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American Morning
Questions About Man Who Shot 13 Coworkers Yesterday
Aired July 09, 2003 - 07:32 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: There are questions today about the man who shot 13 coworkers yesterday. Five were killed at the Lockheed aircraft plant in Meridian, Mississippi. Then authorities say the gunman, Douglas Williams, killed himself.
As Art Harris explains, coworkers had heard Williams make deadly threats before.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ART HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was described as a war zone. Mass murder in Mississippi. Armed with a pump shotgun and a semi-automatic rifle, Doug Williams, age 48, started picking off fellow workers. By the time it was over, five were dead, the killer had committed suicide, eight others were wounded and a town in shock was asking why.
Some employees tell police they were afraid of the gunman, a 20 year employee at the plant.
SHERIFF BILLY SOLLIE, LAUDERDALE COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI: Speaking on a limited number of employees that I've read their statements, there were some employees that possibly felt uneasy.
HARRIS: And police tell CNN some employees suggest Williams had made violent comments before and disliked blacks. Williams was white. One murder victim's husband...
BOBBY MCCALL, HUSBAND OF VICTIM: She said he made a threat against black people.
HARRIS: But the sheriff says the shootings appeared random and the race of the victims doesn't add up to the racial motive. Police talked to the gunman's family.
SOLLIE: And we have had investigators speak. They did indicate that he was an angry man.
HARRIS: The root of his anger will be part of the investigation, says the sheriff, along with employee interviews and Williams' personnel file.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: But even if police do find race the motive, officials say that won't undermine community harmony. They point to a telling response to the tragedy, the long lines at the Red Cross to give blood, a similar turnout only seen here after 9/11 -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, CNN's Art Harris reporting for us from Mississippi this morning.
Art, thank you 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
Aired July 9, 2003 - 07:32 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: There are questions today about the man who shot 13 coworkers yesterday. Five were killed at the Lockheed aircraft plant in Meridian, Mississippi. Then authorities say the gunman, Douglas Williams, killed himself.
As Art Harris explains, coworkers had heard Williams make deadly threats before.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ART HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was described as a war zone. Mass murder in Mississippi. Armed with a pump shotgun and a semi-automatic rifle, Doug Williams, age 48, started picking off fellow workers. By the time it was over, five were dead, the killer had committed suicide, eight others were wounded and a town in shock was asking why.
Some employees tell police they were afraid of the gunman, a 20 year employee at the plant.
SHERIFF BILLY SOLLIE, LAUDERDALE COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI: Speaking on a limited number of employees that I've read their statements, there were some employees that possibly felt uneasy.
HARRIS: And police tell CNN some employees suggest Williams had made violent comments before and disliked blacks. Williams was white. One murder victim's husband...
BOBBY MCCALL, HUSBAND OF VICTIM: She said he made a threat against black people.
HARRIS: But the sheriff says the shootings appeared random and the race of the victims doesn't add up to the racial motive. Police talked to the gunman's family.
SOLLIE: And we have had investigators speak. They did indicate that he was an angry man.
HARRIS: The root of his anger will be part of the investigation, says the sheriff, along with employee interviews and Williams' personnel file.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: But even if police do find race the motive, officials say that won't undermine community harmony. They point to a telling response to the tragedy, the long lines at the Red Cross to give blood, a similar turnout only seen here after 9/11 -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, CNN's Art Harris reporting for us from Mississippi this morning.
Art, thank you 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
