Two Virginia television journalists fatally shot in on-air attack[READ OP]

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Deciding to kill two people is a rash decision. Premeditation doesn't mean he wasn't disturbed. His obsessiveness and obsessive premeditation point toward being disturbed more than not.
It's hard to argue it was a "rash decision" when he wrote a 23 page manifesto. He put a lot of time and thought into his decision. I certainly agree that this guy, along with most other shooters in similar situations, are certainly disturbed, just on the basis that they were actually able to carry out their respective heinous crimes. However, I don't believe that this necessarily means that he (and others) are legally insane at the time they commit those crimes.
 
Why are the police making the media delete footage at the scene where he shot himself?

Just at the scene of the suspects shooting on I-66. Police told me to delete footage or lose Franz Strasser ‏@franzstrasser 34m34 minutes ago
Just at the scene of the suspects shooting on I-66. Police told me to delete footage or lose camera.

Franz Strasser ‏@franzstrasser 25m25 minutes ago
Was too far away to get any good footage. One officer threatened to tow my car and take my camera.

https://twitter.com/franzstrasser
 
I think people really need to stop talking about the video, no?

For those just coming into this thread, there are friends of the victims ITT
 
Saw the POV video, did the first shots hit her?

It seems he aimed directly at her and nothing happened, she just ran away. R.I.P to both of them, I honestly thought they ran away from it.
 
The General Manager just said on CNN the shooter and the reporter didn't even know eachother.

She was there for 1 year but Vester got fired 2 years ago.

The General Manager said earlier (on his station) that the reporter was an intern for a while before being hired a year ago.
 
All major shootings are front page news.

How was this a major shooting?

It's a significant story, wouldn't you say?

It's tragic, but in the grand scheme of things, no it is not. Gun murders happen literally every day in the US. Outside of the novelty of "live killing on-air", what are the wider implications of this that warrant international coverage?

Let's face it, we know why. It's because this is the first time that people can get to feel as if they were there by watching the video.
 
Why are the police making the media delete footage at the scene where he shot himself?

Just at the scene of the suspects shooting on I-66. Police told me to delete footage or lose Franz Strasser ‏@franzstrasser 34m34 minutes ago
Just at the scene of the suspects shooting on I-66. Police told me to delete footage or lose camera.

Franz Strasser ‏@franzstrasser 25m25 minutes ago
Was too far away to get any good footage. One officer threatened to tow my car and take my camera.

https://twitter.com/franzstrasser

Cops being cops is my guess.
 
Oh my god, that fucking POV video. So unreal. But most hard to watch was WDBJ7 news report was the hardest to watch. You can really feel how shaken the people are and how painful it is for them to report on this shit. They even refused to show the footage again because it's too hard on everyone.

Fucking hell.
 
I thought it was quite tame. The barrier seems to be what cable television will show, and what you can find on here. Over the years with various news stories both new and old there seems to be an astounding amount of content that doesn't translate to the other medium.

It's tame in the amount of physical violence.

But seeing two people oblivious that they are about to die as the killer casually waves the gun in front of the shot from his own camera is horrifying.
 
Shooting a reporter and photographer on live TV then uploading it "for the lulz" sounds like such a dystopian America novel thing.

RIP to them both, this is a sickening story that I hope doesn't inspire copycats.
 
How was this a major shooting?



It's tragic, but in the grand scheme of things, no it is not. Gun murders happen literally every day in the US. Outside of the novelty of "live killing on-air", what are the wider implications of this that warrant international coverage?

Let's face it, we know why. It's because this is the first time that people can get to feel as if they were there by watching the video.

Of course that has a lot to do with it. People were eating their breakfast while watching the news and had to witness this live. It's fucking terrifying.
 
I'm not sure I understand the dispute here among the not mentally ill, mentally ill crowds.

Even is he was mentally ill (which by the way I'm inclined to believe) that doesn't mean he doesn't know right from wrong and have the ability to act on that knowledge.

Being mentally ill doesn't always excuse you from doing terrible things. There are plenty of cases where someone who was mentally ill could very well have avoided causing harm to others but chose not to do so, and cases where the ability to differentiate between right and wrong was not in their control.

If we take that to be true than what does the distinction matter in this case?

I'm being serious with this question in case I wasn't clear. It seems people are getting heated as to whether or not he was mentally ill and I'm curious as to why
it doesn't matter. Really it's a nonsense argument between people correcting other people on the philosophy of good and evil. He's not absolved of his crimes mentally ill or not. He could've chose to get clarity on the events of his termination and acted accordingly. Many mentally ill people have sought help before they've hurt themselves and others. This person did not and people have to suffer because of it. You're right. The distinction at this point is moot.
 
It's tame in the amount of physical violence.

But seeing two people oblivious that they are about to die as the gunman casually waves the gun in front of the shot from his own camera is horrifying.

For some people, sure. I thought the content was similar to the broadcast, except you know the story by now. I agree that the amount of time he was standing there was the real revelation between the two.
 
Why are the police making the media delete footage at the scene where he shot himself?

Just at the scene of the suspects shooting on I-66. Police told me to delete footage or lose Franz Strasser ‏@franzstrasser 34m34 minutes ago
Just at the scene of the suspects shooting on I-66. Police told me to delete footage or lose camera.

Franz Strasser ‏@franzstrasser 25m25 minutes ago
Was too far away to get any good footage. One officer threatened to tow my car and take my camera.

https://twitter.com/franzstrasser

Cops gonna Cop
 
She got hired in May apparently. 3 Months on the job.

Today was her last day. She and her fiance were moving to another city to start a new life. They had a party planned for her when she got back to the station.

Her fiance watched her die on camera from the news room. He's a director there.
 
Hope the gunman lives. I'm sick and tired of these fucks committing some pointless tragedy and then offing themselves immediately after so they never have to answer for it.
 
Not an insult, just a question: Is it a case of cognitive dissonance when it's as obvious as this? Like, you know he did it but you have to assume he's innocent until proven guilty?

It's not cognitive dissonance, it's proper form to not throw out the entire bathtub of water over one drop you know did it for sure, in terms of process.
 
Today was her last day. She and her fiance were moving to another city to start a new life. They had a party planned for her when she got back to the station.

Her fiance watched her die on camera from the news room. He's a director there.

It's actually the camera man and his fiance.
 
Watching the POV video, did the first shots hit her?

It seems he aimed directly at her and nothing happened, she just ran away. R.I.P to both of them, I honestly thought they ran away from it.

I unfortunately watched the what is called the full pov video. Of the three shots he fired while recording: he hit her to the left of her right shoulder, he misses, and then hits her in her back on the left.

The one thing I noticed was his breathing. It got fast and loud when he was pointing the gun. Then he stopped pointing the gun, took a huge breath and looked around for a second. It was as if he was almost going to back out of it.

I don't think I'll be able to play an fps for a long time after that video.
 
Today was her last day. She and her fiance were moving to another city to start a new life. They had a party planned for her when she got back to the station.

Her fiance watched her die on camera from the news room. He's a director there.
Incorrect. It was the camera man's fiancee's last day.
 
I wish I hadn't watched the second POV video that was posted. Absolutely terrifying. My question, though, is how did the two women not notice him standing there with a gun pointed at them? It's not like it was over in a split second.
 
Today was her last day. She and her fiance were moving to another city to start a new life. They had a party planned for her when she got back to the station.

Her fiance watched her die on camera from the news room. He's a director there.

You're getting the people mixed up.

The reporter was the girlfriend/fiance of one of the anchors. They just moved in together.

The cameraman was engaged to a producer who accepted a job in Charlotte. Today was the producer's (and his?) last day.
 
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