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Area Blocked Off After Shooting in Silver Spring, Maryland

Aired October 22, 2002 - 07:48   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.


PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to check in with Bob Franken, who was with us a little bit earlier this morning, and police investigators moved him. He was on the scene shortly after this shooting in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Bob -- where are you now?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Actually, we were able to move back in. We'll see how long this lasts.

But the scene, you have the bus sitting up there. It's a Metropolitan bus. And there are investigators swarming over it -- plain-clothes investigators, some wearing jackets like for ATF, Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Of course, they would be the ones who would be the weapons experts, , in particular.

This area is road-blocked off. There are what I would describe as automatic weapons, carrying, very heavily-armored police stopping traffic, searching vehicles of all sorts, not letting any traffic into this particular area, as you might understand.

The roadways around Washington, a lot of them are blocked off. They've asked that we don't give specifics, as they try and track down somebody. We don't know, of course, whether they have any witnesses who can give any better accounts than at the last shootings.

And of course, we don't know yet whether this, in fact, is the work of the person who has become known as the Washington sniper. What we do know (AUDIO GAP) the major thoroughfare is Connecticut Avenue. The bus is sitting (AUDIO GAP) it's by a park. There is a park that has woods on one side, and on the other side, a low rise of apartment buildings.

ZAHN: Bob, you're breaking up a little. I'm going to let you move about 10 feet or so to see if that clears up here.

FRANKEN: OK, is this any better, Paula?

ZAHN: Yes, that's much better. Thanks.

FRANKEN: OK.

ZAHN: One of our guests also described that this isn't too far away from a commercial area where there is a Home Depot and a Kmart. Can you even see that from where you are?

FRANKEN: Well, as a matter of fact, there's a Kmart about (AUDIO GAP)...

ZAHN: OK, Bob...

FRANKEN: Hello?

ZAHN: Bob, we've lost you again. Maybe if you can move up to a higher area.

FRANKEN: Hello, Paula, can you hear me now?

ZAHN: That's much better. Thank you.

FRANKEN: OK, in answer to your question, there is a Kmart just down the road from here, about two-tenths of a mile or something like that. And then, maybe a half mile away is a Home Depot (AUDIO GAP)...

ZAHN: All right, Bob, we're going to have to jump in here, because your signal is all but gone. We're going to let you seek higher ground if the investigators let you move at this point.

We're going to check back with Jason Carroll, who is standing by in Ashland, Virginia, the site of Saturday night's killing -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, I just wanted to talk a little bit about what you had said earlier. I believe you had asked Bill to draw the distinction about what officially was coming out of Ashland.

What officially is coming out of Ashland is that ballistic tests have definitely confirmed that this was the site of the last sniper shooting.

Also in terms of that letter, that message, Chief Moose from Montgomery County has referred to a message that was found here at the Ponderosa restaurant. Sources tell CNN that that message came in the form of a handwritten letter. That's the one that you guys have been talking about so much this morning.

In that handwritten letter, there was some sort of hint as to a reference to money, some sort of a threat about more killings to come in the future, and of course, some sort of a timeline that authorities -- some sort of a schedule or a timeline that authorities were supposed to adhere to.

So, I just wanted to add a little bit more about that and drawing the distinction in terms of what officially has come from police, which isn't much, and what has come to CNN through sources -- Paula.

ZAHN: And, Jason, has anybody confirmed where they found the note? There are a couple of published accounts this morning that say it was actually attached to a tree in the woods behind the Ponderosa restaurant.

CARROLL: There have been a few of those published reports. In terms of what officially has come out through police, they just said that a message was found, but sources tell CNN that it was found at that Ponderosa restaurant that you see right over there.

Behind the restaurant, there are woods just back from the restaurant. Sources tell CNN that that note was found in that wooded area behind the Ponderosa restaurant. In terms of that handwritten note being attached to a tree or near some sort of foliage, that has not come through our sources, not yet at this point.

ZAHN: Thanks, Jason. If you would, stand by.

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




Maryland>


Aired October 22, 2002 - 07:48   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We're going to check in with Bob Franken, who was with us a little bit earlier this morning, and police investigators moved him. He was on the scene shortly after this shooting in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Bob -- where are you now?

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Actually, we were able to move back in. We'll see how long this lasts.

But the scene, you have the bus sitting up there. It's a Metropolitan bus. And there are investigators swarming over it -- plain-clothes investigators, some wearing jackets like for ATF, Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Of course, they would be the ones who would be the weapons experts, , in particular.

This area is road-blocked off. There are what I would describe as automatic weapons, carrying, very heavily-armored police stopping traffic, searching vehicles of all sorts, not letting any traffic into this particular area, as you might understand.

The roadways around Washington, a lot of them are blocked off. They've asked that we don't give specifics, as they try and track down somebody. We don't know, of course, whether they have any witnesses who can give any better accounts than at the last shootings.

And of course, we don't know yet whether this, in fact, is the work of the person who has become known as the Washington sniper. What we do know (AUDIO GAP) the major thoroughfare is Connecticut Avenue. The bus is sitting (AUDIO GAP) it's by a park. There is a park that has woods on one side, and on the other side, a low rise of apartment buildings.

ZAHN: Bob, you're breaking up a little. I'm going to let you move about 10 feet or so to see if that clears up here.

FRANKEN: OK, is this any better, Paula?

ZAHN: Yes, that's much better. Thanks.

FRANKEN: OK.

ZAHN: One of our guests also described that this isn't too far away from a commercial area where there is a Home Depot and a Kmart. Can you even see that from where you are?

FRANKEN: Well, as a matter of fact, there's a Kmart about (AUDIO GAP)...

ZAHN: OK, Bob...

FRANKEN: Hello?

ZAHN: Bob, we've lost you again. Maybe if you can move up to a higher area.

FRANKEN: Hello, Paula, can you hear me now?

ZAHN: That's much better. Thank you.

FRANKEN: OK, in answer to your question, there is a Kmart just down the road from here, about two-tenths of a mile or something like that. And then, maybe a half mile away is a Home Depot (AUDIO GAP)...

ZAHN: All right, Bob, we're going to have to jump in here, because your signal is all but gone. We're going to let you seek higher ground if the investigators let you move at this point.

We're going to check back with Jason Carroll, who is standing by in Ashland, Virginia, the site of Saturday night's killing -- Jason.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Paula, I just wanted to talk a little bit about what you had said earlier. I believe you had asked Bill to draw the distinction about what officially was coming out of Ashland.

What officially is coming out of Ashland is that ballistic tests have definitely confirmed that this was the site of the last sniper shooting.

Also in terms of that letter, that message, Chief Moose from Montgomery County has referred to a message that was found here at the Ponderosa restaurant. Sources tell CNN that that message came in the form of a handwritten letter. That's the one that you guys have been talking about so much this morning.

In that handwritten letter, there was some sort of hint as to a reference to money, some sort of a threat about more killings to come in the future, and of course, some sort of a timeline that authorities -- some sort of a schedule or a timeline that authorities were supposed to adhere to.

So, I just wanted to add a little bit more about that and drawing the distinction in terms of what officially has come from police, which isn't much, and what has come to CNN through sources -- Paula.

ZAHN: And, Jason, has anybody confirmed where they found the note? There are a couple of published accounts this morning that say it was actually attached to a tree in the woods behind the Ponderosa restaurant.

CARROLL: There have been a few of those published reports. In terms of what officially has come out through police, they just said that a message was found, but sources tell CNN that it was found at that Ponderosa restaurant that you see right over there.

Behind the restaurant, there are woods just back from the restaurant. Sources tell CNN that that note was found in that wooded area behind the Ponderosa restaurant. In terms of that handwritten note being attached to a tree or near some sort of foliage, that has not come through our sources, not yet at this point.

ZAHN: Thanks, Jason. If you would, stand by.

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




Maryland>