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Breaking News

18th Bomb Found in Texas Last Night

Aired May 07, 2002 - 10:45   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The race is on also as well to find whoever has been laying these pipe bombs...

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.

HARRIS: all over the Midwest. If you have been with us this morning, for the past 45 minutes or so, folks, you have probably heard us report here that we've gotten word now that the FBI has found yet another pipe bomb now, raising the total number now to 18. This last one was found just a while ago this morning in Amarillo, Texas.

Let's check in now with our Rusty Dornin who has been out trying to chase down some people with the FBI to get some more information. Rusty, what have you learned?

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Leon, actually what we've learned is that they believe that -- they found the bomb last night in Amarillo, Texas. It looks similar to all the other devices that have been discovered, and our source does tell us that he believes there was a note found with it. And, of course, the agents are just on this now. The regional offices down in Texas are getting on this right now, but it looks like it's very similar to the rest of these devices, and that there was indeed a note found. So, it looks like this -- this man -- they believe it is a single, white male traveling by himself is very busy driving through the Western United States now, planting these devices.

Of course, there was a bomb discovered in Salida, Colorado yesterday as well. Now, we're not sure whether the latest device discovered in Texas has the similar detonator. Now, this is a detonator that is slightly less sensitive. The ones discovered in Nebraska, Colorado, and we don't know about Texas, have been slightly less sensitive, not as inclined to explode when the mail box carrier or someone actually picks up the device.

And so, that's what we've learned so far. There's obviously very concerned that this is happening very quickly, that this person just is on the road, and has no plans of stopping anytime soon -- Leon.

HARRIS: And if it is the same person, Rusty, this person has been driving around quite a bit, because we are at some 300 more -- plus 300 some miles in between the last two sites -- correct?

DORNIN: Exactly -- it is 400 -- I'm not sure how far Amarillo is from Salida, but I know Salida from Hastings is at least 400 miles. So, yes, traveling very quickly. Of course, the residents in Colorado were already alerted last night to keep their mailboxes open as well. It is a little late now to be alerting the residents in Texas, but they, of course, will try to get the word out as quickly as possible for the folks there to keep their mailboxes open too.

HARRIS: All right. Whoever this person is, if it is one person, covering a lot of ground, so is Rusty Dornin covering the story for us. We appreciate it, Rusty. We will get back to you in just a bit. We also want to advise our viewers this morning that we have just learned as well that the FBI is going to be having a press conference this morning, hopefully to give us more information about all this, and we expect that to get underway within the next 10 to 15 minutes or so, so please stay, because we'll have -- we'll go to live coverage, rather, right here on CNN.

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