UPDATE 3:01 p.m. ET

The gunman has reportedly died from a self-inflicted gunshot , according to the Sentinel-Record.

UPDATE 12:53 p.m. ET

Virginia police have identified the shooter who allegedly shot and killed a WDBJ-TV reporter and cameraman during their live news cast Wednesday morning as Vester Lee Flanagan.

After the incident, police say Flanagan, a 41-year-old African American man, shot himself and is currently in critical condition, reports WHSV.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe described the gunman as a "distraught" and former disgruntled employee at the local news station.

Officials say that he justified the shootings on his social media pages by accusing the reporter of having made racist comments and the cameraman of having reported him to human resources.

According to NBC News, Flanagan worked at a host of local television stations for 20 years, including WDBJ. However, his former colleagues say he was hard to get along with.

"Vester was an unhappy man," said Jeff Marks, the general manager of WDBJ, adding that "He had a reputation for being difficult to work with."

Marks also said that Flanagan was fired "after many incidents of his anger coming forward" and that he had to be escorted from the building by police.

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A television reporter and cameraman for WDBJ-TV were shot to death during a live news segment in Franklin County, Virginia early Wednesday morning.

WDBJ, a local CBS affiliate in the Roanoke-Lynchburg area, confirmed that 24-year-old Alison Parker and 27-year-old Adam Ward were fatally shot around 6:45 a.m. in Moneta.

In video footage of the incident, gunshots ring out while Parker is interviewing a woman about tourism at the Bridgewater Plaza, ABC News reports. Parker then turns around to run, and screams can be heard in the background. The camera appears to drop on the floor, but a blurry image of a man wearing all black with a hand gun can be seen. The live feed then returned to the studio.

The Franklin County sheriff confirmed that authorities are searching for a male suspect in an active-shooter situation. Meanwhile, schools in the surrounding area have been placed on lock down.

"We have placed all schools on perimeter lockdown status following a shooting in Franklin County this morning. This is a precautionary measure suggested by law enforcement. We will continue to provide updates as they become available. The safety of our students and our staff will reside above anything else this morning," reads a Facebook post from Bedford County Public Schools.

Following the shooting, WDBJ news anchor Chris Hurst identified himself as Parker's boyfriend, tweeting, "We didn't share this publicly, but @AParkerWDBJ7 and I were very much in love. We just moved in together. I am numb."

He also tweeted, "We were together almost nine months. It was the best nine months of our lives. We wanted to get married. We just celebrated her 24th birthday."

Meanwhile, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said he is "heartbroken over senseless murders today in Smith Mountain Lake" in a Twitter message just before 8:30 a.m. "State Police on scene working w/ local law agencies to capture suspect."

Update: All videos of the shooting have been removed from social media.