ROANOKE, Va. -- Alison Parker seemed destined for the anchor chair. Adam Ward was upbeat, the kind of cameraman everyone wanted to work with in the wee hours of the morning.
The two young journalists were killed on live television Wednesday by a disgruntled former reporter they once worked with at WDBJ-TV. They were doing a routine story about local tourism when the gunman walked up to them and fired. The chilling images of Parker running away were captured on Ward's camera as he fell to the ground.
Like young journalists everywhere, the pair was eager for a story, hungry to cover big news and active on social media. In Roanoke, the 67th largest U.S. media market, Parker and Ward were also something else: hometown kids who became local celebrities.
"They grew up in this area," Franklin County Sheriff Bill Overton said. "They were part of our community."
They were also part of a close-knit family of TV station employees who watched the killings unfold on the air and grieved publicly. And both had found love in the newsroom.
Ward, 27, was engaged to producer Melissa Ott, who watched the shooting unfold from the control room. Her last day was supposed to be Wednesday because she had accepted a new job at a station in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Parker, 24, was dating Chris Hurst, an anchor at the station. They had just moved in together.
The couples attended sporting events and restaurants together, documenting their lives with photos and comments on social media.
"We're in this business, and it's a tough business. It's one that requires, I think, a sense of camaraderie, and I think we have that here," Hurst said.
Parker and Ward worked as a team for the station's "Mornin"' show, a time-slot where many broadcast journalists get their start. They covered everything from breaking news to stories about child abuse.
They were "like brother and sister" because they worked so closely on the morning shift together, Hurst said.
Parker graduated from James Madison University and interned at a few stations, including WDBJ.
Parker was a highly motivated reporter who was described as being destined to be an anchor.
"She was wise beyond her years. She was just dedicated. She lived and breathed news. You don't find that every day," said Ashley Talley, who was assistant news director at WCTI-TV in New Bern, North Carolina, when she hired Parker right out of university.
Ward was described as a "happy-go-lucky guy" -- even during the early morning hours.
"He was the kind of guy you wanted to be around, especially at three in the morning," said Jay Webb, a former meteorologist at WDBJ.
On Wednesday, Parker brought in balloons and wine for Ward's fiancee in honour of her departure for a new job.
"They were going to have a party for her. This was supposed to be a very happy time for Alison and myself and for Adam and Melissa, and now it is just devastated everybody inside," Hurst said. "I think that if she was in your situation, having to cover a story like this, she would probably want the people who knew her best to go on camera, so I'll do that for all of you guys, too."
