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CNN Live At Daybreak
Shooting Spree: Community Asks Why
Aired July 09, 2003 - 06:42 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well turning now to a tragic workplace shooting in Mississippi. Investigators are trying to find out why an employee went on a murderous rampage with a shotgun at a Lockheed Martin plant. Five people were killed, plus the shooter who killed himself.
CNN's Sean Callebs joins us now from Meridian with an update on the case -- Sean.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, the crime scene investigators are expected back here in perhaps a couple of hours or so. They were here late until the evening. At the same time, the Lauderdale County Sheriff's authorities have been pouring over suspect Doug Williams' employee records, trying to determine if there's any information there they can glean that may provide some insight into what triggered yesterday's deadly shooting spree.
At the same time, authorities are also investigating allegations from Williams' coworkers that he used racist comments and on at least one occasion professed he was capable of killing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mississippi residents were stunned and shocked by the sheer brutality and the apparent methodical fashion of the cold blooded killings.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Thomas Willis, he was -- he was killed there in this incident here.
CALLEBS: A matter of moments that will affect this community for years to come. Authorities say 48-year-old Doug Williams marched through the Lockheed Martin plant claiming victim after victim before finally taking his own life.
SHERIFF BILLY SOLLIE, LAUDERDALE COUNTY SHERIFF: Also interviewing family members and other members of the community that might have known Doug Williams and can give us any indication as to what caused him to snap.
CALLEBS: At his side, authorities recovered a shotgun and a semiautomatic rifle they say were apparently used in the killings.
While friends and relatives console survivors, authorities are trying to find a motive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was no race or gender or age bracket that the victims fell into. You had a cross section of victims. Again, at this time, we have no motive.
CALLEBS: Meridian is near the Mississippi-Alabama line. The plant employs about 150 people and makes parts for the C-130J Hercules cargo aircraft as well as the F-22 Raptor. And until this shooting, the city liked to boost it was among the safest in the state.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
And we had a chance to speak with the sheriff just a couple of moments ago, and he said that Williams' family members say that he was upset that he was being forced to attend an employee business ethics meeting at the plant. It was during that mandatory meeting that authorities say he first opened fire. There were 13 people in the room. After that, he began making his way through the facility, randomly shooting. Once the chaos ended, authorities did have the chance to check his vehicle and, Fredricka, they found at least three more weapons there.
WHITFIELD: What a shame. All right, thanks very much, Sean.
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 July 9, 2003 - 06:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well turning now to a tragic workplace shooting in Mississippi. Investigators are trying to find out why an employee went on a murderous rampage with a shotgun at a Lockheed Martin plant. Five people were killed, plus the shooter who killed himself.
CNN's Sean Callebs joins us now from Meridian with an update on the case -- Sean.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, the crime scene investigators are expected back here in perhaps a couple of hours or so. They were here late until the evening. At the same time, the Lauderdale County Sheriff's authorities have been pouring over suspect Doug Williams' employee records, trying to determine if there's any information there they can glean that may provide some insight into what triggered yesterday's deadly shooting spree.
At the same time, authorities are also investigating allegations from Williams' coworkers that he used racist comments and on at least one occasion professed he was capable of killing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mississippi residents were stunned and shocked by the sheer brutality and the apparent methodical fashion of the cold blooded killings.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Thomas Willis, he was -- he was killed there in this incident here.
CALLEBS: A matter of moments that will affect this community for years to come. Authorities say 48-year-old Doug Williams marched through the Lockheed Martin plant claiming victim after victim before finally taking his own life.
SHERIFF BILLY SOLLIE, LAUDERDALE COUNTY SHERIFF: Also interviewing family members and other members of the community that might have known Doug Williams and can give us any indication as to what caused him to snap.
CALLEBS: At his side, authorities recovered a shotgun and a semiautomatic rifle they say were apparently used in the killings.
While friends and relatives console survivors, authorities are trying to find a motive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was no race or gender or age bracket that the victims fell into. You had a cross section of victims. Again, at this time, we have no motive.
CALLEBS: Meridian is near the Mississippi-Alabama line. The plant employs about 150 people and makes parts for the C-130J Hercules cargo aircraft as well as the F-22 Raptor. And until this shooting, the city liked to boost it was among the safest in the state.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
And we had a chance to speak with the sheriff just a couple of moments ago, and he said that Williams' family members say that he was upset that he was being forced to attend an employee business ethics meeting at the plant. It was during that mandatory meeting that authorities say he first opened fire. There were 13 people in the room. After that, he began making his way through the facility, randomly shooting. Once the chaos ended, authorities did have the chance to check his vehicle and, Fredricka, they found at least three more weapons there.
WHITFIELD: What a shame. All right, thanks very much, Sean.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
