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Search for a Sniper: Closing in on a Profile

Aired September 01, 2003 - 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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: To Charleston, West Virginia, now, where a sniper is still on the loose. Authorities still have no idea why this person is shooting at folks, but they may be getting closer to who might be involved.
CNN investigative correspondent Art Harris has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB SMITH, SHOOTER'S ROOST: I'm going to show you the best buy, you know, in town right here.

ART HARRIS, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Charleston, West Virginia, Bob Smith sells lots of guns, and lots of .22 rifles, the same caliber used by the elusive sniper to gun down three victims, all linked by ballistics to the same weapon.

SMITH: These are used for squirrel and groundhog. General, all- around (UNINTELLIGIBLE) shooting. And the range on those could go up to 150 yards with the right ammo.

HARRIS: Police say the sniper gunned down his victims at closer ranges, 50 to 75 yards, outside convenience stores late at night. And investigators are analyzing his shooting skills to figure him out.

(on camera): If these folks were shot between 50 and 75 yards, is that a hard shot?

SMITH: Not for an experienced shooter, no. We have a lot of deer hunters in the state, a lot of people like to shoot. Forty percent of them can make the shot.

HARRIS (voice-over): While the sheriff thinks the shootings may be linked to drugs, CNN has learned the task force believes the evidence suggests a random sniper, especially if agents consider a fourth murder back in March. That shooting, like the others, was a bullet out of the dark at night in a parking lot. But the gun was a high-velocity hunting rifle, and it was loud.

Investigators now wonder if the sniper may have realized his mistakes, refined his tactics, and started choosing more remote convenience stores later at night, now using a quieter .22 rifle, maybe with a scope.

SMITH: Probably would be a scoped rifle.

HARRIS (on camera): That made the shot.

SMITH: That made the shot.

HARRIS: Why?

SMITH: To my way of thinking, it would probably be.

HARRIS: Even though it was dark?

SMITH: Even though it was dark. Still, they were in a lighted area, you know, pumping gas, there was a lot of light. He could still be down, he could have stuck the gun out the truck window or whatever and took a rest, shot him. That's probably what he did.

HARRIS: Art Harris, CNN, Charleston, West Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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 September 1, 2003 - 13:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: To Charleston, West Virginia, now, where a sniper is still on the loose. Authorities still have no idea why this person is shooting at folks, but they may be getting closer to who might be involved.
CNN investigative correspondent Art Harris has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOB SMITH, SHOOTER'S ROOST: I'm going to show you the best buy, you know, in town right here.

ART HARRIS, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Charleston, West Virginia, Bob Smith sells lots of guns, and lots of .22 rifles, the same caliber used by the elusive sniper to gun down three victims, all linked by ballistics to the same weapon.

SMITH: These are used for squirrel and groundhog. General, all- around (UNINTELLIGIBLE) shooting. And the range on those could go up to 150 yards with the right ammo.

HARRIS: Police say the sniper gunned down his victims at closer ranges, 50 to 75 yards, outside convenience stores late at night. And investigators are analyzing his shooting skills to figure him out.

(on camera): If these folks were shot between 50 and 75 yards, is that a hard shot?

SMITH: Not for an experienced shooter, no. We have a lot of deer hunters in the state, a lot of people like to shoot. Forty percent of them can make the shot.

HARRIS (voice-over): While the sheriff thinks the shootings may be linked to drugs, CNN has learned the task force believes the evidence suggests a random sniper, especially if agents consider a fourth murder back in March. That shooting, like the others, was a bullet out of the dark at night in a parking lot. But the gun was a high-velocity hunting rifle, and it was loud.

Investigators now wonder if the sniper may have realized his mistakes, refined his tactics, and started choosing more remote convenience stores later at night, now using a quieter .22 rifle, maybe with a scope.

SMITH: Probably would be a scoped rifle.

HARRIS (on camera): That made the shot.

SMITH: That made the shot.

HARRIS: Why?

SMITH: To my way of thinking, it would probably be.

HARRIS: Even though it was dark?

SMITH: Even though it was dark. Still, they were in a lighted area, you know, pumping gas, there was a lot of light. He could still be down, he could have stuck the gun out the truck window or whatever and took a rest, shot him. That's probably what he did.

HARRIS: Art Harris, CNN, Charleston, West Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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