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American Morning

Tarot Card Found Near Scene of Latest Sniper Shooting

Aired October 09, 2002 - 07:03   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: Back to that story out of Maryland, more on the tarot card found near the scene of the latest sniper shooting. The card represents death in the fortune-telling deck, and the one that was discovered carries the handwritten words: "Dear Policeman: I am God."
Six people have been killed, two wounded, during the last week in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia.

Jeanne Meserve is standing by at police headquarters in Montgomery County, as we wait for this news conference that's supposed to take place in the next 10 minutes or so. Until we go to that, let's check in with Jeanne to see what the very latest is on the investigation.

Good morning -- Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

Authorities do confirm they have found this tarot card near the Benjamin Tasker Middle School. You'll recall that is where a 13-year- old boy was gunned down on Monday morning as he was being taken to school. He remains in critical but stable condition.

The card, as you mentioned, the death card from the tarot deck. Inscribed on it, the words, "Dear Policeman: I am God."

Now, authorities, we are told, are looking at this card, thinking it could have been left by the shooter, but there are possibilities that it might have been left by a prankster sometime after the shooting. So, that's being very carefully evaluated.

Another thing that they have found in the vicinity of the Benjamin Tasker Middle School: a shell casing. This is a potentially critical piece of evidence in a case that has yielded very little evidence so far. This could have been ejected from the shooter's gun. It could give investigators leads as to the type and make of weapons involved in these shootings.

We mentioned yesterday that they have been trying to figure out if this sniper was responsible for more than the shootings that began one week ago. They have been looking at computer databases, but also looking specifically at a shooting in nearby Silver Spring that took place on September 14. As a liquor store was being shut down, an employee was shot in the back and seriously wounded.

The owner of that store says he sees striking similarities to the sniper shooting, but last evening, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said they cannot say anything conclusive. They have looked at the ballistic evidence, and that does not tell them whether or not that case is linked to the others.

Here in Montgomery County today, schools will be closed. This is not related to the shootings. This is a previously-scheduled staff development day. Other schools in the area are open, again, under tight security, again, tight restrictions on the kids. And the investigation will continue full force.

Paula -- back to you.

ZAHN: Jeanne, just quickly in closing here, help the audience understand why this shooter is so elusive. Everything you read about serial killers would suggest that there is not a particular pattern being followed here, which is really confounding the experts.

MESERVE: That's right. The randomness of the targets is one of the things that has made it difficult.

The other thing is that this is -- these are shootings that have taken place at a distance, and the automatic response in a situation like this is for people to turn to the victim, pay attention there. This shooter at some distance has had the opportunity to turn, run, make an escape. Attention has not been focused on where the shots came from.

They are hoping that further analysis of the wounds on some of the people who have been killed or injured may give them a better sense of where the shooter was located, but this, of course, long after the fact.

It's a very difficult case. They are looking at thousands of leads, trying to figure out which ones are credible, and hoping that one of them or more might lead them to this individual or people who might be involved in these shootings -- Paula.

ZAHN: Jeanne, we'll be coming back to you right after that news conference the chief will be holding -- appreciate the update.

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 9, 2002 - 07:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Back to that story out of Maryland, more on the tarot card found near the scene of the latest sniper shooting. The card represents death in the fortune-telling deck, and the one that was discovered carries the handwritten words: "Dear Policeman: I am God."
Six people have been killed, two wounded, during the last week in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia.

Jeanne Meserve is standing by at police headquarters in Montgomery County, as we wait for this news conference that's supposed to take place in the next 10 minutes or so. Until we go to that, let's check in with Jeanne to see what the very latest is on the investigation.

Good morning -- Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

Authorities do confirm they have found this tarot card near the Benjamin Tasker Middle School. You'll recall that is where a 13-year- old boy was gunned down on Monday morning as he was being taken to school. He remains in critical but stable condition.

The card, as you mentioned, the death card from the tarot deck. Inscribed on it, the words, "Dear Policeman: I am God."

Now, authorities, we are told, are looking at this card, thinking it could have been left by the shooter, but there are possibilities that it might have been left by a prankster sometime after the shooting. So, that's being very carefully evaluated.

Another thing that they have found in the vicinity of the Benjamin Tasker Middle School: a shell casing. This is a potentially critical piece of evidence in a case that has yielded very little evidence so far. This could have been ejected from the shooter's gun. It could give investigators leads as to the type and make of weapons involved in these shootings.

We mentioned yesterday that they have been trying to figure out if this sniper was responsible for more than the shootings that began one week ago. They have been looking at computer databases, but also looking specifically at a shooting in nearby Silver Spring that took place on September 14. As a liquor store was being shut down, an employee was shot in the back and seriously wounded.

The owner of that store says he sees striking similarities to the sniper shooting, but last evening, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said they cannot say anything conclusive. They have looked at the ballistic evidence, and that does not tell them whether or not that case is linked to the others.

Here in Montgomery County today, schools will be closed. This is not related to the shootings. This is a previously-scheduled staff development day. Other schools in the area are open, again, under tight security, again, tight restrictions on the kids. And the investigation will continue full force.

Paula -- back to you.

ZAHN: Jeanne, just quickly in closing here, help the audience understand why this shooter is so elusive. Everything you read about serial killers would suggest that there is not a particular pattern being followed here, which is really confounding the experts.

MESERVE: That's right. The randomness of the targets is one of the things that has made it difficult.

The other thing is that this is -- these are shootings that have taken place at a distance, and the automatic response in a situation like this is for people to turn to the victim, pay attention there. This shooter at some distance has had the opportunity to turn, run, make an escape. Attention has not been focused on where the shots came from.

They are hoping that further analysis of the wounds on some of the people who have been killed or injured may give them a better sense of where the shooter was located, but this, of course, long after the fact.

It's a very difficult case. They are looking at thousands of leads, trying to figure out which ones are credible, and hoping that one of them or more might lead them to this individual or people who might be involved in these shootings -- Paula.

ZAHN: Jeanne, we'll be coming back to you right after that news conference the chief will be holding -- appreciate the update.

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