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CNN Live Saturday

Sniper on the Loose, Part IV

Aired October 19, 2002 - 17:02   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: To the D.C. sniper probe. Investigators today much less vocal about progress in their investigation. Officials only say they may have more to reveal Monday about that shell casing found in a white box-like rental truck. CNN's Daryn Kagan joins us from Montgomery County, Maryland, where Police Chief Moose last had his briefing this afternoon, and Daryn, does this slowdown of information make residents even more uneasy?
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I was out and about today, Fredricka, and I did see people getting back to some regular activities. We'll have more on that in just a moment.

First, though, things are a little bit slow here in Montgomery County, but that's actually a good thing. Halfway through the weekend, it becoming the third straight weekend where the sniper has not struck. Also the fifth straight day, which makes it the longest stretch since these shootings started on October 2.

Meanwhile, the man who has kind of become known as the bogus witness remains behind bars today. He apparently, allegedly, gave police bad information about the shooting that took place on Monday night close to the Home Depot in Falls Church, Virginia. Matthew Dowdy, who is 37 years old, he is from Falls Church. He is charged with a class II misdemeanor. If he's convicted, he could face up to six months in jail.

And as you, Fredricka, mentioned, we're also still awaiting those forensics tests on the shell casing that was found in the back of this white box rental truck. The white truck fitting the description of a truck that police have been looking for for almost two weeks now. And Police Chief Moose when he did give his briefing here around noon Eastern, had this to say about the truck.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF CHARLES MOOSE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE: There's a lot of information out about the white box truck that was seized from a car rental agency in Virginia yesterday. Certainly that vehicle and shell casing were seized. We are in the process of looking at all of that. Do not expect to have any information to provide on that matter until at the earliest on Monday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Also, today, there were funeral services held for two of the sniper victims. One who was killed on October 3, Pascal Charlot. He was remembered today. Also, Dean Meyers, who was killed on October 9 in Manassas, Virginia. That's where he lived and worked. He was an architectural engineer, and he also was a decorated Vietnam veteran. He was buried in his hometown in Pennsylvania. His family saying he's being buried next to his grandparents.

There is the third straight weekend we've been talking about activities that have been canceled or delayed. One activity that went on as scheduled right here in Montgomery County, believe it or not, a gun show, and that's where we sent our Ed Lavandera,, who is back here to tell us more about that. Ed, hello.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Daryn. Well, for 12 years this gun show has been going on here at the Montgomery County fairgrounds. And it went on as scheduled again today, although organizers say that while they usually get 2,000 people through the fairgrounds to attend this gun show, they are going to get less than 700 this year, and they blame the sniper. And they also had very harsh words for the sniper. Several people calling him a "psycho," "an idiot," and those are their words. A lot of anger. They really feel, these gun vendors and gun owners, that this sniper is going to do a lot of harm to them, create a bad name for them, the lawful gun owners and law-abiding gun owners in this area.

And you can kind of get a sense of just how angry many of these gun vendors are just by listening to them speak today at this gun show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any of the people who think that the hunters, shooters and gun collectors are not concerned with catching this idiot really is as much a psycho as he is, because we want him caught, and we want him caught badly. And it throws a bad light on all shooters, because of the way the media plays to the anti-gun people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: Now, one of the interesting things, Virginia is a right-to-carry state; Maryland is not. And there a lot of the folks up there saying that at least in Maryland, they haven't really seen a big rush of people going to buy guns for self-protection. As the gentleman you heard say there, in this particular case, unfortunately, a gun is just not going to do you much good.

KAGAN: It is interesting, Ed, this is a story that has touched Maryland, Virginia, also Washington D.C., and in such a close area the gun laws can be very, very different.

LAVANDERA: Yeah, they're very adamant about issues that they follow very closely. And we have seen reports, though, in Virginia that applications for gun permits have actually gone up, although the folks here in Maryland say they haven't seen much of that at all.

KAGAN: As we were talking about, if the sniper is aiming at you, it's not like a gun is going to do you much good.

LAVANDERA: Unfortunately not.

KAGAN: Ed Lavandera, good to be in person on a story with you. How about that? Fredricka, we'll toss it back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, Daryn, and we talk about people who have been modifying their schedules. You mention that still an awful lot of activities that are normally outdoors are canceled for this weekend. Is there any kind of information you're able to glean from what is planned for the coming week, involving schools in the area?

KAGAN: Well, we're seeing two things. I mean, schools still being very protective and canceling a lot of outdoor activities. But you're starting to see some schools adjust. Like last night, or yesterday in Virginia, in Fairfax County, where the last shooting took place, they made the choice that they were going to have their games. But they didn't have it in Fairfax County, they moved it 100 to 150 miles away, and they purposely really didn't tell anybody where it was. Only the students, the players and the parents knew where it was. So they're kind of adjusting.

You know, one little note, I was out here yesterday, and a girl scout troupe stopped by to give the police officers here some cookies and just some encouragement. And I was talking with these sixth-grade girls, and I was saying, come on, you guys, this is the third weekend where you can't go out and play, and this one precocious sixth-grader said to me, she goes, "I know, what if they don't catch this guy for three years? Are they going to lock us up for three years?" Kind of out of the mouths of babes. At a certain point, you have to decide what you're going to do and how you are going to start getting life back to normal.

LAVANDERA: And a lot of football players -- you mentioned the football -- a lot of high school football players who have, depending on scholarships, getting a chance to perform. I heard several of them mention, hey, we just want to get out on the field. We want people to see us. You know, there is a lot riding on it for these kids.

KAGAN: Yeah, exactly. I mean, this could be their future and a chance to go to college. Those kids are, like, on the bubble. If they might get a partial scholarship, they have to be seen. So yeah, the kids definitely hurting in this area, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much, both Daryn Kagan and Ed Lavandera from Montgomery County. I appreciate it.

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 19, 2002 - 17:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: To the D.C. sniper probe. Investigators today much less vocal about progress in their investigation. Officials only say they may have more to reveal Monday about that shell casing found in a white box-like rental truck. CNN's Daryn Kagan joins us from Montgomery County, Maryland, where Police Chief Moose last had his briefing this afternoon, and Daryn, does this slowdown of information make residents even more uneasy?
DARYN KAGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I was out and about today, Fredricka, and I did see people getting back to some regular activities. We'll have more on that in just a moment.

First, though, things are a little bit slow here in Montgomery County, but that's actually a good thing. Halfway through the weekend, it becoming the third straight weekend where the sniper has not struck. Also the fifth straight day, which makes it the longest stretch since these shootings started on October 2.

Meanwhile, the man who has kind of become known as the bogus witness remains behind bars today. He apparently, allegedly, gave police bad information about the shooting that took place on Monday night close to the Home Depot in Falls Church, Virginia. Matthew Dowdy, who is 37 years old, he is from Falls Church. He is charged with a class II misdemeanor. If he's convicted, he could face up to six months in jail.

And as you, Fredricka, mentioned, we're also still awaiting those forensics tests on the shell casing that was found in the back of this white box rental truck. The white truck fitting the description of a truck that police have been looking for for almost two weeks now. And Police Chief Moose when he did give his briefing here around noon Eastern, had this to say about the truck.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF CHARLES MOOSE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE: There's a lot of information out about the white box truck that was seized from a car rental agency in Virginia yesterday. Certainly that vehicle and shell casing were seized. We are in the process of looking at all of that. Do not expect to have any information to provide on that matter until at the earliest on Monday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Also, today, there were funeral services held for two of the sniper victims. One who was killed on October 3, Pascal Charlot. He was remembered today. Also, Dean Meyers, who was killed on October 9 in Manassas, Virginia. That's where he lived and worked. He was an architectural engineer, and he also was a decorated Vietnam veteran. He was buried in his hometown in Pennsylvania. His family saying he's being buried next to his grandparents.

There is the third straight weekend we've been talking about activities that have been canceled or delayed. One activity that went on as scheduled right here in Montgomery County, believe it or not, a gun show, and that's where we sent our Ed Lavandera,, who is back here to tell us more about that. Ed, hello.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Daryn. Well, for 12 years this gun show has been going on here at the Montgomery County fairgrounds. And it went on as scheduled again today, although organizers say that while they usually get 2,000 people through the fairgrounds to attend this gun show, they are going to get less than 700 this year, and they blame the sniper. And they also had very harsh words for the sniper. Several people calling him a "psycho," "an idiot," and those are their words. A lot of anger. They really feel, these gun vendors and gun owners, that this sniper is going to do a lot of harm to them, create a bad name for them, the lawful gun owners and law-abiding gun owners in this area.

And you can kind of get a sense of just how angry many of these gun vendors are just by listening to them speak today at this gun show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any of the people who think that the hunters, shooters and gun collectors are not concerned with catching this idiot really is as much a psycho as he is, because we want him caught, and we want him caught badly. And it throws a bad light on all shooters, because of the way the media plays to the anti-gun people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: Now, one of the interesting things, Virginia is a right-to-carry state; Maryland is not. And there a lot of the folks up there saying that at least in Maryland, they haven't really seen a big rush of people going to buy guns for self-protection. As the gentleman you heard say there, in this particular case, unfortunately, a gun is just not going to do you much good.

KAGAN: It is interesting, Ed, this is a story that has touched Maryland, Virginia, also Washington D.C., and in such a close area the gun laws can be very, very different.

LAVANDERA: Yeah, they're very adamant about issues that they follow very closely. And we have seen reports, though, in Virginia that applications for gun permits have actually gone up, although the folks here in Maryland say they haven't seen much of that at all.

KAGAN: As we were talking about, if the sniper is aiming at you, it's not like a gun is going to do you much good.

LAVANDERA: Unfortunately not.

KAGAN: Ed Lavandera, good to be in person on a story with you. How about that? Fredricka, we'll toss it back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, Daryn, and we talk about people who have been modifying their schedules. You mention that still an awful lot of activities that are normally outdoors are canceled for this weekend. Is there any kind of information you're able to glean from what is planned for the coming week, involving schools in the area?

KAGAN: Well, we're seeing two things. I mean, schools still being very protective and canceling a lot of outdoor activities. But you're starting to see some schools adjust. Like last night, or yesterday in Virginia, in Fairfax County, where the last shooting took place, they made the choice that they were going to have their games. But they didn't have it in Fairfax County, they moved it 100 to 150 miles away, and they purposely really didn't tell anybody where it was. Only the students, the players and the parents knew where it was. So they're kind of adjusting.

You know, one little note, I was out here yesterday, and a girl scout troupe stopped by to give the police officers here some cookies and just some encouragement. And I was talking with these sixth-grade girls, and I was saying, come on, you guys, this is the third weekend where you can't go out and play, and this one precocious sixth-grader said to me, she goes, "I know, what if they don't catch this guy for three years? Are they going to lock us up for three years?" Kind of out of the mouths of babes. At a certain point, you have to decide what you're going to do and how you are going to start getting life back to normal.

LAVANDERA: And a lot of football players -- you mentioned the football -- a lot of high school football players who have, depending on scholarships, getting a chance to perform. I heard several of them mention, hey, we just want to get out on the field. We want people to see us. You know, there is a lot riding on it for these kids.

KAGAN: Yeah, exactly. I mean, this could be their future and a chance to go to college. Those kids are, like, on the bubble. If they might get a partial scholarship, they have to be seen. So yeah, the kids definitely hurting in this area, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much, both Daryn Kagan and Ed Lavandera from Montgomery County. I appreciate it.

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