Chris Hurst on deceased girlfriend WDBJ7 reporter Alison Parker, 'we wanted to get married'

Members of a local church hold a brief prayer service outside of the offices of WDBJ7 in Roanoke, Virginia August 26, 2015. Two WDBJ17 television journalists were killed during a live broadcast in Virginia on Wednesday, shot by a suspect who was a former employee of the TV station and who called himself a "powder keg" of anger over what he saw as racial discrimination at work and elsewhere in the United States. The suspect, 41-year-old Vester Flanagan, shot himself as police pursued him on a Virginia highway hours after the shooting. Reuters/Chris Keane

Chris Hurst, a news anchor at Virginia’s WDBJ7 news station, has spoken up about his relationship with the deceased reporter Alison Parker. He took to his Twitter page to reveal that he and the 24-year old had already planned their future together.

In a series of tweets, Hurst expressed his heartache after learning of Parker’s death during a live broadcast on Wednesday. Hurst shared a photo of him with Alison and said, “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 shared a few words of tribute to his deceased girlfriend whom he had a relationship with for the past nine months. Hurst recalled how they had just celebrated Parker’s 24 th birthday and had already planned their future together.

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
— Chris Hurst (@chrishurstwdbj) August 26, 2015

She was the most radiant woman I ever met. And for some reason she loved me back. She loved her family, her parents and her brother.
— Chris Hurst (@chrishurstwdbj) August 26, 2015

The support is overwhelming. Sorry if I haven't been able to respond personally. Alison's life will be shared today and forever
— Chris Hurst (@chrishurstwdbj) August 26, 2015

Hurst shared his sadness over the death of Parker’s cameraman, Adam Ward, who was also killed during the live broadcast. In his post he said Alison and Adam had worked together as a team every day. He said he also feels heartbroken for Adam’s fiancée.

Alison’s father, Andy, has also expressed his heartache over his daughter’s death. In an interview with the Washington Post , he shares his “unbearable grief” and admits that he still finds her passing surreal.

“Is this real? Am I going to wake up? I’m crying my eyes out,” he says.

He also spoke about the horror of learning that the 41-year-old gunman, Vester L. Flanagan II, had filmed the attack and posted it online. Andy said he would never watch the film as it would only “rip out” his heart further than it already is.

Alison fatally sustained gunshot wounds during a live broadcast for WDBJ7-TV in Moneta, Virginia at around 6:45 a.m. on Wednesday. CNN reports that before the broadcast cut back to the anchor at the studio, the camera fell to the ground and captured an image of the killer pointing a gun at Ward.

Flanagan reportedly committed suicide and left a chilling message before his death which states, “I've been a human powder keg for a while....just waiting to go BOOM." Investigations into the gunman’s history revealed he used to work for WDBJ7 and used Bryce Williams as his on-air name when he was a reporter.

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