Alison Parker and Adam Ward have been described as two "fine journalists", both in loving relationships with other people at their television station and were, on Wednesday morning, simply doing what reporters do every day around the world, when their lives were abruptly and violently cut short.

Their families, partners and senior colleagues, all still in shock, paid tribute to photojournalist Ward, 27, and reporter Parker, 24, both killed in Virginia, United States, on Wednesday.

"My grief is unbearable," said Parker's father Andy, in an interview with the Washington Post.

"Is this real? Am I going to wake up? I am crying my eyes out. I don't know if there's anybody in this world or another father who could be more proud of their daughter."

Before the identity of the shooting suspect, a former news colleague named Vester Lee Flanagan who reported under the name Bryce Williams, was revealed, other employees appeared on air to share praise for the slain pair.

"I cannot tell you how much they were loved, Alison and Adam, by the WDBJ7 team," WDBJ7 general manager Jeff Marks said. "Our hearts are broken."

Though they had not been public about their relationship, Parker was in love with a fellow journalist at the station, Chris Hurst.

Hurst posted a picture of the two of them on Twitter soon after the shooting.

"[Alison] and I were very much in love. We just moved in together. I am numb." he said.

The couple had been together for nine months and had discussed marriage.

Marks said he asked Hurst to tell him something about Alison before he came on the air and that Chris had replied: "I can't just tell you one thing. She was everything. No matter what was going on she was a positive person."

Parker had started at the station as an intern about four years earlier, and had left for a stint at another station before returning a year ago.

"Alison, she was a rock star here at WDBJ7, she really has done a wonderful job reporting, filling in anchoring. You could throw anything at that girl," newsreader Kimberly McBroom.

Ward was engaged to a morning producer on the show, Melissa Ott. Ott had been celebrating her departure from the show and a new job that very morning with her co-workers.

There was cake and balloons. They had tweeted a farewell message of support to her less than an hour before the shooting. It was supposed to be a happy day.

"She had gotten another job, and Adam was going to follow her soon after," McBroom said.

Ott was reportedly watching the live footage streaming in when the shooting occurred.

The shooting suspect had apparently tweeted negative comments about the pair on the morning they were killed, accusing Parker of racism and complaining Ward had reported him to the station's human resources department, in an apparent attempt to justify his violence.

"Alison made racist comments" a Twitter user believed to be Flanagan wrote. "EEOC report filed" and then "They hired her after that???"

About Ward he said: "Adam went to hr on me after working with me one time!!!"

Staff members have however disputed whether Parker and Flanagan ever even worked together. Marks said Flanagan had made complaints about being the target of "racial comments" when he worked at the station, but that these complaints could not be corroborated and were dismissed.

Flanagan had made complaints about racism at another television station where he was previously employed.