Vester Lee Flanagan, the man who killed Alison Parker, 24, and Adam Ward, 27, reporters from WDBJ 7 in Virgina, allegedly sued a former employer over allegations of race discrimination in 2000, according to the Associated Press.
Flanagan, 41, who appeared on air under the pseudonym Bryce Williams, sued WTWC-TV in north Florida in March 2000. The lawsuit argues that a producer called him a "monkey" in 1999 and that other black employees had received similar treatment from other non-black workers.
He also argued an unnamed white supervisor at the station said black people were lazy because they refused to take advantage of scholarships to attend college.
The station denied the allegations of discrimination. WTWC-TV cited Flanagan's poor performance, misbehavior with regard to co-workers, refusal to follow directions and use of profanity as the reasons for firing him.
His issues seemed to have followed him years later when he started to work at WDBJ 7 from March 2012 to February 2013, according to Heavy.
Flanagan on his Twitter page, according to CNN, alluded to a tumultuous work relationship with both Parker and Ward. On the page, which has since been taken down, he claimed Parker made various racist comments at his expense and Ward allegedly complained to human resources about him.
The relationship continued to sour until his termination.
"Vester was an unhappy man. We employed him as a reporter and he had some talent in that respect and some experience," WDBJ General Manager Jeff Marks said, according to Buzzfeed "He quickly gathered a reputation of someone who was difficult to work with. He was sort of looking out to people to say things he could take offense to. Eventually, after many incidents of his anger, we dismissed him. He did not take that well. We had to call police to escort him from the building."
In light of this information, many have referred to Flanagan as a "ticking time bomb" with an accident "just waiting to happen."
For more coverage of the shooting, click HERE.
