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CNN Live At Daybreak

Two Vehicles Hit by Gunfire S.W. of Columbus, Ohio

Aired February 09, 2004 - 06:38   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 COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Two more highway shootings in Ohio, and we expect to get more information about them this afternoon. No one was hurt, but the two vehicles were hit by gunfire 40 miles southwest of Columbus, the area where 21 highway shootings have already occurred.
A witness to yesterday's shootings called 911.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sheriff 911. What's your emergency?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, I'm just on 71 just north of exit 59 (AUDIO GAP) sitting on the overpass. I don't know. It looks like he just got out of the vehicle. I don't know if it's anything or not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right, hang on here a second. What does the car look like?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks like a little black sports car.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A black sports car? Can you tell what kind of car -- or what's the (AUDIO GAP)?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm too far past it now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Is the guy -- you can't see him at all?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks like he's out of the vehicle, but I can't see real well.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And a second witness, a driver who was shot at, reported seeing a middle-aged white man with a medium build at the scene. The highway shootings in the Columbia area began last spring.

We have more on these latest attacks now from Tino Ramos of station WBNS reporting from Jeffersonville, the scene of the most recent shootings.

Bring us up-to-date.

TINO RAMOS, CNN AFFILIATE WBNS REPORTER: Well, I'll tell you what, Carol, that 911 tape that you just heard is really key to investigators here. They've been struggling in terms of trying to find out who this 270 shooter is. Now, they have not connected these latest two shootings, but they believe this could be him indeed.

Two shootings occurred yesterday. It was around 11:20 near Jeffersonville, and that's about 35 miles south of 270. The 270 area is where indeed the shooter has been focusing in. He hit a white minivan, four women were in it, and also hit a dark colored Mercedes.

Now, both times they have claimed that they saw somebody on overpasses -- overpasses that were about a mile away where the shootings took place within minutes apart. At that point, they were able to get somewhat of a description, which is very rare for investigators.

Again, they are thinking it was a white male in his 30s to 40s, and he was in a dark colored sports car, possibly a black sports car. And this is a big break for investigators, because at that point they really didn't have much of a description of who indeed this might be.

Now, a 3:00 news conference is scheduled for today. At that point, that's when they're looking to determine if indeed the two cars that were shot are connected to the 270 shooter, or, Carol, we might be dealing with another copycat.

COSTELLO: Well, Tino, these descriptions that were put out, they're not great descriptions, though. I mean, a black car and a medium-build white male. That could be anyone.

RAMOS: Yes, it really can. The thing about it, too, though, it was last month when they had another overpass shooting, and that's the whole key behind it. It seems the 270 shooter, if indeed this is him, is moving further south, and he's using the overpasses, really thinking things out.

The (UNINTELLIGIBLE) about it is that from the start the Franklin County Sheriff's Department has been putting out this information, looking to the public to get this information. Now, indeed they did see this particular shooter, and they think it's because of the public's awareness of all of these shootings going on that they're now able to start getting descriptions.

Yes, it's vague, there's no doubt about it, but indeed it's a start for these guys, because they're way behind the eight ball right now.

COSTELLO: Oh, I know. At least it's something. Tino Ramos reporting live from Jeffersonville, from our affiliate WBNS in Columbus.

The only woman hit by gunfire in this series of highway shootings was a 62-year-old woman. She was killed in a friend's car last November.

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 February 9, 2004 - 06:38   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Two more highway shootings in Ohio, and we expect to get more information about them this afternoon. No one was hurt, but the two vehicles were hit by gunfire 40 miles southwest of Columbus, the area where 21 highway shootings have already occurred.
A witness to yesterday's shootings called 911.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sheriff 911. What's your emergency?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, I'm just on 71 just north of exit 59 (AUDIO GAP) sitting on the overpass. I don't know. It looks like he just got out of the vehicle. I don't know if it's anything or not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right, hang on here a second. What does the car look like?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks like a little black sports car.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A black sports car? Can you tell what kind of car -- or what's the (AUDIO GAP)?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm too far past it now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Is the guy -- you can't see him at all?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks like he's out of the vehicle, but I can't see real well.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And a second witness, a driver who was shot at, reported seeing a middle-aged white man with a medium build at the scene. The highway shootings in the Columbia area began last spring.

We have more on these latest attacks now from Tino Ramos of station WBNS reporting from Jeffersonville, the scene of the most recent shootings.

Bring us up-to-date.

TINO RAMOS, CNN AFFILIATE WBNS REPORTER: Well, I'll tell you what, Carol, that 911 tape that you just heard is really key to investigators here. They've been struggling in terms of trying to find out who this 270 shooter is. Now, they have not connected these latest two shootings, but they believe this could be him indeed.

Two shootings occurred yesterday. It was around 11:20 near Jeffersonville, and that's about 35 miles south of 270. The 270 area is where indeed the shooter has been focusing in. He hit a white minivan, four women were in it, and also hit a dark colored Mercedes.

Now, both times they have claimed that they saw somebody on overpasses -- overpasses that were about a mile away where the shootings took place within minutes apart. At that point, they were able to get somewhat of a description, which is very rare for investigators.

Again, they are thinking it was a white male in his 30s to 40s, and he was in a dark colored sports car, possibly a black sports car. And this is a big break for investigators, because at that point they really didn't have much of a description of who indeed this might be.

Now, a 3:00 news conference is scheduled for today. At that point, that's when they're looking to determine if indeed the two cars that were shot are connected to the 270 shooter, or, Carol, we might be dealing with another copycat.

COSTELLO: Well, Tino, these descriptions that were put out, they're not great descriptions, though. I mean, a black car and a medium-build white male. That could be anyone.

RAMOS: Yes, it really can. The thing about it, too, though, it was last month when they had another overpass shooting, and that's the whole key behind it. It seems the 270 shooter, if indeed this is him, is moving further south, and he's using the overpasses, really thinking things out.

The (UNINTELLIGIBLE) about it is that from the start the Franklin County Sheriff's Department has been putting out this information, looking to the public to get this information. Now, indeed they did see this particular shooter, and they think it's because of the public's awareness of all of these shootings going on that they're now able to start getting descriptions.

Yes, it's vague, there's no doubt about it, but indeed it's a start for these guys, because they're way behind the eight ball right now.

COSTELLO: Oh, I know. At least it's something. Tino Ramos reporting live from Jeffersonville, from our affiliate WBNS in Columbus.

The only woman hit by gunfire in this series of highway shootings was a 62-year-old woman. She was killed in a friend's car last November.

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