Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Sniper on Loose in D.C. Area

Aired October 08, 2002 - 05:21   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to bring you up to date on what's happening in the Washington area. As you know, a sniper is on the loose and he or she has parents and students concerned, as they're prepared to head back to school in the area.
Jan Fox of our affiliate WUSA joins us live from outside of Benjamin Tasker Middle School in Bowie, Maryland, where the sniper struck again. And he shot a 13-year-old boy there.

And it's just courageous to me, Jan, that this school decided to open again this morning.

JAN FOX, WUSA CORRESPONDENT: All of our county officials and school officials have said it's so very important to try to keep the kids in school. They're asking parents to walk them or drive them to school if they can and if they see other children walking along the streets to invite them to join their groups.

They're also asking parents to come to school because they don't want to show to this sniper that they are afraid. They're asking parents and, of course, the children to be very courageous through all of this.

We just saw our first police car go by. We are told that security will be very tight at this school and schools in all of the three jurisdictions -- Virginia, the rest of Maryland and in the District. We're told they will be out in force.

We are told that parents are being asked to make an individual decision, that it's not a decision that the school can make for them, but that they have to make it for themselves and for their families, as to whether or not they bring their kids to school. But they do want them to try to show up.

Schools around our area are in what's called code blue. That means that they are basically locked down. The kids come in, they go to their individual classes, the teachers take role and then they are all accounted for and they basically stay there for the rest of the day. No outside activities.

COSTELLO: Jan, I wanted to interrupt you just a second with, you know, for those parents who do decide to send their kids to school, I can only imagine, I mean this 13-year-old was shot as he was going to walk into the door of the middle school. So how will parents protect their children as they walk into the schools this morning?

FOX: The only thing we can tell you is that the sniper has never struck in the same place twice. That is the good news in all of this. The other thing is there's no real way to do that, other than make the buses come as closely as possible and have extra police protection, have eyes and ears open as never before.

COSTELLO: You know, I can only imagine parents trying to protect their children with their own bodies as they walk into school this morning.

FOX: I'm assuming that's what they're going to be trying. It's still a couple of hours away before school opens here. We'll be watching this very closely for you.

COSTELLO: And how is the 13-year-old boy this morning? Any update on his condition?

FOX: We're told he is in critical condition, but stable. Doctors are encouraged by his situation right now.

COSTELLO: And as far as we know, no one has seen any -- I mean there's no more clues to find this sniper?

FOX: We have a lot of witnesses who've heard and seen some things, but nothing that is leading us directly to a suspect. The reward for this is growing and right now it's $150,000, maybe even upwards of that by now. So we're hoping that will help people to call in if they have seen or heard anything suspicious.

COSTELLO: And we have seen an unprecedented effort by law enforcement officials from different jurisdictions getting together, vowing to work together. When Chief Charles Moose of Montgomery County was talking yesterday about this kid who was shot, he had a tear running down his cheek. This has gotten so emotional now.

FOX: It has become very emotional. There's been a lot of praise for the way that Chief Moose has been handling this situation. He's invited every jurisdiction in to help. They've formed a task force. Several different federal agencies are on the scene helping with ballistics and everything they can do in terms of profiling. And he's really done a remarkable job, that's what a lot of people in the community are saying, to be so open to help. And as you know, he wrote a letter yesterday to the attorney general asking for federal help because it falls under the sniper rulings and the serial killing rulings.

COSTELLO: All right. Understand.

Jan Fox, I know you have a lot of work to do this morning, too.

FOX: Yes, ma'am.

COSTELLO: We'll let you go.

Jan Fox of our affiliate WUSA live from Bowie, Maryland.

And Montgomery County Chief Charles Moose is expected to have another news conference at around 6:30. And, of course, we will cover that live for you, so stick with DAYBREAK this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired October 8, 2002 - 05:21   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to bring you up to date on what's happening in the Washington area. As you know, a sniper is on the loose and he or she has parents and students concerned, as they're prepared to head back to school in the area.
Jan Fox of our affiliate WUSA joins us live from outside of Benjamin Tasker Middle School in Bowie, Maryland, where the sniper struck again. And he shot a 13-year-old boy there.

And it's just courageous to me, Jan, that this school decided to open again this morning.

JAN FOX, WUSA CORRESPONDENT: All of our county officials and school officials have said it's so very important to try to keep the kids in school. They're asking parents to walk them or drive them to school if they can and if they see other children walking along the streets to invite them to join their groups.

They're also asking parents to come to school because they don't want to show to this sniper that they are afraid. They're asking parents and, of course, the children to be very courageous through all of this.

We just saw our first police car go by. We are told that security will be very tight at this school and schools in all of the three jurisdictions -- Virginia, the rest of Maryland and in the District. We're told they will be out in force.

We are told that parents are being asked to make an individual decision, that it's not a decision that the school can make for them, but that they have to make it for themselves and for their families, as to whether or not they bring their kids to school. But they do want them to try to show up.

Schools around our area are in what's called code blue. That means that they are basically locked down. The kids come in, they go to their individual classes, the teachers take role and then they are all accounted for and they basically stay there for the rest of the day. No outside activities.

COSTELLO: Jan, I wanted to interrupt you just a second with, you know, for those parents who do decide to send their kids to school, I can only imagine, I mean this 13-year-old was shot as he was going to walk into the door of the middle school. So how will parents protect their children as they walk into the schools this morning?

FOX: The only thing we can tell you is that the sniper has never struck in the same place twice. That is the good news in all of this. The other thing is there's no real way to do that, other than make the buses come as closely as possible and have extra police protection, have eyes and ears open as never before.

COSTELLO: You know, I can only imagine parents trying to protect their children with their own bodies as they walk into school this morning.

FOX: I'm assuming that's what they're going to be trying. It's still a couple of hours away before school opens here. We'll be watching this very closely for you.

COSTELLO: And how is the 13-year-old boy this morning? Any update on his condition?

FOX: We're told he is in critical condition, but stable. Doctors are encouraged by his situation right now.

COSTELLO: And as far as we know, no one has seen any -- I mean there's no more clues to find this sniper?

FOX: We have a lot of witnesses who've heard and seen some things, but nothing that is leading us directly to a suspect. The reward for this is growing and right now it's $150,000, maybe even upwards of that by now. So we're hoping that will help people to call in if they have seen or heard anything suspicious.

COSTELLO: And we have seen an unprecedented effort by law enforcement officials from different jurisdictions getting together, vowing to work together. When Chief Charles Moose of Montgomery County was talking yesterday about this kid who was shot, he had a tear running down his cheek. This has gotten so emotional now.

FOX: It has become very emotional. There's been a lot of praise for the way that Chief Moose has been handling this situation. He's invited every jurisdiction in to help. They've formed a task force. Several different federal agencies are on the scene helping with ballistics and everything they can do in terms of profiling. And he's really done a remarkable job, that's what a lot of people in the community are saying, to be so open to help. And as you know, he wrote a letter yesterday to the attorney general asking for federal help because it falls under the sniper rulings and the serial killing rulings.

COSTELLO: All right. Understand.

Jan Fox, I know you have a lot of work to do this morning, too.

FOX: Yes, ma'am.

COSTELLO: We'll let you go.

Jan Fox of our affiliate WUSA live from Bowie, Maryland.

And Montgomery County Chief Charles Moose is expected to have another news conference at around 6:30. And, of course, we will cover that live for you, so stick with DAYBREAK this morning.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com