Father of slain WDBJ7 journalist: 'We have to do something about crazy people getting guns'
On Wednesday's Kelly File, the father and boyfriend of slain journalist Alison Parker gave emotional interviews with host Megyn Kelly, sharing recollections of the young woman they said "excelled at everything she did."
Parker, 24, and her colleague Adam Ward, 27, were shot and killed on live television early Wednesday by a former employee of their news station, WDBJ7 in Roanoke, Virginia. Parker's father, Andy Parker, told Kelly that he had been crying all day, but "the anger is starting to creep in there because this shouldn't have happened to someone like Alison." He called the apparent shooter a "crazy man with a gun," and said it's time to "do something about crazy people getting guns.... This is a big story but next week it's not going to be story anymore and everyone's going to forget it." Parker said he spoke with Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), and told him he was "going to do something, whatever it takes, to get gun legislation, to shame people, shame legislators, into doing something about closing loopholes and background checks and making sure crazy people don't get guns."
Alison's boyfriend, Chris Hurst, an anchor for WDBJ7, said Parker and Ward had "no hate in their heart," and said he has covered mental illness issues for two years: "I think we need to be very careful with how we identify this man, and we don't label him and then discriminate against everybody else who has a mental illness in the country who needs access to services. But, clearly something went wrong here between him leaving our station and being able to purchase a gun and commit a premeditated act." Watch the interview below. Catherine Garcia
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Unprepared for a pandemic
Opinion What happens if bird flu evolves to spread among humans?
By William Falk Published
-
6 impressive homes in Toronto
Feature Featuring floating stairs in Lytton Park and a two-tiered infinity pool in Banbury-Don Mills
By The Week Staff Published
-
Samantha Harvey's 6 favorite books that redefine how we see the world
Feature The Booker Prize-winning author recommends works by Marilynne Robinson, George Eliot, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published