Washington: The man suspected of shooting dead two journalists for a local CBS affiliate in Virginia during a live television broadcast on Wednesday has shot himself and is critically injured, US media reported, citing state police.

The suspect, identified as station employee Vester Flanagan, shot himself after apparently posting video footage of the attack on social media under the name Bryce Williams—the name he used while working for WDBJ.

Initial reports said the suspect was dead, but WDBJ and CNN later said the suspect remained in critical condition.

Two television journalists were shot and killed in Virginia on Wednesday morning while conducting a live television interview.

The incident occurred at about 6:45am EDT (1045 GMT) during a live broadcast in Bedford County, when shots could be heard, sending the reporter and the person she was interviewing screaming and ducking for cover.

The station, WDBJ7 in Roanoke, Virginia, said the reporter Alison Parker, 24, and the cameraman, Adam Ward, 27, died in the incident.

Parker and Ward were filming a feature segment for the morning news program at Bridgewater Plaza, a shopping and recreation plaza.