Virginia journalist killings were revenge for Charleston, according to apparent manifesto of suspected shooter

Alleged shooter Vester Lee Flanigan, also known as Bryce Williams
(Image credit: Twitter.com/WDBJ7)

A person claiming to be Bryce Williams — aka Vester Lee Flanagan, the suspected shooter who killed two journalists on live television on Wednesday — earlier this morning faxed a 26-page document to ABC News that appears to be a manifesto and confession. The document suggests the shooter killed journalists Alison Parker and Adam Ward in revenge for the mass shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, earlier this summer that killed nine African American churchgoers.

"Why did I do it?" the document reads. "I put down a deposit for a gun on 6/19/15. The Church shooting in Charleston happened on 6/17/15…"

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.