Prayers are being said for a man and a women shot dead at point-blank range on live television in the United States.

WDBJ7 reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward were killed by a gunman during a live broadcast in Virginia on Wednesday morning.

The killer, Vester Flanagan, is reported to have been dismissed by the station himself and was 'disgruntled' at the decision.

He later took his own life following a police chase.

Station manager Jeff Marks said: "I cannot tell you how much they were loved."

He added that: "We are a family of journalists." 

The shooter is also reported to have hit the woman they were interviewing, Vicki Gardner.

The station tweeted: "Our thoughts and prayers are with Vicki Gardner, who was also shot today," and a prayer vigil is going to be held Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Moneta.

Church members gather for a prayer vigil at Westlake remembering lives lost pic.twitter.com/gR0UY7zkdi

— WDBJ7 (@WDBJ7) August 27, 2015

The killer, Mr Flanagan, is thought to have sent a fax to ABC news before carrying out the attack.

It is reported that he said the attack in Charleston, South Carolina, where nine black churchgoers were killed in June this year, was what "sent me over the top".

His Twitter account was shortly disabled after he was thought to be live-Tweeting the shooting:

He also accused the station, WDBJ7 of being racist and homophobic when he worked there, Flanagan was black and gay.

Prayers to everyone at @WDBJ7 who delivered the news of their own tragedy with absolute professionalism today. Heartbroken for your loss.

— Lily Jang (@KHOULily) August 26, 2015

  These people attended the prayer vigil:

US President, President Barack Obama, has repeated his call for tougher gun laws after the attack.

He said: "We're willing to spend trillions of dollars to prevent terrorist activities, but we haven't been willing so far at least to impose some common sense gun safety measures."

From the bottom of our hearts thank you all so much for the calls, flowers, emails, and messages of love and support. pic.twitter.com/a34rVH7QES

— WDBJ7 (@WDBJ7) August 26, 2015