[Scan-DC] TV reporter and camera operator shot and killed during broadcast this a.m.

[Bruce Harper]

On Wed, Aug 26, 2015 at 5:45 PM, Kurt wrote:

I was westbound on I66 in Fairfax when this broke... And my relatively new
> BCD536HP locked onto STARS / Culpeper 2.
>
> Neat recording feature that has.
>
> Amazing how it went down.
>

Guy died this afternoon in a Fairfax hospital, where he had been airlifted
for treatment. VSP Sargent from Salem Division at the 2 p.m. press
conference said the car was found through the license place reader in a
trooper's car. Once Trooper Pamela M. Neff confirmed it was the vehicle
that was in the BOLO, she called for backup. When she attempted to pull the
car over, it sped off and a minute or two later ran into the median. From
the VSP press release, "When Trooper Neff approached the vehicle, she found
Flanagan suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Flanagan was flown
from the scene to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where he died at approximately
1:26 p.m. Wednesday (Aug. 26, 2015)."

While I listened to my scanner this morning, as various updates to the BOLO
were broadcast, his movement went from I-81 or U.S. 11 in Rockbridge
County, to somewhere near Staunton on I-81 or I-64, then ultimately to
travel on I-66. Apparently law enforcement was getting good pings from his
active cell phone (which he seemed to be using to post to Twitter and
Facebook).

Even though a picture of the shooter as a troubled person with anger issues
is coming out, there is still a lot to be investigated. This area
is devastated by this senseless act that took the lives of two young people
on their way up. Roanoke is a small market and the anchors and reporters
really connect with the community. Some do well and move on to bigger
markets while others have made this their home and have put in years here
in front of the cameras. But they come into our homes every day, are out in
the community covering the news, participating in events, and just being
regular people. It will take a while to get over this.

Bruce in Blacksburg