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In Sniper Attacks, Eyewitness Not Credible

Aired October 17, 2002 - 13:03   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.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're just a few minutes out of the daily news briefing that took place here in Montgomery County. We were hoping to hear about progress, instead we're hearing about something that sounds like a setback. An eyewitness that looked like he was offering some very promising information, turns out to be offering information that police say now is not credible.
With more on that, let's bring in our Patty Davis, who was at the briefing, and is following the story behind the scenes as well -- Patty.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, the police say that witness actually misled them. He had given them the information that the killer appeared to have used an AK-74. Also, he was saying that there was a description he was giving of a light colored van, with a taillight out. Police are now saying, that information, not credible. What they are saying is still credible is that at other shootings witnesses have reported seeing vans, white colored vans, light-colored vans, an Econoline van, a Chevy Astrovan, even a white box-type truck.

And Police Chief Moose of Montgomery County is appealing to the public, keep your mind open, keep those tips coming in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF CHARLES MOOSE, MONT. CO. POLICE: Please keep an open mind. People saw descriptions of a weapon over the last day and a half, and somehow we're convinced that then they eliminated people that they know that had weapons that are capable of doing this, because they said, well, their gun is not a -- what I in the paper.

So again, maybe we didn't hear from some people, because they saw that picture and they said, the person I was thinking about doesn't have one of those.

Please, we need people to realize that it's a family of weapons and that we still want to hear from them. We still want them to call 1-888-324-9800.

People have information. Someone out there knows who's involved in this. But if we take the focus down to one weapon, one age group, one kind of vehicle, then all of those people make an assumption that their information is now irrelevant.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIS: Police returning to that Home Depot in Falls Church today. That's the one where that witness said he saw all of this happen. They are there currently right now. We have live pictures of the police activity there. Police Chief Moose asked today, why are they back there? He said, don't be surprised to see us returning to scenes like this. We have a lot of evidence we're still collecting. We want to go back, we want to rethink, we want to take another look at these sites and make sure that we don't miss anything -- Daryn.

KAGAN: The police chief also asking for cooperation from folks around the Washington D.C. area. I've seen this as we drive around. Not unusual to see a scene like that, or perhaps even a lot of white vans pulled over, white box trucks pulled over by the side of the road. Want to get back to the suspect, not suspect, the person, alleged eyewitness who was offering this information, what seemed to be so promising, a story that just wasn't adding up to police.

DAVIS: Our Jeanne Meserve reported a few minutes ago that, indeed, last night this man confessed to police he was telling them -- he was misleading them. He was not telling them the truth. He was, indeed, inside that Home Depot at the time. Obviously a major setback for police. We thought with this shooting there were a lot of witnesses. They really thought they had some leads here. Not panning out.

KAGAN: Not from this witness at least, who potentially could be in some legal hot water of his own.

DAVIS: They say they have more witness their talking to, so hopefully, they have got some more leads they can work with.

KAGAN: Patty Davis, thank you so much. Well, efforts for this investigation, to try to figure out who's doing this and why leading all the way to Cuba.

Our Kelli Arena is at our investigation desk inside our CNN bureau in Washington D.C., and has more on that.

Hello.

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Daryn.

Well, as you said, yes, investigators are actually going to interview detainees that are being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and elsewhere. These are detainees with possible Al-Qaeda links, people who have -- they have approached before about any terrorism leads. Now investigators we are told will approach them with information on the sniper to see if there is any suggestion of any link whatsoever between the sniper attacks here in the Washington area and the Al- Qaeda terrorist organization.

I have to emphasize and we've is said this a lot, I'm sound like a broken record, but there is absolutely no evidence yet to suggest that this is linked to a terrorist organization. Number one, terrorism experts say that usually, by this point, many terrorist organizations would claim responsibility for the shootings, and say, here is our message, this is why we're doing this. That has not happened. And they say Al-Qaeda terrorists are not known for leaving tarot cards, especially ones with the words, "I am God" on them, which would be considered an affront to any religious Muslim, to actually right the words, "I am God."

But nonetheless, we have heard from officials and we've heard from sources repeatedly this is something that is not being counted out. The door is not, you know, completely closed on this. It is a theory, and it remains a theory, and so not to leave any stone unturned makes good investigative sense to go to the folks over at Gitmo (ph) and Elser (ph) and say, hey, any discussion that there's been about a possible use of a sniper or sniper attacks, either as part of a terror attack on its own or part of a larger terror attack.

This also coincides with information we brought you last week, Daryn, about increased intelligence, so-called chatter, about a possible Al-Qaeda related attack on U.S. interests, either here or abroad. It follows some statements made by top Al-Qaeda lieutenants, also allegedly a letter from Osama bin Laden himself, that some senior detainees and others have suggested would not have been made unless there was an Al-Qaeda attack under way.

We heard from officials that this is a period of great concern. So with all that going on, it just makes sense to go back and say, hey, let's see if there is a link. But again, none has been established. No evidence to support it, Daryn.

Back to you.

KAGAN: All right. Kelli Arena at our investigation desk in Washington D.C. and our bureau. Thank you very much.

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 17, 2002 - 13:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We're just a few minutes out of the daily news briefing that took place here in Montgomery County. We were hoping to hear about progress, instead we're hearing about something that sounds like a setback. An eyewitness that looked like he was offering some very promising information, turns out to be offering information that police say now is not credible.
With more on that, let's bring in our Patty Davis, who was at the briefing, and is following the story behind the scenes as well -- Patty.

PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, the police say that witness actually misled them. He had given them the information that the killer appeared to have used an AK-74. Also, he was saying that there was a description he was giving of a light colored van, with a taillight out. Police are now saying, that information, not credible. What they are saying is still credible is that at other shootings witnesses have reported seeing vans, white colored vans, light-colored vans, an Econoline van, a Chevy Astrovan, even a white box-type truck.

And Police Chief Moose of Montgomery County is appealing to the public, keep your mind open, keep those tips coming in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF CHARLES MOOSE, MONT. CO. POLICE: Please keep an open mind. People saw descriptions of a weapon over the last day and a half, and somehow we're convinced that then they eliminated people that they know that had weapons that are capable of doing this, because they said, well, their gun is not a -- what I in the paper.

So again, maybe we didn't hear from some people, because they saw that picture and they said, the person I was thinking about doesn't have one of those.

Please, we need people to realize that it's a family of weapons and that we still want to hear from them. We still want them to call 1-888-324-9800.

People have information. Someone out there knows who's involved in this. But if we take the focus down to one weapon, one age group, one kind of vehicle, then all of those people make an assumption that their information is now irrelevant.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIS: Police returning to that Home Depot in Falls Church today. That's the one where that witness said he saw all of this happen. They are there currently right now. We have live pictures of the police activity there. Police Chief Moose asked today, why are they back there? He said, don't be surprised to see us returning to scenes like this. We have a lot of evidence we're still collecting. We want to go back, we want to rethink, we want to take another look at these sites and make sure that we don't miss anything -- Daryn.

KAGAN: The police chief also asking for cooperation from folks around the Washington D.C. area. I've seen this as we drive around. Not unusual to see a scene like that, or perhaps even a lot of white vans pulled over, white box trucks pulled over by the side of the road. Want to get back to the suspect, not suspect, the person, alleged eyewitness who was offering this information, what seemed to be so promising, a story that just wasn't adding up to police.

DAVIS: Our Jeanne Meserve reported a few minutes ago that, indeed, last night this man confessed to police he was telling them -- he was misleading them. He was not telling them the truth. He was, indeed, inside that Home Depot at the time. Obviously a major setback for police. We thought with this shooting there were a lot of witnesses. They really thought they had some leads here. Not panning out.

KAGAN: Not from this witness at least, who potentially could be in some legal hot water of his own.

DAVIS: They say they have more witness their talking to, so hopefully, they have got some more leads they can work with.

KAGAN: Patty Davis, thank you so much. Well, efforts for this investigation, to try to figure out who's doing this and why leading all the way to Cuba.

Our Kelli Arena is at our investigation desk inside our CNN bureau in Washington D.C., and has more on that.

Hello.

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Daryn.

Well, as you said, yes, investigators are actually going to interview detainees that are being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and elsewhere. These are detainees with possible Al-Qaeda links, people who have -- they have approached before about any terrorism leads. Now investigators we are told will approach them with information on the sniper to see if there is any suggestion of any link whatsoever between the sniper attacks here in the Washington area and the Al- Qaeda terrorist organization.

I have to emphasize and we've is said this a lot, I'm sound like a broken record, but there is absolutely no evidence yet to suggest that this is linked to a terrorist organization. Number one, terrorism experts say that usually, by this point, many terrorist organizations would claim responsibility for the shootings, and say, here is our message, this is why we're doing this. That has not happened. And they say Al-Qaeda terrorists are not known for leaving tarot cards, especially ones with the words, "I am God" on them, which would be considered an affront to any religious Muslim, to actually right the words, "I am God."

But nonetheless, we have heard from officials and we've heard from sources repeatedly this is something that is not being counted out. The door is not, you know, completely closed on this. It is a theory, and it remains a theory, and so not to leave any stone unturned makes good investigative sense to go to the folks over at Gitmo (ph) and Elser (ph) and say, hey, any discussion that there's been about a possible use of a sniper or sniper attacks, either as part of a terror attack on its own or part of a larger terror attack.

This also coincides with information we brought you last week, Daryn, about increased intelligence, so-called chatter, about a possible Al-Qaeda related attack on U.S. interests, either here or abroad. It follows some statements made by top Al-Qaeda lieutenants, also allegedly a letter from Osama bin Laden himself, that some senior detainees and others have suggested would not have been made unless there was an Al-Qaeda attack under way.

We heard from officials that this is a period of great concern. So with all that going on, it just makes sense to go back and say, hey, let's see if there is a link. But again, none has been established. No evidence to support it, Daryn.

Back to you.

KAGAN: All right. Kelli Arena at our investigation desk in Washington D.C. and our bureau. Thank you very much.

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