Deranged “TV Shooter” Vester Lee Flanagan II was obsessed with Hollywood megastar Jake Gyllenhaal before he shocked the world by killing two former news colleagues live on the air, The National ENQUIRER has learned in an exclusive investigation.
In other bombshell revelations, the 41-year-old former WDBJ-TV reporter’s Aug. 26 double murder was fueled by watching violent gay porn and having “rough sex” during a series of one-night stands in Roanoke, Va., sources revealed.
Flanagan’s double execution of reporter Alison Parker and her cameraman Adam Ward followed the madman’s obsession with the 2014 movie “Nightcrawler,” in which Jake plays a freelance news cameraman obsessed with filming crime, mayhem and murder, a law enforcement source told The ENQUIRER.
Jake’s character, Louis Bloom, became so twisted he began arranging crimes – one of which resulted in the death of a colleague, who he then filmed dying!
“Sicko Flanagan apparently watched that film over and over,” said the source. “Had he made his way out to Hollywood, he could have even targeted the actor!”
In an apartment near the WDBJ studios, where he was fired from two years ago, Flanagan apparently planned out his bloodbath while viewing twisted movies.
“He was into gay porn – the more violent and degrading the better; ‘S&M’ stuff, bestiality,” a source added.
Police later recovered unwashed sex toys from his apartment, which was also littered with cat feces.
The ENQUIRER has also uncovered how the heavyset monster spent his nights trolling for sex. He cruised adult bookstores and frequented a downtown dance club, “The Park,” insiders revealed.
A man, whose name is being withheld by The ENQUIRER, said Flanagan picked up a male friend.
Said the informant: “He said this guy was into rough stuff. He was very angry and scared the s–t out of my pal!”
The ENQUIRER learned Flanagan grew up in Oakland, Calif., the child of an emotionally disturbed mother. His parents divorced when he was 8. His father claimed in court documents that his wife’s behavior toward him and their children was “extremely menacing and threatening.”
As a young adult, Flanagan worked as a male escort before becoming an on-air TV reporter. He used the professional name “Bryce Williams.”
But Flanagan was fired from several jobs because of anger management issues – and often blamed being discriminated against because he was black and gay.
His rage finally boiled over Aug. 26, when he approached Alison and Adam while they were conducting an interview. Before he started shooting, evil Flanagan drew his camera phone to film the carnage. Adam was hit first, but managed to raise his camera for a glimpse of the killer before dying. Alison tried to run but was shot dead.
The woman being interviewed, Vicki Gardner, was shot but survived. Flanagan led police on a chase before shooting himself and crashing his car. He died later in a hospital.
In his vehicle, cops recovered a Glock 19 pistol with multiple magazines and ammunition, an iPhone, several letters and notes, a to-do list – and a briefcase, which contained three license plates, a wig, shawl, umbrella, sunglasses and a black hat.
