The man who shot dead two former colleagues on live television may have planned the killing weeks ago.
According to ABC News, a man claiming to be Bryce Williams had called repeatedly asking for the station's fax number - which was later used hours after the shooting to send a 23-page suicide note and manifesto.
The fax sender called himself a gay black man who had been mistreated by people of all races, and who had bought the gun two days after the shooting at a Charleston church in which nine people were killed.
Reporter Alison Parker (24) and cameraman Adam Ward (27) of CBS affiliate WDBJ, died at the scene of the attack during a live interview broadcast from Smith Mountain Lake, Moneta.
The suspect, Vester Lee Flanagan, who used the screen name Bryce Williams, was pursued by authorities in a highway chase before veering off the road and crashing his rented Chevrolet Sonic.
The 41-year-old was later pronounced dead in hospital from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
From the bottom of our hearts thank you all so much for the calls, flowers, emails, and messages of love and support. pic.twitter.com/a34rVH7QES
— WDBJ7 (@WDBJ7) August 26, 2015
The station has tweeted its thanks for support
Ms Parker's boyfriend, Chris Hurst, is an anchor at WDBJ and the couple had recently moved in together.
"We were together almost nine months," Hurst posted on Facebook.
"It was the best nine months of our lives. We wanted to get married. We just celebrated her 24th birthday. She was the most radiant woman I ever met".
Speaking to journalists later he produced a treasured photo album Ms Parker had recently given him.
"As young foolish couples in love do we celebrate not anniversaries but 'monthiversaries' and for our six-month anniversary she made me this photo album," he said.
"These photos are just photos of her - the most beautiful woman that I ever met. She is inside and out the most beautiful woman I ever met and I was lucky enough to call her my girlfriend and we wanted to call each other husband and wife".
Mr Hurst added he was not aware of any bitterness between either himself or Ms Parker and Flanagan.
"He was a colleague and I never had any issues with him," he said. "Alison never had any issues with him. Alison never had any issue with him".
"She was an intern while he was here and she did go out on stories with him like interns do - just to see how the business works".
"But no animosity and certainly nothing recent that would have been cause for alarm between her and I".
Justin Jouvenal is Fairfax County justice reporter with The Washington Post. He told Newstalk Breakfast the killer posted on social media shortly after the shootings.
