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CNN Live Today

Various Agencies Coordinating in Hunt for Sniper

Aired October 10, 2002 - 11:07   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go ahead and found out more about this investigation, and bring in our law enforcement analyst, Mike Brooks, to answer some of our questions about what is taking place -- good morning to you.
MIKE BROOKS, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Good morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: First of all, this latest shooting in Manassas, Virginia. Of course, as we heard from Patty Davis and Jeanne Meserve, we have not had it confirmed yet, that it is related.

BROOKS: Right.

KAGAN: There are some very suspicious connections though -- or similarities between what took place there and some of the other shootings.

BROOKS: I would say so. You have got one single shot. It was, in fact, was a gunshot wound to the head that we're hearing from law enforcement. He was dead right there on the scene. And they -- the lookout that they were giving, they were talking about the white panel van, the white van. You know, witnesses -- on a shooting like this, it's very difficult, because it is taking place from a distance away. Somebody hears a shot, they look around, what do they see? They see trucks going in and out. That is a very commercial area, right off of Route 66, very similar to the other shootings that have taken place near or on a main artery. So easy in, easy out. Same kind of MO.

Again, speculation, because we don't know for sure, the ballistics have not come back from the ATF lab confirming that this was connected, but it is looking to law enforcement like it is connected.

KAGAN: Maybe we can get those -- yes, we do have those live pictures. Are these the live pictures or is this tape? This is tape, but this is what we just saw a few minutes ago live. This is the scene at a gas station where the shooting took place. Perhaps you can explain to us -- now it is live -- what is taking place.

BROOKS: What we are seeing there is a line search. They will do a -- they will start from the -- where the shooting took place, they will line up officers, and do a whole line search, going out hundreds of yards, if necessary, trying to find out the exact point of where the shooting occurred, where the shooting took from -- took place from.

And, did they leave -- did the shooter leave a cigarette butt, did they leave any paper...

KAGAN: Footprints.

BROOKS: ... anything -- footprints -- anything, especially now that it is raining. Earlier last evening, I don't think it was raining too much. But anything at all that can be of evidentiary value. That's what they're looking for there, when we see them doing the line search.

KAGAN: In fact, at the middle school, where the Tarot card was allegedly left, and again, it still speculation that it actually the shooter that left it, it could have been somebody else, we don't know that, but there's been a lot of consternation, especially on the part of the police and the police chief, Moose, about the information getting out, that perhaps there was a possibility that the shooter was using this to start a dialogue, and the comments don't give this information to the news media.

BROOKS: Well, earlier, the media critic, Howard Kurtz, who has a show here on CNN, he had spoken to the reporter that Chief Moose was reprimanding, if you will, for giving the information out. We also have to keep in mind that the information had to come from law enforcement. It had to come from either Montgomery County, Prince George's, D.C., or any of the other the federal law enforcement agencies that are involved in the investigation, so they need to look there also.

KAGAN: Just because one cop talks doesn't mean that there is not going to be frustration at the higher level.

BROOKS: No, exactly, and Chief Moose, I feel for the guy. Having been involved in lengthy investigations like this myself, he's tired, he's fatigued, he's frustrated. He's worried about the health and safety of the people in Montgomery County and the surrounding jurisdictions.

But going back to the interview, Howard Kurtz spoke with Mike Buchanan (ph), who is a reporter for WUSA, the CBS affiliate in Washington, and who I consider a friend of the police.

It could have been handled a little bit better. If there was some information that the chief or law enforcement didn't want out there, they should have said, Look, we know you have this information, can you hold it? It's very crucial to the investigation. This happens all the time. Police and the media work together. I mean, the same station back a number of years ago, there was a Starbucks murder in Georgetown in Washington, D.C., a triple homicide. It took a long time to solve. But WUSA had information, law enforcement asked them to...

KAGAN: Sit on it?

BROOKS: Yes, actually, they made a case for it, and they said no problem, we won't ruin the case. And they did, until -- you know, and they solved the case, and it came to trial, and the people are in jail now. So, you know, law enforcement and the media work together on a regular basis, and I think this morning Chief Moose was more conciliatory towards the press, and I think that everybody has sort of kissed and made up, and I think we can move on from here and work together to save -- to help this case, and also to make sure that the people in the Washington, D.C. area are kept safe.

KAGAN: Kept safe and informed as well.

BROOKS: Absolutely.

KAGAN: I want to call on your days as an FBI agent, because when I look at this story, and I see FBI agents out there, I see ATF, I see sheriff, I see police -- in light of 9/11, when the word came out that sometimes you guys don't work that well together, that there are turf battles, that there's egos, that there is a tug of war, how is it working in this case?

BROOKS: I think it's working very well. I was with Metropolitan Police in the last six years assigned to the FBI, and we worked together extremely well. In this, you've got a number of different agencies. You have got even the military, some military CID units. They're checking out leads and running leads for Montgomery County, which is the lead agency right now.

But you have also got the FBI, ATF, state police departments from Maryland, Virginia, Spotsylvania County, down where the one shooting occurred down near Fredericksburg, Virginia. You have got hundreds of investigators working this right now. I mean, they are -- and that is the way it is going to be solved. It is going to be solved through old fashioned law enforcement and through forensics.

You have got the forensics lab at the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the bureau of ATF, they're working night and day on trying to make sure, you know, this is a match. They are working on it right now. Medical examiner's offices, a number of people.

In fact, Daryn, I think this is the largest law enforcement investigation effort that I have seen in the many years that I have been in Washington, D.C.

KAGAN: Incredible. Also want to add to your list, probably, a tip from a citizen is probably going to help.

BROOKS: Absolutely, and I think the consolidation of the tip lines. We were hearing in some other press conferences in the past, that they said, you know, please call back, the phones were down. Right now, there's a 1-888 number...

KAGAN: I think we have that. We can put that up. Yes, let's put that up while you talk about this. They have taken the three lines, they have put it into one...

BROOKS: Right.

KAGAN: ... and so it is kind of a central clearinghouse. BROOKS: Out of the Washington field office of the FBI, and it's the same place where they ran the same 1-800 number for information during the Centennial Park bombings, back in '96. So the people -- the FBI agents are manning the phones, along with Montgomery County, feeding them the leads. I think it will work out a lot better.

KAGAN: All right. Mike Brooks. Thanks for your insight.

BROOKS: Good to be hear.

KAGAN: Really appreciate it 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 - 11:07   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go ahead and found out more about this investigation, and bring in our law enforcement analyst, Mike Brooks, to answer some of our questions about what is taking place -- good morning to you.
MIKE BROOKS, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Good morning, Daryn.

KAGAN: First of all, this latest shooting in Manassas, Virginia. Of course, as we heard from Patty Davis and Jeanne Meserve, we have not had it confirmed yet, that it is related.

BROOKS: Right.

KAGAN: There are some very suspicious connections though -- or similarities between what took place there and some of the other shootings.

BROOKS: I would say so. You have got one single shot. It was, in fact, was a gunshot wound to the head that we're hearing from law enforcement. He was dead right there on the scene. And they -- the lookout that they were giving, they were talking about the white panel van, the white van. You know, witnesses -- on a shooting like this, it's very difficult, because it is taking place from a distance away. Somebody hears a shot, they look around, what do they see? They see trucks going in and out. That is a very commercial area, right off of Route 66, very similar to the other shootings that have taken place near or on a main artery. So easy in, easy out. Same kind of MO.

Again, speculation, because we don't know for sure, the ballistics have not come back from the ATF lab confirming that this was connected, but it is looking to law enforcement like it is connected.

KAGAN: Maybe we can get those -- yes, we do have those live pictures. Are these the live pictures or is this tape? This is tape, but this is what we just saw a few minutes ago live. This is the scene at a gas station where the shooting took place. Perhaps you can explain to us -- now it is live -- what is taking place.

BROOKS: What we are seeing there is a line search. They will do a -- they will start from the -- where the shooting took place, they will line up officers, and do a whole line search, going out hundreds of yards, if necessary, trying to find out the exact point of where the shooting occurred, where the shooting took from -- took place from.

And, did they leave -- did the shooter leave a cigarette butt, did they leave any paper...

KAGAN: Footprints.

BROOKS: ... anything -- footprints -- anything, especially now that it is raining. Earlier last evening, I don't think it was raining too much. But anything at all that can be of evidentiary value. That's what they're looking for there, when we see them doing the line search.

KAGAN: In fact, at the middle school, where the Tarot card was allegedly left, and again, it still speculation that it actually the shooter that left it, it could have been somebody else, we don't know that, but there's been a lot of consternation, especially on the part of the police and the police chief, Moose, about the information getting out, that perhaps there was a possibility that the shooter was using this to start a dialogue, and the comments don't give this information to the news media.

BROOKS: Well, earlier, the media critic, Howard Kurtz, who has a show here on CNN, he had spoken to the reporter that Chief Moose was reprimanding, if you will, for giving the information out. We also have to keep in mind that the information had to come from law enforcement. It had to come from either Montgomery County, Prince George's, D.C., or any of the other the federal law enforcement agencies that are involved in the investigation, so they need to look there also.

KAGAN: Just because one cop talks doesn't mean that there is not going to be frustration at the higher level.

BROOKS: No, exactly, and Chief Moose, I feel for the guy. Having been involved in lengthy investigations like this myself, he's tired, he's fatigued, he's frustrated. He's worried about the health and safety of the people in Montgomery County and the surrounding jurisdictions.

But going back to the interview, Howard Kurtz spoke with Mike Buchanan (ph), who is a reporter for WUSA, the CBS affiliate in Washington, and who I consider a friend of the police.

It could have been handled a little bit better. If there was some information that the chief or law enforcement didn't want out there, they should have said, Look, we know you have this information, can you hold it? It's very crucial to the investigation. This happens all the time. Police and the media work together. I mean, the same station back a number of years ago, there was a Starbucks murder in Georgetown in Washington, D.C., a triple homicide. It took a long time to solve. But WUSA had information, law enforcement asked them to...

KAGAN: Sit on it?

BROOKS: Yes, actually, they made a case for it, and they said no problem, we won't ruin the case. And they did, until -- you know, and they solved the case, and it came to trial, and the people are in jail now. So, you know, law enforcement and the media work together on a regular basis, and I think this morning Chief Moose was more conciliatory towards the press, and I think that everybody has sort of kissed and made up, and I think we can move on from here and work together to save -- to help this case, and also to make sure that the people in the Washington, D.C. area are kept safe.

KAGAN: Kept safe and informed as well.

BROOKS: Absolutely.

KAGAN: I want to call on your days as an FBI agent, because when I look at this story, and I see FBI agents out there, I see ATF, I see sheriff, I see police -- in light of 9/11, when the word came out that sometimes you guys don't work that well together, that there are turf battles, that there's egos, that there is a tug of war, how is it working in this case?

BROOKS: I think it's working very well. I was with Metropolitan Police in the last six years assigned to the FBI, and we worked together extremely well. In this, you've got a number of different agencies. You have got even the military, some military CID units. They're checking out leads and running leads for Montgomery County, which is the lead agency right now.

But you have also got the FBI, ATF, state police departments from Maryland, Virginia, Spotsylvania County, down where the one shooting occurred down near Fredericksburg, Virginia. You have got hundreds of investigators working this right now. I mean, they are -- and that is the way it is going to be solved. It is going to be solved through old fashioned law enforcement and through forensics.

You have got the forensics lab at the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the bureau of ATF, they're working night and day on trying to make sure, you know, this is a match. They are working on it right now. Medical examiner's offices, a number of people.

In fact, Daryn, I think this is the largest law enforcement investigation effort that I have seen in the many years that I have been in Washington, D.C.

KAGAN: Incredible. Also want to add to your list, probably, a tip from a citizen is probably going to help.

BROOKS: Absolutely, and I think the consolidation of the tip lines. We were hearing in some other press conferences in the past, that they said, you know, please call back, the phones were down. Right now, there's a 1-888 number...

KAGAN: I think we have that. We can put that up. Yes, let's put that up while you talk about this. They have taken the three lines, they have put it into one...

BROOKS: Right.

KAGAN: ... and so it is kind of a central clearinghouse. BROOKS: Out of the Washington field office of the FBI, and it's the same place where they ran the same 1-800 number for information during the Centennial Park bombings, back in '96. So the people -- the FBI agents are manning the phones, along with Montgomery County, feeding them the leads. I think it will work out a lot better.

KAGAN: All right. Mike Brooks. Thanks for your insight.

BROOKS: Good to be hear.

KAGAN: Really appreciate it 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