know…
Posted by Alison Parker on Monday, June 8, 2015
As well as having a keen sense of social justice, Parker also had a fun side. Here’s a video she uploaded showing her playing with a pig in the WDBJ office:
Well this happened today…
Posted by Alison Parker on Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Another person whose life was turned upside down by yesterday’s tragedy was Chris Hurst, Alison’s boyfriend. They had just moved in together, I can’t imagine what he’s going through right now.
We didn’t share this publicly, but Alison Parker and I were very much in love. We just moved in together. I am numb. We…
Posted by Chris Hurst Wdbj on Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Adam Ward had been a camera man for WDBJ7 for 4 years. He was engaged to WDBJ producer Melissa Ott. Newsweek reporter Polly Mosendz posted the following statement from a friend of Ward to Twitter…
The lives of Parker and Ward have been cut short, but their stories will live on forever.
Chris is a trending and viral news editor at UNILAD.