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CNN Live At Daybreak

Suspected Killer Involved in Shoot Out Kills Self

Aired September 10, 2001 - 07:03   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.
KYSA DANIELS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I guess it's not such a good Monday morning on the west coast. It seems we were in this exact same spot just three weeks ago, another deadly shooting spree in Sacramento, California. This time five people are gunned down. And just about four hours ago, Joseph Ferguson, the suspected killer, turned the gun on himself following a running gun battle with police.

Let's get details on all of this right now from CNN's James Hattori, who is in Sacramento this morning -- James, what's the latest?

JAMES HATTORI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Kysa.

Well, the story ended about 24 hours after it began in a shootout with police that left the suspect apparently dead from a self- inflicted gun wound and one officer and one bystander also wounded. Now, it all came to a head about 11:30 last night. The suspect, 20- year-old Joseph Ferguson, was spotted in the eastern part of Sacramento County in a commercial strip. Police converged on the area. A gun battle ensued, an exchange of gunfire. Ferguson apparently was heavily armed, firing perhaps 50 shots before killing himself.

Earlier, police say he, that Ferguson claimed yet another victim, his fifth from the shootings that began Saturday night. The fifth victim apparently another Burns security employee, a supervisor, perhaps, that he apparently had been holding hostage all day yesterday as the manhunt for him went on. Ferguson took that victim's wife hostage, as well, then released her safe. She eventually notified police of what happened.

Now, all that happened in the wake of Saturday night's shootings, in which police believe that Ferguson killed three other Burns guards, including his ex-girlfriend and one other city park employee. A search of Ferguson's home yesterday turned up some white supremacist material. They don't know the motivation, but they believe it was because he was suspended as a guard last week, and suspended and also the break-up with his girlfriend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF LOU BLANAS, SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: This guy was bent on killing more people. All the information we received up until all night tonight, this individual was going to kill somebody. We took it upon ourselves about 8:30, after we found the victim over here on Scarpio (ph), to double, to put two officers in each of our squad cars. The city did the same thing and the CHP Works, two personal units.

We were concerned that he may go to another facility where Burns employees were working or walk into any store, 24 hour store. This guy is a nut. He was bent on killing more people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HATTORI: One indication of his mental state was the police say that he apparently made a videotape while he was holding a hostage yesterday, telling how he was going to kill other Burns employees, perhaps other police officers. That tape is now in evidence and of course this story continues to unfold and details will become clearer later in the morning and throughout the hours -- Kysa, back to you.

DANIELS: All right, James, we look forward to those updates.

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