Family of gunman in Va. TV journalist shooting shocked by events — VIDEO

Family members of the man who shot two WDBJ-TV journalists on live TV released a statement saying that their thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, and with the news station, CNN affiliate KRON reported. "Words cannot express the hurt that we feel for the victims. Our family is asking that the media respect our privacy," the statement read.

This is an update to an ongoing story. Read the full story below. 

Virginia reporter Alison Parker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27, were shot and killed during a live broadcast on Wednesday. The suspected shooter was a former employee of the TV station.

Vester Flanagan, 41, shot himself as Virginia State Police were closing in on a rental car on Interstate 66 in Fauquier County, WDBJ7 said. Virginia state police said the suspect refused to stop when spotted by troopers and sped away.

Minutes later, the suspect's vehicle ran off the road and crashed, police said in a statement, adding the troopers approached the vehicle and found the driver with a gunshot wound. He was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital near Washington, where he died.

"It's obvious that this gentleman was disturbed in some way at the way things had transpired at some part of his life," Overton told a news conference.

"It appears things were spiraling out of control, but we’re still looking into that," he said. "We still have a lengthy investigation to conduct and that's our focus as we move forward."

Flanagan had sued another station where he worked in Florida, alleging he had been discriminated against because he was black.

Flanagan said he was called a "monkey" by a producer in a lawsuit filed in federal court against a Tallahassee station, WTWC, in 2000. He also said a supervisor at the station called black people lazy. The Florida case was settled and dismissed the next year, court records show.

WDBJ7 President and General Manager Jeff Marks said he could not figure out a particular connection between Flanagan and the two dead journalists.

Speaking to CNN about Flanagan, he added, "Do you imagine that everyone who leaves your company under difficult circumstances is going to take aim?"

"Why were they (Parker and Ward) the targets, and not I or somebody else in management?" he said. 

The station's early morning broadcast showed Parker interviewing Gardner about the lake and tourism development in the area. Gunshots erupted, and as Ward fell his camera hit the ground but kept running. An image caught on camera showed what appeared to be a man in dark clothing facing the camera with a weapon in his right hand.

The station described the two dead journalists as an ambitious reporter-and-cameraman team who often produced light and breezy feature stories for the morning program.

"I cannot tell you how much they were loved," Marks said.

They were both engaged to be married to other people at the station.

A couple living across from the shopping center where the shooting took place said police burst into their apartment and awakened them at gunpoint. Police said they were looking for the shooter, according to the woman, who identified herself only as Annie.

"I moved from Philly (Philadelphia) to get away from that kind of stuff," she said, adding that she had been in the area a few months.

The White House said the shooting was another example of gun violence that is "becoming all too common."

White House spokesman Josh Earnest, reflecting frustration that President Barack Obama has expressed over his inability to push through laws to tighten gun laws, told reporters that Congress could pass legislation that would have a "tangible impact on reducing gun violence in this country."

According to his social media sites, Flanagan attended San Francisco State University. A university spokesman said he graduated in 1995 with a degree in radio and television.