Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

In St. Louis, Man Kills Wife, Son, Before Killing Himself

Aired July 17, 2001 - 08:06   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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Children watched in horror last night in St. Louis as a gunman killed his estranged wife and his 10-year-old son in a northside park.

Ryan Newsbickle of CNN affiliate KMOV is at the park right now.

Ryan, tell us what happened.

RYAN NEWSBICKLE, KMOV NEWS REPORTER: Well, Carol, good morning.

The shootings happened at a North St. Louis ball field right behind me, following a Little League baseball game. Police say at around 7:15 last night, a man appeared with a gun in his hand and shot and killed his estranged 31-year-old wife, who was sitting in her car. Police say after that, the man grabbed his 10-year-old son, who was a shortstop on one of the baseball teams. He had just finished playing the game. He pulled him behind a nearby tree and shot him several times, killing him.

Witnesses say the man then sped off in his gold Cadillac, and about an hour later, that car was found about 10 miles south -- that's on I-55 in south St. Louis. A .40-caliber handgun was found in the front seat. The police say the man had, apparently, committed suicide.

An apparent friend of the mother has told us that this was actually a common-law marriage and not an official marriage. And the coach of the Little League baseball team tells us that the mother had apparently been seeking a restraining order. So it looks like there was some marital conflict, or at least some personal conflict, going on between the two of them, and that may have resulted in the shooting.

Police at this point in time have not released names. They are still trying to figure out why this man decided to take his wife's life, his son's life, and then his own life.

LIN: Thank you very much, Ryan Newsbickle, reporting live. Thanks to our affiliate KMOV.

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