Alison Parker Shooting – Remembering Alison Parker and Adam Ward 11 Years Later

Today marks 11 years since broadcast journalist Alison Parker and photojournalist Adam Ward were fatally shot during a live television broadcast for WDBJ7 in Virginia.

On August 26, 2015, Parker, 24, and Ward, 27, were conducting a live interview with Vicki Gardner at Bridgewater Plaza in Moneta, near Smith Mountain Lake, when they were attacked. Parker and Ward were killed, while Gardner survived after being wounded.

The shocking shooting unfolded during a morning broadcast, leaving colleagues at WDBJ7 and viewers across the country struggling to comprehend what had happened. The incident also deeply affected the journalism community, where Parker and Ward were remembered not only for their work but for the people they were away from the cameras.

WDBJ7 General Manager Jeff Marks remembered Parker and Ward as among the kindest people at the station. Their colleagues described them as dedicated journalists who brought professionalism, warmth, and humanity to their work.

Parker was a young reporter whose career was developing rapidly, while Ward was a talented photojournalist who had become an important member of the station’s news team. Their lives and careers were tragically cut short while they were simply doing their jobs.

The gunman was identified as Vester Lee Flanagan II, a former WDBJ employee who had worked at the station under the professional name Bryce Williams. He later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a police pursuit.

Eleven years later, the names of Alison Parker and Adam Ward remain remembered by their families, friends, former colleagues, and members of the journalism community.

Their deaths were a devastating reminder of the risks journalists can face while carrying out their work and of the profound consequences of workplace violence.

Today, the focus remains on remembering Alison and Adam for the lives they lived, the people they loved, and the work they were passionate about rather than allowing the circumstances of their deaths to define them.

Alison Parker and Adam Ward will never be forgotten. May their families, friends, former colleagues, and everyone who continues to remember them find comfort in their memories. Rest in peace, Alison and Adam.