Two U.S. journalists killed during live broadcast in Virginia

New York, August 26, 2015–Two journalists affiliated with the Virginia TV station WDBJ7 were killed early today during a live broadcast, according to news reports. Alison Parker, a reporter for the station, and Adam Ward, a photographer, were interviewing a woman about a shopping plaza in Moneta, a small community near Roanoke city, when they were shot by an unidentified gunman, news reports said. Police are still seeking the perpetrator.

“We do not yet know the motive of the attack that killed Alison Parker and Adam Ward, but we do know that being a journalist is potentially dangerous anywhere in the world,” said CPJ Senior Americas Program Coordinator Carlos Lauría. “We condemn this fatal shooting and send our condolences to the journalists’ families and colleagues.”

So far this year, at least 39 journalists have been killed globally, with the most deadly countries being France, South Sudan, and Syria, according to CPJ research. In the U.S., journalist killings are relatively rare. At least five journalists have been killed in the country in direct relation to their work since 1992, when CPJ began keeping records. The most recent killing was in August 2007, when Chauncey Bailey, editor-in-chief of the Oakland Post in California, was shot dead on an Oakland street.

  • For more on journalists killed in the line of duty, visit CPJ’s killed page.