Manifesto purportedly sent by Virginia gunman cites ‘race war’

by Neetzan Zimmerman - 08/26/15 3:02 PM ET

A fax attributed to Vester Lee Flanagan claims the slayings were a response to the Charleston mass shooting.

An apparent suicide note received by ABC News on Wednesday morning and attributed to Virginia shooting suspect Flanagan, aka Bryce Williams, claims the killing of two reporters during an on-air interview was motivated by the Charleston church shooting and a desire to incite a “race war.”

ABC News says a man identifying himself as both Flanagan and Williams — Flanagan’s on-air name — first contacted it several weeks ago.

The man asked for a fax number, claiming he wanted to pitch the news channel a story.

A fax reportedly transmitted two hours after this morning’s shooting appears to contain “suicide notes” authored by a man named Bryce Williams.

“What sent me over the top was the church shooting,” the author says, referring to June’s mass shooting at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C. “And my hollow point bullets have the victims’ initials on them.”

“As for [Charleston shooting suspect] Dylann Roof? You [censored]! You want a race war [censored]? BRING IT THEN YOU WHITE …[censored]!!!”

The author then claims “Jehovah” told him to act on his plans.

“Also, I was influenced by Seung–Hui Cho. That’s my boy right there,” the notes continue, referencing the gunman who killed 32 people at Virginia Tech in 2007. “He got NEARLY double the amount that [Columbine High School shooters] Eric Harris and Dylann Klebold got…just sayin’.”

The fax, entitled “Suicide Note for Friends and Family,” concludes with a list of grievances that include “racial discrimination” and “sexual harassment” in the workplace, and makes reference to the author’s homosexuality.

“The church shooting was the tipping point … but my anger has been building steadily,” reads the last line of the note. “I’ve been a human powder keg for a while … just waiting to go BOOM!!!”

Franklin County Sheriff Bill Overton refused comment on whether Flanagan’s alleged attack had racial motivations.

“We are looking at all those dimensions,” Overton said. “I have no comment on that at this time.”