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CNN Live At Daybreak
Another Victim?
Aired October 10, 2002 - 06:00 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: Another unexplained shooting death in the Washington area has police wondering if it's the work of a sniper who has already killed six people and wounded two others.
The latest shooting happened last night at a gas station near Manassas, Virginia in Prince William County. This comes one week after the first of six sniper killings in Montgomery County, Maryland and Washington.
We have a team of reporters following the investigation into the sniper killings. CNN's Jeanne Meserve is in Montgomery County, but first we head to Prince William County and CNN's Patty Davis.
Patty -- is there any update to this shooting in Manassas?
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, no update so far. There was a press conference overnight about 1:00 in the morning, and police say it was a little after 8:00 last night when a man was gassing up his vehicle. In fact, he had just finished gassing up his vehicle at a Sunoco station in Manassas, Virginia, when a shot rang out, hit him and killed him. Someone then immediately came on the scene there. Somebody had picked this man up and had seen what had happened.
Now, police say someone did see a white Dodge Caravan leave the scene. They are now on the lookout for that vehicle. They don't know license plates. They also say they don't know a description of individuals in that car.
Now, is this connected to the other sniper shootings? Police say that they're investigating.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COL. CHARLIE DEANE, PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY POLICE: We were given a lookout for a vehicle that was seen in the area that we do not know whether it was involved in this incident or not, but it was a white Caravan vehicle, a Dodge Caravan. It left the scene.
We have been in touch with the Montgomery County Police and the other agencies that have been investigating the spree of shootings in the region. At this point, we cannot say if this case is related to those shootings.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVIS: As you can see, a lot police do not know at this point. They are looking into all of this. We expect to have another update around 9:00 a.m. this morning from police here in Prince William County -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, thank you very much -- Patty Davis reporting.
We continue our team coverage now with Jeanne Meserve in Montgomery County, Maryland, where police are leading the investigation into these sniper attacks.
Jeanne -- kids are going to go back to school after a scheduled day off yesterday. You know, you can only imagine the fear that parents have again today.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, and for many schools in the area, there will, once again, be restrictions on students' activities. They will be kept indoors most places, and there will be heavy security presence at most schools.
Now, in terms of this shooting in Manassas, investigators here have yet to comment this morning. We're expecting our first briefing in about an hour's time, and it is unclear if, even at this point, investigators will be able to rule in or out any connection with the sniper shootings.
This sniper has hit before at gas stations. I shouldn't say "hit before." He has hit at gas stations. In one instance, a taxi driver was gunned down while he was refueling; at another, a young woman, as she refueled a car. Both of those incidents happened last Thursday. He also has hit before at night.
But what investigators will be looking at most carefully is the ballistics evidence, whatever was recovered at that scene. That has been what has established the crucial link between the previous slayings.
We know that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has about 100 people, agents and support personnel working on this case. They may already be taking a very close look at the ballistics evidence here.
If the Manassas shooting does turn out to be linked, it would significantly increase the footprint of the sniper slayings. He has hit in Virginia before. Last week, there was a shooting in Fredericksburg, Virginia, but that is well south of Washington. Manassas is to the west, so the effect here will be to make even more people in the region nervous if, indeed, any link is established.
Again, we're expecting our first briefing in about an hour -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jeanne, we've been hearing reports -- you know, police from many jurisdictions are investigating this. We've been hearing reports that they're not getting along so well now.
MESERVE: Carol, I am unaware of that from this vantage point. What we have heard from individuals here is that they have been getting along extraordinarily well, that there has been cooperation, that there has been a good sharing of information. That is the word from this end, anyway -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And that is the good word. Thank you -- Jeanne Meserve reporting live from Montgomery County, Maryland 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 10, 2002 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Another unexplained shooting death in the Washington area has police wondering if it's the work of a sniper who has already killed six people and wounded two others.
The latest shooting happened last night at a gas station near Manassas, Virginia in Prince William County. This comes one week after the first of six sniper killings in Montgomery County, Maryland and Washington.
We have a team of reporters following the investigation into the sniper killings. CNN's Jeanne Meserve is in Montgomery County, but first we head to Prince William County and CNN's Patty Davis.
Patty -- is there any update to this shooting in Manassas?
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, no update so far. There was a press conference overnight about 1:00 in the morning, and police say it was a little after 8:00 last night when a man was gassing up his vehicle. In fact, he had just finished gassing up his vehicle at a Sunoco station in Manassas, Virginia, when a shot rang out, hit him and killed him. Someone then immediately came on the scene there. Somebody had picked this man up and had seen what had happened.
Now, police say someone did see a white Dodge Caravan leave the scene. They are now on the lookout for that vehicle. They don't know license plates. They also say they don't know a description of individuals in that car.
Now, is this connected to the other sniper shootings? Police say that they're investigating.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COL. CHARLIE DEANE, PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY POLICE: We were given a lookout for a vehicle that was seen in the area that we do not know whether it was involved in this incident or not, but it was a white Caravan vehicle, a Dodge Caravan. It left the scene.
We have been in touch with the Montgomery County Police and the other agencies that have been investigating the spree of shootings in the region. At this point, we cannot say if this case is related to those shootings.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVIS: As you can see, a lot police do not know at this point. They are looking into all of this. We expect to have another update around 9:00 a.m. this morning from police here in Prince William County -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, thank you very much -- Patty Davis reporting.
We continue our team coverage now with Jeanne Meserve in Montgomery County, Maryland, where police are leading the investigation into these sniper attacks.
Jeanne -- kids are going to go back to school after a scheduled day off yesterday. You know, you can only imagine the fear that parents have again today.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, and for many schools in the area, there will, once again, be restrictions on students' activities. They will be kept indoors most places, and there will be heavy security presence at most schools.
Now, in terms of this shooting in Manassas, investigators here have yet to comment this morning. We're expecting our first briefing in about an hour's time, and it is unclear if, even at this point, investigators will be able to rule in or out any connection with the sniper shootings.
This sniper has hit before at gas stations. I shouldn't say "hit before." He has hit at gas stations. In one instance, a taxi driver was gunned down while he was refueling; at another, a young woman, as she refueled a car. Both of those incidents happened last Thursday. He also has hit before at night.
But what investigators will be looking at most carefully is the ballistics evidence, whatever was recovered at that scene. That has been what has established the crucial link between the previous slayings.
We know that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has about 100 people, agents and support personnel working on this case. They may already be taking a very close look at the ballistics evidence here.
If the Manassas shooting does turn out to be linked, it would significantly increase the footprint of the sniper slayings. He has hit in Virginia before. Last week, there was a shooting in Fredericksburg, Virginia, but that is well south of Washington. Manassas is to the west, so the effect here will be to make even more people in the region nervous if, indeed, any link is established.
Again, we're expecting our first briefing in about an hour -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jeanne, we've been hearing reports -- you know, police from many jurisdictions are investigating this. We've been hearing reports that they're not getting along so well now.
MESERVE: Carol, I am unaware of that from this vantage point. What we have heard from individuals here is that they have been getting along extraordinarily well, that there has been cooperation, that there has been a good sharing of information. That is the word from this end, anyway -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And that is the good word. Thank you -- Jeanne Meserve reporting live from Montgomery County, Maryland 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.
