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American Morning

New Jersey Police Veteran Kills Neighbors

Aired April 10, 2002 - 07:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Now we're going to move on to a story of violence here at home. Police in New Jersey say one of their own, a 15-year veteran of the Seaside New Jersey Police Department apparently went on a shooting rampage last night. The suspect, identified as Edward Lutes, is still at large, armed and very dangerous.

CNN's Michael Okwu is standing by in Toms River, New Jersey with the very latest on the search for him -- good morning, Michael.

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

That's, in fact, right. Police are looking right now for Edward Lutes. As you mentioned, a 15-year veteran with the Seaside Heights Police Department. Just overhead you can hear helicopters humming above us. They have been searching across this Jersey shore area looking for Mr. Lutes, who they believe, they say, is armed and dangerous.

Now police say that he is driving a blue 1995 Buick Regal with a flag in the back of it. And they caution people in the neighborhood that this is a man who has tactical training, and, again, they believe is armed and dangerous.

Now this area, again, is on the Jersey shore. It is called Toms River, sometimes referred to as Dover Township. It is a very quiet seaside community made mainly of middle class and working class homes. Many of the homes in this area are essentially summer rentals. Of course the peace and tranquillity here was really shattered last night.

I want to show you where the specific shootings took place. Just over my shoulder here, in this sort of off-white home, is the home of Edward Lutes. And just behind it -- if you pan over, Ricky (ph), to the right -- you will see a slightly gray bluish home, which is where police say Lutes walked into that home just next to his, killed two people.

And then we want to pan back over to Lutes' home and to just across the street. There's a street there, you might not be able to see it, but there is a red car parked there. Police have cornered off that area. That is a second home that police believe Lutes went into and shot and killed three more people.

Another person was able to allude him, left one of those homes. But he did get to a sixth victim, who he shot in the leg and wounded somewhere in the vicinity of his home before he made it over to Barnegat Township, which is close to this specific area, where he went and shot and wounded his Seaside Heights Police Chief, James Costello.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL MASTRONARDY, DOVER TOWNSHIP POLICE CHIEF: We have information to believe he's responsible for the shooting at this location. And there is other evidence to tie him into the Barnegat incident also.

OKWU (on camera): Now was he maybe suspended recently, or some sort of ax to grind?

MASTRONARDY: I don't know Officer Lutes, I don't know his background in the police department. We will be looking into all aspects of the case, including his relationship at work with the chief and others.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OKWU: Now those last few victims, again, are in stable condition. We expect that they will fully recover. The identities of the five people who have been killed have not yet been made public. This is a community that is very sad, if not bewildered.

Just this past February a retired police officer shot and killed, according to police, four people just about a mile from here -- Paula.

ZAHN: Are investigators saying why they think Edward Lutes would have killed these five people?

OKWU: You know it is very confusing for all of us. This was a police officer -- again, a veteran of 15 years. We spoke to some police officers here who were tightlipped, but they were just as shocked as we are to hear that a police officer went on a shooting rampage.

They are just not telling us at this point. They're not telling us what the motive is. But they do tell us that they have taken precautions with those other people who may be in danger.

Now that seems to imply that they have some inkling as to what the motive is. And, clearly, your mind can sort of begin deducing things when you find out that he actually traveled from this area to go and find his police chief. It is unclear at this point, but we're hoping that we're going to get some answers at a press conference later this afternoon -- Paula.

ZAHN: All right. Thank you, Michael. Michael Okwu reporting live from Toms River, New Jersey this morning. We will be following the story very carefully, and once that dragnet is underway to catch this guy.

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