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CNN Live At Daybreak

Talk with Bruce Alan From WTOP Radio

Aired October 21, 2002 - 06:51   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.


CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: This morning's Talk of CNN focuses on the sniper shootings.
Bruce Alan from WTOP Radio News in Washington, D.C.

Bruce, I don't even have to ask. I know what your listeners are talking to you about, calling in about this weekend, this latest shooting. A lot of concern there whether or not it was the sniper. You know, a lot of speculation on whether or not it was. But you almost hope it was. You'd hate to think there were actually two snipers out there.

BRUCE ALAN, WTOP RADIO HOST: Well, as crazy as that sounds, that's absolutely right. I mean just the relief that it would be that just one person they're still looking for. And this shooting Saturday night came after a pretty long lull. So I wouldn't say people were lulled into a sense of security, but it kind of, it was a shock to the system again.

There's a little change, though, in the way people are feeling. You still have the fear and the anxiety. People are still scared and being careful. But there is now some resentment and some anger and determination. People are really desperate to do something to help and they're determined that if something happens near them they're going to be a good witness. They know what to do. And they're ready to cooperate.

As you drive along the highways, you see police cruisers parked along the side of the highways just waiting to pull out and implement roadblocks if they need to. It's a strange way to live.

CALLAWAY: It is a strange, duck and cover no way to live, Bruce.

You know, a lot of e-mail this weekend of people angry at the media, saying giving out too much information on this, although I did notice a lot of it was from people who do not live in that area. Some of the e-mail we received from people in your region saying the more information the better.

What are you hearing?

ALAN: Well, kind of the same thing, I guess. It's hard to say that there's too much information since there's been so little information released. I don't know how you could say there was too much released. Even the information that was most controversial, the discovery or reported discovery of that tarot card at the Bowie shooting, the middle school. Apparently police were given the opportunity to request that that information not border run and they never did make the request.

So there's a little to be learned on both sides, I suspect. But everybody's trading carefully and I don't think anybody is doing anything intentionally irresponsible.

CALLAWAY: I don't think that anybody can understand what it is like to live the way you guys have been living the last few weeks, you know, unless you're going through it.

ALAN: People are very hungry for information, though. And, you know, we're doing our best to get it to them in a responsible way, though. And that is the key, being responsible about it. Every bit of information that comes in is not necessarily accurate. So you do need, you do have the responsibility to check it out and make sure it's right and run it by police. And that's what we're doing.

CALLAWAY: All right, Bruce, talk to you soon.

Take care.

ALAN: OK, Catherine.

CALLAWAY: And the next police briefing in the sniper shooting scheduled for noon Eastern time. CNN does plan to bring that to you live.

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 21, 2002 - 06:51   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: This morning's Talk of CNN focuses on the sniper shootings.
Bruce Alan from WTOP Radio News in Washington, D.C.

Bruce, I don't even have to ask. I know what your listeners are talking to you about, calling in about this weekend, this latest shooting. A lot of concern there whether or not it was the sniper. You know, a lot of speculation on whether or not it was. But you almost hope it was. You'd hate to think there were actually two snipers out there.

BRUCE ALAN, WTOP RADIO HOST: Well, as crazy as that sounds, that's absolutely right. I mean just the relief that it would be that just one person they're still looking for. And this shooting Saturday night came after a pretty long lull. So I wouldn't say people were lulled into a sense of security, but it kind of, it was a shock to the system again.

There's a little change, though, in the way people are feeling. You still have the fear and the anxiety. People are still scared and being careful. But there is now some resentment and some anger and determination. People are really desperate to do something to help and they're determined that if something happens near them they're going to be a good witness. They know what to do. And they're ready to cooperate.

As you drive along the highways, you see police cruisers parked along the side of the highways just waiting to pull out and implement roadblocks if they need to. It's a strange way to live.

CALLAWAY: It is a strange, duck and cover no way to live, Bruce.

You know, a lot of e-mail this weekend of people angry at the media, saying giving out too much information on this, although I did notice a lot of it was from people who do not live in that area. Some of the e-mail we received from people in your region saying the more information the better.

What are you hearing?

ALAN: Well, kind of the same thing, I guess. It's hard to say that there's too much information since there's been so little information released. I don't know how you could say there was too much released. Even the information that was most controversial, the discovery or reported discovery of that tarot card at the Bowie shooting, the middle school. Apparently police were given the opportunity to request that that information not border run and they never did make the request.

So there's a little to be learned on both sides, I suspect. But everybody's trading carefully and I don't think anybody is doing anything intentionally irresponsible.

CALLAWAY: I don't think that anybody can understand what it is like to live the way you guys have been living the last few weeks, you know, unless you're going through it.

ALAN: People are very hungry for information, though. And, you know, we're doing our best to get it to them in a responsible way, though. And that is the key, being responsible about it. Every bit of information that comes in is not necessarily accurate. So you do need, you do have the responsibility to check it out and make sure it's right and run it by police. And that's what we're doing.

CALLAWAY: All right, Bruce, talk to you soon.

Take care.

ALAN: OK, Catherine.

CALLAWAY: And the next police briefing in the sniper shooting scheduled for noon Eastern time. CNN does plan to bring that to you live.

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