The man suspected of shooting a television reporter and cameraman during a live broadcast in Virginia early Wednesday left a 23-page letter in which he cited the Charleston church shooting and alleged anti-gay harassment as motives.
The note from Vester Lee Flanagan, who killed himself when police cornered him five hours later, was faxed to ABC News, which reported some of its contents.
ABC provided a copy to investigators as soon as the fax arrived at 8:26 a.m., some two hours after the shooting that killed WDBJ reporter Alison Parker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27.
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Parker was interviewing a businesswoman, Vicki Gardner, about tourism at the time. Gardner was shot and was in stable condition after surgery.
Flanagan, whose on-air name when he was a reporter for WDBJ in Moneta, Virginia, wrote that the murder of black people at the South Carolina church in June pushed him over the edge.
“The church shooting was the tipping point … but my anger has been building steadily. … I’ve been a human powder keg for a while … just waiting to go BOOM!!!!” ABC quoted him saying.
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ABC reported he called about 90 minutes after sending the fax and said authorities are “after me” and “all over the place.” He hung up. He later, while being pursued by police, shot himself and died shortly later in a hospital.
“Why did I do it? I put down a deposit for a gun on 6/19/15. The church shooting in Charleston happened on 6/17/15,” he wrote. “What sent me over the top was the church shooting. And my hollow point bullets have the victims’ initials on them.”
He referred to the accused shooter in the South Carolina attack, ABC said.
“As for Dylann Roof? You (deleted)! You want a race war (deleted)? BRING IT THEN YOU WHITE … (deleted)!!!” ABC said. Reports said Roof killed blacks because he wanted a race war.
Flanagan also, ABC said, praised Virginia Tech mass shooter Seung Hui Cho, who killed 32, and the Columbine school shooters, Eric Harris and Dylann Klebold.
He said Jehovah spoke to him, telling him to act.
About Cho, he said: “That’s my boy right there. He got NEARLY double the amount that Eric Harris and Dylann Klebold got … just sayin.”
Flanagan complained of suffering racial discrimination, bullying and harassment. He fretted over attacks he perceived by white women and black men, and complained he was not treated properly as a “gay” black man.
“Yes, it will sound like I am angry. … I am. And I have every right to be. But when I leave this earth, the only emotion I want to feel is peace,” he wrote.
NBC reported the WDBJ manager said Flanagan was “difficult to work with” and was dismissed for having anger issues.
Police were called to escort him from the premises, the manager said.
Flanagan also had filed lawsuits at least twice, alleging discriminatory treatment, but they ended up being dismissed.
The 41-year-old Flanagan posted videos of the attack and images to his Facebook and Twitter pages while he was being pursued. The accounts were quickly closed.
ABC described the letter as rambling.
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