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CNN Live Event/Special

Las Vegas Police Hold Press Conference on Nevada Casino Shooting

Aired April 27, 2002 - 17:13   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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now back to our top story. A press conference undergoing -- being -- taking place right now, actually, in Laughlin, Nevada, on the fatal stabbing and shooting involving bikers.

SGT. VINCENT CANNITO, LAS VEGAS METRO POLICE: We're not talking about those right now.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)?

CANNITO: As I said this morning, we're interviewing approximately -- we're in process of interviewing approximately 200 people. Splitting them up between suspects and victims, we can't do for you now, whether or not they're just bystanders.

Again, we've had lot of information. We have a lot of information currently. We can't disseminate that information right now, because it hasn't been confirmed. We don't want to releaser erroneous information. Anything else you can think of? One more question.

QUESTION: Were there knives used?

CANNITO: Yes, there were knives used in the fight.

QUESTION: How many people do you have in custody?

QUESTION: Under arrest.

QUESTION: Under arrest.

CANNITO: We're not talking about the exact numbers right now. It's a large number of people that we're dealing with. Again, we're trying to separate the victims from the witnesses, and that's all we're going to say about the investigation.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) 300 Metro police officers brought out there to help you guys conduct interviews. Is that a safe supposition (OFF- MIKE)?

CANNITO: There is a large -- not only do we have a large number of officers before the event took place, we're bringing additional officers out. Now, this isn't going to deplete the resources, because being a Saturday night we're on an overlap schedule. We have swing shift that overlaps with our grave shift by several hours.

So it's not a drain on the resources in the Las Vegas area. Plus, the other officers that we have augmenting this operation from the additional agencies certainly helps out.

I appreciate your time. Thank you very much. I apologize for not being able to answer anymore questions. We currently have to get back to the command post. Thank you very much.

QUESTION: Another press conference later?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, we're going to have another one later, probably in about...

WHITFIELD: All right. You've been watching a live press conference there out of Laughlin, Nevada. Still a lot of unanswered questions as to how three people were killed and many others wounded early this morning in a Nevada casino out there during a bikers convention, where about 80,000 people have been at that convention.

Still don't know whether those who were killed or injured were part of the convention or were visitors, or innocent civilians who happened to be nearby.

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