Tragedy struck in Virginia on the morning of Aug. 26. Two employees of WDBJ news station, Adam Ward and Alison Parker, were murdered while reporting live for the station. The interviewee, Vicki Gardner, survived but was severely injured when she was shot in the back. Adam Ward was a cameraman for the station and Alison Parker was a reporter, and both individuals were romantically involved with other employees at the station. Ward was engaged to a producer at WDBJ, Melissa Ott, and Parker was dating another reporter, Christ Hurst.

Adam Ward and Alison Parker were shot and killed by Vester Lee Flanagan. Flanagan also once worked for WDBJ, where he went by the name Bryce Williams. He was let go from the station in back in 2013. There are reports that the meeting which dismissed Flanagan from the station was a turbulent one. Complex.com reports that after Flanagan was fired, he became so hostile that 911 was called as a safety precaution. They also report that one of the station bosses was given a wooden cross from Flanagan and was told, "You'll need this."

Flanagan's actions during his firing session were only the beginning of the bizarre and disturbing chain of events that would play out. In 2014, Flanagan filed a lawsuit against the WDBJ news station. This was not the only lawsuit that he had taken up with a news station. In 2000, Flanagan sued WTWC-TV on the grounds of racial discrimination. Flanagan lost both lawsuits.

On either late Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning, ABC News received a fax from a supposed "Bryce Williams." The strange 23-page fax contained mentions of other famous tragedies such as the Columbine and Virginia Tech shootings. In the fax, "Williams" states that Jehovah ordered him to carry out the murder. After Flanagan killed the two innocent WDBJ employees, he called ABC but quickly hung up before he spoke to anyone.

Flanagan filmed himself as he lurked towards Ward and Parker and then opened fire on them. After the murder was completed, Flanagan uploaded the shocking videos to his social media accounts. These sickening and heartbreaking videos were removed due to their graphic content.

The police chase that ensued in effort to capture Flanagan ended on the I-66 when Flanagan took his own life by shooting himself.

On Wednesday, Aug. 26, Total Sorority Move published an article that stated Alison Parker was an Alpha Phi alum from James Madison University. During her time as an active member of her chapter, she served as Vice President of Marketing. She was only 24 when her life was taken from her. Adam Ward was only 27.

I am currently a member of the Gamma Alpha chapter of Alpha Phi. Eerie enough, I am best friends with our current Vice President of Marketing and my little happens to be named Allison Parker. This heart-rendering event is a reminder that life is precious and can be wrongly taken at any moment. We must appreciate our family, friends, sorority sisters, and fraternity brothers while we can.

My thoughts and prayers go out to any individual that was affected by this tragedy. AOE from the Gamma Alpha Chapter.