# Reporter shooting in Virginia **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 26, 2015, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942 "2015-08-26T13:30:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942/61 "2015-08-26T19:32:27Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > …it just confirms that those who thought less of the nut were right on target. I see what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942/62 "2015-08-26T19:40:38Z")
So yeah, I know this was already posted upthread, but I just found out the killer, Bryce Williams, was a reporter as well. [Some of his broadcasting and reports on the news.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r98eCSKRjWI) No wonder the female reporter didn’t react when he came up, she knew him, I figure. ---
**Author:** ![2gigch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/2gigch1/32/3313_2.png) [@2gigch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2gigch1)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942/63 "2015-08-26T19:43:57Z")
Actually she probably never saw him: camera lights in your eyes, busy doing the shot. People come up on us all the time, you just have to roll with it and pretend they aren’t there. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942/64 "2015-08-26T19:47:26Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > No wonder the female reporter didn’t react when he came up, she knew him, I figure. The last I saw the station manager didn’t think there was any overlap with their times at the station. Since the indications are that he was fired for being an asshole she may have reacted in some way. More likely as **2gigch1** says they were concentrating on what they were doing and have learned to block out bystanders. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942/65 "2015-08-26T19:56:59Z")
ABC has begun publishing [bits and pieces from the murderer’s 23-page suicide note](http://abcnews.go.com/US/shooting-alleged-gunman-details-grievances-suicide-notes/story?id=33336339). Lots and lots of anger. Anger over the Charleston church shooting… Anger over “discrimination” he had faced as a “gay black man”… Anger over “bullying” at work… Plus sympathy for the Virginia Tech shooter and the Columbine shooters. So sad. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942/66 "2015-08-26T19:59:30Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > The last I saw the station manager didn’t think there was any overlap with their times at the station. Since the indications are that he was fired for being an asshole she may have reacted in some way. More likely as **2gigch1** says they were concentrating on what they were doing and have learned to block out bystanders. You’re probably right. I have no doubt that may have been what it was. I have read some articles, though, that say Bryce/Vester knew her and said he killed her because she was racist. [Here’s one cite](http://www.rt.com/usa/313486-shooter-virginia-post-twitter/) if you want one, but I’ve seen many, including comments he made on his Facebook (before it was taken down and (obviously) before he killed himself–but AFTER he killed them both) saying stuff like “Yes, I knew her and she was racist”. ETA: Okay, it wasn’t on FB, [it was on Twitter](http://cdn.rt.com/files/2015.08/original/55dddb3dc361888f168b4597.png). See, all of these updates on there make it seem like they knew each other. So maybe she didn’t ever notice him standing there at all, like you said…but if she had, she probably still wouldn’t have thought much of it. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942/67 "2015-08-26T20:00:04Z")
> [@2gigch1](#): > > Actually she probably never saw him: camera lights in your eyes, busy doing the shot. People come up on us all the time, you just have to roll with it and pretend they aren’t there. In the shooter’s video, she clearly doesn’t even see him before he starts shooting. Early in the video he points the gun at her at close range and she doesn’t even look in its direction. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942/68 "2015-08-26T20:17:16Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > You’re probably right. I have no doubt that may have been what it was. > > I have read some articles, though, that say Bryce/Vester knew her and said he killed her because she was racist. > [Here’s one cite](http://www.rt.com/usa/313486-shooter-virginia-post-twitter/) if you want one, but I’ve seen many, including comments he made on his Facebook (before it was taken down and (obviously) before he killed himself–but AFTER he killed them both) saying stuff like “Yes, I knew her and she was racist”. > ETA: Okay, it wasn’t on FB, [it was on Twitter](http://cdn.rt.com/files/2015.08/original/55dddb3dc361888f168b4597.png). > See, all of these updates on there make it seem like they knew each other. So maybe she didn’t ever notice him standing there at all, like you said…but if she had, she probably still wouldn’t have thought much of it. Well sure but there is the whole he was batshit crazy angle too. He was fired in 2013. She was hired in 2014. She graduated college in december 2012 and had been an intern while she was a student. He was there less than a year. If there was any overlap in their time there it must have been short. It’s possible that this intern was openly racist and a got hired anyway at a racist TV station. Or maybe he was just crazy. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942/69 "2015-08-26T20:22:36Z")
I work in television. I’m thinking, especially since this was live, everyone was concentrating on the interview and not paying attention to what was going on around them, trying to make the story look good on air. Should make for a very poignant 6p local newscast for the station. All their co-workers saw this happen right in front of them. From what I’ve seen, he’s sued other employers for racial discrimination, including another TV station in Tallahassee. Everything I’ve read says that he was not a good reporter and had a chip on his shoulder. ---
**Author:** ![Corporal\_Nobbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Corporal\_Nobbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corporal_Nobbs)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942/70 "2015-08-26T20:43:49Z")
I am so glad I live in a country which is sensible about guns… I can not see how any Americans can think their gun laws are sensible. Europe, Canada and most of the world have managed to not spiral into lawlessnes and rape without millions of guns kicking about. You might want to try it someday. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942/71 "2015-08-26T20:52:58Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Well sure but there is the whole he was batshit crazy angle too. > > He was fired in 2013. She was hired in 2014. She graduated college in december 2012 and had been an intern while she was a student. He was there less than a year. If there was any overlap in their time there it must have been short. It’s possible that this intern was openly racist and a got hired anyway at a racist TV station. Or maybe he was just crazy. If a disgruntled former employee is disgruntled because of perceived racism, do we file this under “hate crime” or under “going postal/disgruntled”? Or just under “batshit crazy”? There will be a lot of that kind of stuff going on, in the media, and amongst those who like to post comments on internet news feeds (ie, loons). ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942/72 "2015-08-26T20:59:40Z")
Did not the Paris train attack demonstrate clearly that only a heavily armed citizenry can stop a lone gunman? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942/73 "2015-08-26T21:02:11Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > If a disgruntled former employee is disgruntled because of perceived racism, do we file this under “hate crime” or under “going postal/disgruntled”? Or just under “batshit crazy”? > > There will be a lot of that kind of stuff going on, in the media, and amongst those who like to post comments on internet news feeds (ie, loons). Yes there will. As soon as the race issue became apparent that was inevitable. There is no reason why the motivation couldn’t have been all of the above. Parts of his manifesto have come out. It may be a hate crime but there is no doubt he was seriously disturbed. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942/74 "2015-08-26T21:06:44Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > By lifesaving care I hope you mean the doctors have scheduled a meeting next week to discuss what their initial step should be in this lifesaving event. You want doctors to abandon their ethics and the law? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942/75 "2015-08-26T21:14:43Z")
I was with a colleague in the elevator going to the lobby this afternoon and this group of people from another company also on the elevator were talking about the shootings; one of the women from the other company mentioned that she had just watched the killer’s video and my colleague blurted out, “why in the fuck would you watch that?” Then we all rode down to the lobby in awkward silence. Good question. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942/76 "2015-08-26T21:23:10Z")
> [@Corporal\_Nobbs](#): > > I am so glad I live in a country which is sensible about guns… I can not see how any Americans can think their gun laws are sensible. Europe, Canada and most of the world have managed to not spiral into lawlessnes and rape without millions of guns kicking about. You might want to try it someday. Didn’t you get the questionnaire that the U.S.A. voters sent to all foreigners? It was the one asking them if the U.S. voters should ban firearms and overturn the 2nd Amendment. No? I’m shocked. Little wonder that the U.S. voters still reject your position. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942/77 "2015-08-26T21:26:33Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I was with a colleague in the elevator going to the lobby this afternoon and this group of people from another company also on the elevator were talking about the shootings; one of the women from the other company mentioned that she had just watched the killer’s video and my colleague blurted out, “why in the fuck would you watch that?” Then we all rode down to the lobby in awkward silence. Good question. I don’t intend to watch that video, but I can understand why other people would. Some people just want to try to understand the reason for the shooting. Some people will watch out of morbid curiosity. I don’t think it should be censored. Every person should be free to decide for himself whether or not to watch it and I won’t judge those who do. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942/78 "2015-08-26T21:29:03Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I was with a colleague in the elevator going to the lobby this afternoon and this group of people from another company also on the elevator were talking about the shootings; one of the women from the other company mentioned that she had just watched the killer’s video and my colleague blurted out, “why in the fuck would you watch that?” Then we all rode down to the lobby in awkward silence. Good question. Is your colleague in charge of what other people can, or can not, watch or discuss? How do you apply for that job? Why would anyone trapped on an elevator continue to have a private conversation in the presence of a stranger who just suddenly blurts out, “Why in the fuck would you watch that?” ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942/79 "2015-08-26T21:33:03Z")
No, my colleague was just expressing the revulsion we decent people feel when confronted with folks who watch real murders for entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942/80 "2015-08-26T21:38:44Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Is your colleague in charge of what other people can, or can not, watch or discuss? How do you apply for that job? Probably not, but he/she is damn sure within their rights to comment about it. It’s in one of those other pesky amendments - the one right before your favorite. > [@](#): > > Why would anyone trapped on an elevator continue to have a private conversation in the presence of a stranger who just suddenly blurts out, “Why in the fuck would you watch that?” There is no such thing as a private conversation in a crowded elevator. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reporter-shooting-in-virginia/728942.md?page=5)