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American Morning
Sniper Investigation Update
Aired October 21, 2002 - 07:01 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A 37-year old man shot outside a restaurant on Saturday in Ashland, Virginia. Authorities are proceeding as if the sniper has struck again, extending the danger zone of the shooting spree.
Two reports this morning -- Jason Carroll standing by at the hospital in Richmond. We'll get the latest on the victim from him in a moment.
But first, Ed Lavandera, back at the scene at the police command post there in Ashland.
Good morning -- Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Well, here, evidence -- clear evidence that the fear of this sniper has spread southward along Interstate 95. Five major school districts around the Richmond, Virginia area are closing schools for today, because of Saturday night's shooting, when a 37-year-old man was shot in the back of that Ponderosa restaurant as he was leaving with his wife.
And investigators, spending much of the day on Sunday combing through the back parking lot area; and also that wooded-forest area directly behind the parking lot. There is information perhaps to suggest that the shot might have come back through there.
Walking through that wooded forest area, you see clear evidence of just the kind of work that the police were doing yesterday, trying to collect evidence. We do understand that they did find evidence in that wooded area, and that has been sent off for analysis, and that is where the investigation stands at this point, analyzing everything that was collected yesterday -- Bill.
HEMMER: Ed, thank you -- Ed Lavandera in Ashland.
Further south, about 15 miles now to the hospital, and Jason Carroll tracking the latest on the victim situation this morning.
Jason -- good morning to you.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you, Bill.
That 37-year-old victim was heavily sedated overnight. He is still in critical but guarded condition. But a hospital spokeswoman told us this morning that he is definitely a little bit more stable. He was in surgery last night for about three hours, and the doctor who performed the surgery told me this morning that he was able to remove what looked like a bullet, and not a bullet fragment.
This 37-year-old man is in the same condition after surgery that he was before the surgery. Doctors saying that that's an encouraging sign, because they say he did not worsen after surgery. Still, they are dealing with extensive internal injuries.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAM LEPLEY, HOSPITAL SPOKESWOMAN: This patient is going to have a long road to hoe. As we said, he faces more surgery to reconstruct and mend the terrible injuries that were inflicted by the bullet. But we do -- and he's in critical condition, but we remain cautiously optimistic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: The first surgery that this man underwent was Saturday night, the night of the shooting. At that point, doctors did the best they could to repair the extensive amount of internal damage that was done to his stomach, his pancreas, as well as his spleen.
But they point out, Bill, that this man was in a very healthy condition before the shooting. They say at this point, his prognosis is good to fair -- Bill.
HEMMER: Jason, thank you -- Jason Carroll following the developments there on the 12th victim -- 9 killed, 3 wounded.
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 - 07:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A 37-year old man shot outside a restaurant on Saturday in Ashland, Virginia. Authorities are proceeding as if the sniper has struck again, extending the danger zone of the shooting spree.
Two reports this morning -- Jason Carroll standing by at the hospital in Richmond. We'll get the latest on the victim from him in a moment.
But first, Ed Lavandera, back at the scene at the police command post there in Ashland.
Good morning -- Ed.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Well, here, evidence -- clear evidence that the fear of this sniper has spread southward along Interstate 95. Five major school districts around the Richmond, Virginia area are closing schools for today, because of Saturday night's shooting, when a 37-year-old man was shot in the back of that Ponderosa restaurant as he was leaving with his wife.
And investigators, spending much of the day on Sunday combing through the back parking lot area; and also that wooded-forest area directly behind the parking lot. There is information perhaps to suggest that the shot might have come back through there.
Walking through that wooded forest area, you see clear evidence of just the kind of work that the police were doing yesterday, trying to collect evidence. We do understand that they did find evidence in that wooded area, and that has been sent off for analysis, and that is where the investigation stands at this point, analyzing everything that was collected yesterday -- Bill.
HEMMER: Ed, thank you -- Ed Lavandera in Ashland.
Further south, about 15 miles now to the hospital, and Jason Carroll tracking the latest on the victim situation this morning.
Jason -- good morning to you.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you, Bill.
That 37-year-old victim was heavily sedated overnight. He is still in critical but guarded condition. But a hospital spokeswoman told us this morning that he is definitely a little bit more stable. He was in surgery last night for about three hours, and the doctor who performed the surgery told me this morning that he was able to remove what looked like a bullet, and not a bullet fragment.
This 37-year-old man is in the same condition after surgery that he was before the surgery. Doctors saying that that's an encouraging sign, because they say he did not worsen after surgery. Still, they are dealing with extensive internal injuries.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAM LEPLEY, HOSPITAL SPOKESWOMAN: This patient is going to have a long road to hoe. As we said, he faces more surgery to reconstruct and mend the terrible injuries that were inflicted by the bullet. But we do -- and he's in critical condition, but we remain cautiously optimistic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: The first surgery that this man underwent was Saturday night, the night of the shooting. At that point, doctors did the best they could to repair the extensive amount of internal damage that was done to his stomach, his pancreas, as well as his spleen.
But they point out, Bill, that this man was in a very healthy condition before the shooting. They say at this point, his prognosis is good to fair -- Bill.
HEMMER: Jason, thank you -- Jason Carroll following the developments there on the 12th victim -- 9 killed, 3 wounded.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
