Photos show surviving Virginia news crew shooting victim sitting up, smiling

ROANOKE, Va. -- Newly released photos show Vicki Gardner, the lone survivor in the Virginia television news crew shooting, sitting up and smiling in her hospital room.

The photos were posted to Vicki Gardner's Facebook recovery page.

Gardner was shot while being interviewed live at an outdoor shopping mall by WDBJ reporter Alison Parker and photographer Adam Ward near Roanoke, Virginia. Parker and Ward died at the scene after the gunman fired about 15 shots.

Ward, 27, was engaged to a producer at the station, Melissa Ott, who was celebrating her last day on the job. Parker, 24, had recently moved in with another co-worker, WDBJ anchor Christ Hurst.

Vester Lee Flanagan II, 41, who appeared on WDBJ as Bryce Williams, had evidently been planning the attack for some time, authorities said. He had been fired in 2013 from WDBJ.

Gardner was expected to get out of the hospital soon, but suffered a setback on Saturday.