Parker was interviewing Vicki Gardner, executive director of the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, at Bridgewater Plaza in Moneta, Virginia, about the local tourism, when the shots rang out. Gardner was shot too in the back and supported surgery. The police do not know the motive of the shooting or the gunman’s identity. The schools in the area were placed in lockdown. Authorities from Bedford County, Franklin County and Virginia State Police search the gunman, investigating this case. The shooter is believed to be a “disgruntled employee,” Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe said in an interview. A manhunt is underway. The ATF and FBI are participating in the investigation. Parker was a graduate of James Madison University’s School of Media Arts and Design in Harrisonburg.
