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American Morning

In Falls Church, Virginia, It Looks Like Serial Sniper Has Claimed Another Victim

Aired October 15, 2002 - 08:00   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: In just a moment we're going to go live to Michael Okwu in Falls Church, Virginia, where it looks now like a serial sniper has claimed another victim. We are waiting for the ballistics tests to make that linkage.
Police are treating the slaying of a woman in Virginia last night as the latest in a series of sniper attacks. The victim was shot in the head as she and her husband loaded packages into their car outside a hardware store in Falls Church.

Hoping to block the killer's escape, police closed the highways. They are looking for a light colored Chevy Astrovan with a left rear taillight that's not working.

Following the investigation for us now in Virginia is Michael Okwu -- good morning, Michael.

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, good morning to you.

Nearly 84 hours had passed since the sniper had set his sights on his last victim. That was on Friday. So people in the area were experiencing a relative degree of calm. All of that came to a very abrupt and sudden end last night at 9:15.

As you mentioned, a woman was shot in the shopping mall here in Falls Church, Virginia. She was with her husband when the shooting occurred, literally packing some things into her vehicle.

Now, authorities are saying that at this point it is just a little too early to say whether there is a specific connection between this shooting and a spate of shootings that started happening on October 2. But they quickly, in what has become a very regular occurrence, it seems, quickly set up roadblocks in the area and it effectively set up a dragnet to try to stop what they think may be a couple suspicious vehicles that were seen leaving the scene -- Paula.

ZAHN: Now, there's going to be a news conference at nock. Are we expecting to learn whether there will be official confirmation that this potentially is linked to the other killings?

OKWU: Well, we expect that we're going to get a little bit more information, but it's unclear whether we'll actually get enough, whether they will have done enough ballistics tests at that point to ascertain whether or not there is a specific connection. We're hoping that we'll be able to find out for sure, but it's just too early to say that -- Paula. ZAHN: In the meantime, what is the level of concern there among community members who have to get back to their normal lives today?

OKWU: Well, Paula, it's been, as you can well imagine, an extraordinary bit of local history here. People are absolutely frightened, especially after the, especially after experiencing some relative calm over the weekend and to have this happen is really a shock to the system and to the people who live here. The fact is that authorities here have taken every precaution in what has become a very, almost a normal thing around the districts. They have decided to stop all outdoor activities for all the schools in the area. They're effectively in a lockdown, and that's something that's been happening not only here, but also in Maryland -- Paula.

ZAHN: And I understand in a couple of minutes we'll be rejoining you. You're going to be talking with a witness who actually saw this killing last night?

OKWU: Well, I'm going to be talking to a witness who will be able to give us a sense of what was actually happening minutes after the shooting occurred. She was not there at the time of the shooting, but she was certainly in the area when the shooting occurred. So we'll be able to take an inside look and find out how people were dealing with what was, what you can imagine would be a very harrowing time.

ZAHN: All right, Michael, we'll come back to you in a couple of minutes for that.

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




Claimed Another Victim>


Aired October 15, 2002 - 08:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: In just a moment we're going to go live to Michael Okwu in Falls Church, Virginia, where it looks now like a serial sniper has claimed another victim. We are waiting for the ballistics tests to make that linkage.
Police are treating the slaying of a woman in Virginia last night as the latest in a series of sniper attacks. The victim was shot in the head as she and her husband loaded packages into their car outside a hardware store in Falls Church.

Hoping to block the killer's escape, police closed the highways. They are looking for a light colored Chevy Astrovan with a left rear taillight that's not working.

Following the investigation for us now in Virginia is Michael Okwu -- good morning, Michael.

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Paula, good morning to you.

Nearly 84 hours had passed since the sniper had set his sights on his last victim. That was on Friday. So people in the area were experiencing a relative degree of calm. All of that came to a very abrupt and sudden end last night at 9:15.

As you mentioned, a woman was shot in the shopping mall here in Falls Church, Virginia. She was with her husband when the shooting occurred, literally packing some things into her vehicle.

Now, authorities are saying that at this point it is just a little too early to say whether there is a specific connection between this shooting and a spate of shootings that started happening on October 2. But they quickly, in what has become a very regular occurrence, it seems, quickly set up roadblocks in the area and it effectively set up a dragnet to try to stop what they think may be a couple suspicious vehicles that were seen leaving the scene -- Paula.

ZAHN: Now, there's going to be a news conference at nock. Are we expecting to learn whether there will be official confirmation that this potentially is linked to the other killings?

OKWU: Well, we expect that we're going to get a little bit more information, but it's unclear whether we'll actually get enough, whether they will have done enough ballistics tests at that point to ascertain whether or not there is a specific connection. We're hoping that we'll be able to find out for sure, but it's just too early to say that -- Paula. ZAHN: In the meantime, what is the level of concern there among community members who have to get back to their normal lives today?

OKWU: Well, Paula, it's been, as you can well imagine, an extraordinary bit of local history here. People are absolutely frightened, especially after the, especially after experiencing some relative calm over the weekend and to have this happen is really a shock to the system and to the people who live here. The fact is that authorities here have taken every precaution in what has become a very, almost a normal thing around the districts. They have decided to stop all outdoor activities for all the schools in the area. They're effectively in a lockdown, and that's something that's been happening not only here, but also in Maryland -- Paula.

ZAHN: And I understand in a couple of minutes we'll be rejoining you. You're going to be talking with a witness who actually saw this killing last night?

OKWU: Well, I'm going to be talking to a witness who will be able to give us a sense of what was actually happening minutes after the shooting occurred. She was not there at the time of the shooting, but she was certainly in the area when the shooting occurred. So we'll be able to take an inside look and find out how people were dealing with what was, what you can imagine would be a very harrowing time.

ZAHN: All right, Michael, we'll come back to you in a couple of minutes for that.

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




Claimed Another Victim>