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American Morning
Interview With Douglas Duncan
Aired October 10, 2002 - 07:05 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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Investigators are trying to determine whether a fatal shooting last night is linked to the series of shootings that has terrorized the area.
Let's go back to Bill, who joins us from what is now being called I guess "investigation central."
Good morning -- Bill.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, that it is. Paula, good morning again.
About 11 hours ago, last night in Manassas, Virginia, again southwest of our location here, a man pumping gas at a local Sunoco station shot and killed on the scene.
There are some reports now that police right now are on the hunt for another white Dodge Caravan. Some witnesses in the area do describe this van leaving the area soon after that shooting.
Patty Davis on the scene this morning for us. Let's join her live now in Woodbridge, Virginia with more from there.
Patty -- good morning. What are you hearing?
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Well, that man had just finished pumping gas when he was shot and killed last night at that Sunoco station in Manassas, Virginia. That is just off busy Interstate 95.
Now, police say, as you said, they are on the lookout for a white Dodge Caravan that someone said that they saw leaving the scene. They do not know if that van is connected. Police say that they do not have a license plate number; they do not have a description of whoever it was inside that van.
The fact is that this white van seems somewhat to gel with a white box-type truck that was seen leaving a previous murder last week, one that has been connected with this sniper killing.
But police say they just don't know if this one is connected as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COL. CHARLIE DEANE, PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY POLICE: We have been in touch with the Montgomery County Police and the other agencies that have been investigating the spree of shootings in the region. At this point, we cannot say if this case is related to those shootings.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVIS: The latest information we have is from about 1:00 this morning when police held a press conference.
We're at the police substation in Prince William County, probably 15 miles from where that fatal shooting happened last night. We expect another update, Bill, around 9:00 a.m. this morning from police here in this county to see if they know anything more -- Bill.
HEMMER: Patty, thank you -- Patty Davis standing by in Woodbridge, Virginia. As we get more from down there, certainly, we'll pass it along to you.
Let's come back to Rockville, Maryland quickly now.
Douglas Duncan has been on our air many times in the past week. He's the executive here in the county of Montgomery, and joins us now live for more this morning on what we're hearing and knowing.
Good morning to you.
DOUGLAS DUNCAN, MONTGOMERY COUNTY EXECUTIVE: Good morning.
HEMMER: When last night this word came in, how did it hit you?
DUNCAN: You just hold your breath. Every minute of the day, you hold your breath and hope that there's not another shooting, and we've had some other shootings in the region that have not been related. So, when you hear it, you say, OK, maybe this had nothing to do with it.
But there were enough similarities here that the Prince William County Police called up here, called us, and said, here's what we got. And then, we sent a team of investigators down to assist them in their efforts.
HEMMER: Right now, what do you know about those similarities?
DUNCAN: Well, they just -- that it's cause enough for us to send investigators down to see if there is a relation there. So, we're working with them. They are doing everything they can to get whatever evidence is there, and then hopefully, somebody will be able to say if there's a connection or not.
HEMMER: Was it one shot, one bullet?
DUNCAN: They have not said that to me.
HEMMER: Have they recovered the bullet, do you know?
DUNCAN: They have not given me that level of detail. HEMMER: There have been a substantial number of tips called into essentially three different locations, well over 1,700 that have been deemed credible. How are you able to winnow through these phone calls and these tips, and really pursue the ones that you think that would lead to...
DUNCAN: We've got law enforcement people answering the phones, so we've got trained professionals answering the phones. We've gotten probably 8,000 calls, and out of those 8,000 calls, we've gotten 1,700 credible tips.
So, they're narrowing the calls and determining what's credible and what we need to follow up on. That's being turned over to the investigators. They are doing their part of looking at things and just tracking them down one at a time. We've got an awful lot of people working on this.
So, those tips are coming in. The public is doing a great job.
And I saw the Prince William County Police say they're looking for a white Dodge Caravan as well -- or they've announced that. So, there's more information coming out.
HEMMER: Your message today to the public living in Montgomery County, Prince William County, Prince George's County to the east of here, is what now?
DUNCAN: I mean, it's a very fearful time here, but we are asking people not to become paralyzed by the fear, by the anxiety. Kids need to go to school, parents need to go...
HEMMER: A tough thing to do...
(CROSSTALK)
DUNCAN: It's very, very tough. It's very tough. But we feel particularly kids are safer inside the school. I think people need to go about their jobs as best they can. You know, be much more cautious, be much more vigilant.
And please call us if you've got any information at all that you think might help. Don't say, well, this doesn't fit, it doesn't make sense. If you've got some things you think we should know, call us and let us know.
HEMMER: Thank you, sir -- Douglas Duncan, Montgomery County executive here.
As you mentioned, the call and the plea again for people to phone in those tips. There's an 800 line that's been set up, Paula, established essentially to help consolidate the number of phone lines that have been used over the past week or so. The number to call right now, established and set up last night, the lines were open, 800-755-9424 is the number that everyone is being encouraged to go through right now in order to keep the consolidation process going here. Charles Moose, I mentioned a few moments ago, will brief reporters possibly in about four or five minutes from now, and we may know more again in a matter of moments what happened last night in Manassas, and whether or not, indeed, there is a connection again this morning.
Paula -- more in a moment here.
ZAHN: Thanks, Bill. See you in a little bit.
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 10, 2002 - 07:05 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Investigators are trying to determine whether a fatal shooting last night is linked to the series of shootings that has terrorized the area.
Let's go back to Bill, who joins us from what is now being called I guess "investigation central."
Good morning -- Bill.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, that it is. Paula, good morning again.
About 11 hours ago, last night in Manassas, Virginia, again southwest of our location here, a man pumping gas at a local Sunoco station shot and killed on the scene.
There are some reports now that police right now are on the hunt for another white Dodge Caravan. Some witnesses in the area do describe this van leaving the area soon after that shooting.
Patty Davis on the scene this morning for us. Let's join her live now in Woodbridge, Virginia with more from there.
Patty -- good morning. What are you hearing?
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Well, that man had just finished pumping gas when he was shot and killed last night at that Sunoco station in Manassas, Virginia. That is just off busy Interstate 95.
Now, police say, as you said, they are on the lookout for a white Dodge Caravan that someone said that they saw leaving the scene. They do not know if that van is connected. Police say that they do not have a license plate number; they do not have a description of whoever it was inside that van.
The fact is that this white van seems somewhat to gel with a white box-type truck that was seen leaving a previous murder last week, one that has been connected with this sniper killing.
But police say they just don't know if this one is connected as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COL. CHARLIE DEANE, PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY POLICE: We have been in touch with the Montgomery County Police and the other agencies that have been investigating the spree of shootings in the region. At this point, we cannot say if this case is related to those shootings.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVIS: The latest information we have is from about 1:00 this morning when police held a press conference.
We're at the police substation in Prince William County, probably 15 miles from where that fatal shooting happened last night. We expect another update, Bill, around 9:00 a.m. this morning from police here in this county to see if they know anything more -- Bill.
HEMMER: Patty, thank you -- Patty Davis standing by in Woodbridge, Virginia. As we get more from down there, certainly, we'll pass it along to you.
Let's come back to Rockville, Maryland quickly now.
Douglas Duncan has been on our air many times in the past week. He's the executive here in the county of Montgomery, and joins us now live for more this morning on what we're hearing and knowing.
Good morning to you.
DOUGLAS DUNCAN, MONTGOMERY COUNTY EXECUTIVE: Good morning.
HEMMER: When last night this word came in, how did it hit you?
DUNCAN: You just hold your breath. Every minute of the day, you hold your breath and hope that there's not another shooting, and we've had some other shootings in the region that have not been related. So, when you hear it, you say, OK, maybe this had nothing to do with it.
But there were enough similarities here that the Prince William County Police called up here, called us, and said, here's what we got. And then, we sent a team of investigators down to assist them in their efforts.
HEMMER: Right now, what do you know about those similarities?
DUNCAN: Well, they just -- that it's cause enough for us to send investigators down to see if there is a relation there. So, we're working with them. They are doing everything they can to get whatever evidence is there, and then hopefully, somebody will be able to say if there's a connection or not.
HEMMER: Was it one shot, one bullet?
DUNCAN: They have not said that to me.
HEMMER: Have they recovered the bullet, do you know?
DUNCAN: They have not given me that level of detail. HEMMER: There have been a substantial number of tips called into essentially three different locations, well over 1,700 that have been deemed credible. How are you able to winnow through these phone calls and these tips, and really pursue the ones that you think that would lead to...
DUNCAN: We've got law enforcement people answering the phones, so we've got trained professionals answering the phones. We've gotten probably 8,000 calls, and out of those 8,000 calls, we've gotten 1,700 credible tips.
So, they're narrowing the calls and determining what's credible and what we need to follow up on. That's being turned over to the investigators. They are doing their part of looking at things and just tracking them down one at a time. We've got an awful lot of people working on this.
So, those tips are coming in. The public is doing a great job.
And I saw the Prince William County Police say they're looking for a white Dodge Caravan as well -- or they've announced that. So, there's more information coming out.
HEMMER: Your message today to the public living in Montgomery County, Prince William County, Prince George's County to the east of here, is what now?
DUNCAN: I mean, it's a very fearful time here, but we are asking people not to become paralyzed by the fear, by the anxiety. Kids need to go to school, parents need to go...
HEMMER: A tough thing to do...
(CROSSTALK)
DUNCAN: It's very, very tough. It's very tough. But we feel particularly kids are safer inside the school. I think people need to go about their jobs as best they can. You know, be much more cautious, be much more vigilant.
And please call us if you've got any information at all that you think might help. Don't say, well, this doesn't fit, it doesn't make sense. If you've got some things you think we should know, call us and let us know.
HEMMER: Thank you, sir -- Douglas Duncan, Montgomery County executive here.
As you mentioned, the call and the plea again for people to phone in those tips. There's an 800 line that's been set up, Paula, established essentially to help consolidate the number of phone lines that have been used over the past week or so. The number to call right now, established and set up last night, the lines were open, 800-755-9424 is the number that everyone is being encouraged to go through right now in order to keep the consolidation process going here. Charles Moose, I mentioned a few moments ago, will brief reporters possibly in about four or five minutes from now, and we may know more again in a matter of moments what happened last night in Manassas, and whether or not, indeed, there is a connection again this morning.
Paula -- more in a moment here.
ZAHN: Thanks, Bill. See you in a little bit.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
