When TV News Is the News

I caught the story from Virginia about the double murder of WDBJ-TV reporter Alison Parker and her cameraman Adam Ward.  As  a reporter, I was f---in' flabbergasted.  That's the only way I can put it.  How could a young TV reporter actually get killed covering not a war or a riot but a feature story on tourism actually be shot to death, and on the air?  With the interviewee, a local Chamber of Commerce director, getting wounded as well?  Then it turned out they were targeted and executed by a former co-worker, a black reporter who went by two names, who had a history of failed TV news jobs and blamed racism for sending him over the top in an incoherent "manifesto" . . . what am I supposed to make of that?  Why was Alison Parker, whom the gunman never even worked with, singled out?  What evidence was there that these gunman was the victim of racial discrimination, or that Alison Parker made any derogatory comments about him or anyone?   If the gunman  had a problem with Adam Ward, who apparently went to WDBJ-TV's personnel office to complain about him, what made him think this was the way to handle it?

And the gunman filmed it all to post on social media?

News reporters shouldn't have to be part of the story.  They shouldn't be the story.  And they shouldn't have to worry about being victims of violence when they cover a human-interest feature . . ..

I can't comment on this story anymore.  I have more questions than answers.  And I'm still f---in' flabbergasted . . ..