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CNN Live Saturday

Still No Arrest in Sniper Killing Spree in D.C. Area

Aired October 05, 2002 - 17:01   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.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Federal authorities are trying to determine if a sniper believed responsible for six deaths in the Washington, D.C. area took aim at another victim in Virginia. Officials are searching the minivan of the woman shot and wounded in Fredericksburg. CNN's Kathleen Koch joins us now from Montgomery County, Maryland with the very latest on the investigation. Hi there, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, of course the first and unfortunate news is that there is still no suspect, there's still no arrest in this case in this bloody string of shootings that have claimed so far six lives.

As you say, the focus right now is in Fredericksburg, Virginia. FBI agents were on the scene there early this morning, looking for any bits and pieces of evidence that they might have overlooked last night as the shooting occurred late in the afternoon. It began to get dark, and they were worried they might have overlooked something. So they went back today.

And then, as you mentioned, they brought the van that was driven by the 43-year-old woman who was shot in the lower back late yesterday. They brought that van here to Montgomery County, and it is in a Montgomery County police facility, where it is being examined this afternoon by ATF forensic experts and experts from Montgomery County.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF CHARLES MOOSE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE: The ATF people, the FBI people, our forensic people are going to go over that car and retrieve available evidence, use it to first determine if there is any connection between the Virginia shooting, the Montgomery County shooting and the D.C. shooting. That is the highest priority.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Now, police, have, of course, definitively linked three of the shootings here in Montgomery County with the one shooting in Washington, D.C. They have forensic proof that the same gun was used in those slayings.

Police, however, gave us the bad news today that they don't believe it is likely that they will be able to definitively prove that the two other people who were killed here in Montgomery County were killed by the same gun. They say that the bullets are in very, very poor shape. So it's going to be tough to make that proof, but they still do believe that the same gunman or gunmen were responsible in those cases.

Another bit of evidence that they're looking at today, they have gotten some 600 very good leads from their tip line, Fredricka, and there's one thing that they're especially interested in. They're very interested in talking to a Montgomery County man who has been missing since Monday night.

Now, this man, they say, is not a suspect. They're very clear on that point, but they point out that he does own a type of rifle that is capable of firing the bullets that were used in these shootings. But they say he is not a suspect. They just want to talk to him and they want to ask him some questions -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Kathleen, on to the case in Virginia as investigators in Montgomery County continue to examine the vehicle of the woman who was shot in Fredericksburg. What kind of condition do we believe is she in right now?

KOCH: At this point, we still believe that she is hospitalized in serious but stable condition. And investigators -- I didn't point out, besides taking a look at the van, they are also looking at a shell casing that was found on that location in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It's the only shell casing that has been found in any of these incidents, and sources close to the investigation last night did tell us that it was a .223 piece of ammunition, the same type that was used in these shootings in Montgomery County. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. And Kathleen, we heard from the county executive as well as the police chief earlier today, encouraging people to go on about their business in the Washington, D.C. area.

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 5, 2002 - 17:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Federal authorities are trying to determine if a sniper believed responsible for six deaths in the Washington, D.C. area took aim at another victim in Virginia. Officials are searching the minivan of the woman shot and wounded in Fredericksburg. CNN's Kathleen Koch joins us now from Montgomery County, Maryland with the very latest on the investigation. Hi there, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, of course the first and unfortunate news is that there is still no suspect, there's still no arrest in this case in this bloody string of shootings that have claimed so far six lives.

As you say, the focus right now is in Fredericksburg, Virginia. FBI agents were on the scene there early this morning, looking for any bits and pieces of evidence that they might have overlooked last night as the shooting occurred late in the afternoon. It began to get dark, and they were worried they might have overlooked something. So they went back today.

And then, as you mentioned, they brought the van that was driven by the 43-year-old woman who was shot in the lower back late yesterday. They brought that van here to Montgomery County, and it is in a Montgomery County police facility, where it is being examined this afternoon by ATF forensic experts and experts from Montgomery County.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF CHARLES MOOSE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE: The ATF people, the FBI people, our forensic people are going to go over that car and retrieve available evidence, use it to first determine if there is any connection between the Virginia shooting, the Montgomery County shooting and the D.C. shooting. That is the highest priority.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOCH: Now, police, have, of course, definitively linked three of the shootings here in Montgomery County with the one shooting in Washington, D.C. They have forensic proof that the same gun was used in those slayings.

Police, however, gave us the bad news today that they don't believe it is likely that they will be able to definitively prove that the two other people who were killed here in Montgomery County were killed by the same gun. They say that the bullets are in very, very poor shape. So it's going to be tough to make that proof, but they still do believe that the same gunman or gunmen were responsible in those cases.

Another bit of evidence that they're looking at today, they have gotten some 600 very good leads from their tip line, Fredricka, and there's one thing that they're especially interested in. They're very interested in talking to a Montgomery County man who has been missing since Monday night.

Now, this man, they say, is not a suspect. They're very clear on that point, but they point out that he does own a type of rifle that is capable of firing the bullets that were used in these shootings. But they say he is not a suspect. They just want to talk to him and they want to ask him some questions -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Kathleen, on to the case in Virginia as investigators in Montgomery County continue to examine the vehicle of the woman who was shot in Fredericksburg. What kind of condition do we believe is she in right now?

KOCH: At this point, we still believe that she is hospitalized in serious but stable condition. And investigators -- I didn't point out, besides taking a look at the van, they are also looking at a shell casing that was found on that location in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It's the only shell casing that has been found in any of these incidents, and sources close to the investigation last night did tell us that it was a .223 piece of ammunition, the same type that was used in these shootings in Montgomery County. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right. And Kathleen, we heard from the county executive as well as the police chief earlier today, encouraging people to go on about their business in the Washington, D.C. area.

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