Father of Slain Reporter Demands Action on Gun Control Following Virginia Shooting

The father of journalist Alison Parker, who was tragically shot and killed on live television, has spoken out against the ease of access to firearms in the United States. Andy Parker, Alison's father, expressed his disbelief that lawmakers have not yet taken action to prevent mentally unstable individuals from obtaining guns. He emphasized that he will not rest until concrete steps are taken to address this issue.

Key Takeaways:

• Alison Parker, a 24-year-old reporter, was shot and killed by a disgruntled former colleague, Vester Lee Flanagan, while doing a live report in Moneta, Virginia.
• Parker's father, Andy, is pushing for stricter gun control laws, particularly to prevent mentally unstable individuals from accessing firearms.
• Andy Parker has criticized lawmakers for their inaction on gun control, calling them "cowards" who are "in the pockets of the NRA."
• The recent shooting is not an isolated incident, with a number of high-profile massacres by mentally unstable individuals, including the 2012 Newtown school shooting in Connecticut.
• President Barack Obama has pressured lawmakers to approve more restrictive gun control laws, but his efforts have so far been unsuccessful.
• The gunman, Vester Lee Flanagan, sent a 23-page fax to ABC News after the shooting, in which he claimed that he had been subjected to racial discrimination and sexual harassment.

Statistics:

• Alison Parker and her cameraman, Adam Ward, were shot and killed on live television at 6:45 a.m. on Wednesday.
• The shooting occurred at Bridgewater Plaza in Moneta, Virginia, approximately 350 kilometers southwest of Washington.
• Vester Lee Flanagan was a former employee of WDBJ7, where Parker worked, and had been fired two years prior to the shooting.
• Flanagan fled the scene for over five hours before shooting himself andlater dying in a Virginia hospital.

Sources:

• EFE, "Father of Slain Journalist Demands Action on Gun Control" (August 27, 2015)
• CNN, "Slain Journalist's Father Demands Action on Gun Control" (August 27, 2015)
• WDBJ7, "WDBJ7 Staff Member Killed in Moneta Shooting" (August 26, 2015)
• Agencia EFE S.A., "EFE Red Flag over Gun Violence in US" (Date not specified)