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CNN Saturday Morning News
Ohio Police Continue to Investigate String of Shootings
Aired December 06, 2003 - 08:14 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.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Ohio police investigating a string of shootings on Interstate 270 near Columbus now say a total of 14 of them are linked. And today, transportation officials are closing part of the freeway to investigate further.
CNN's Martin Savidge is following the story.
He joins us now live from Columbus -- good morning to you, Martin.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Heidi.
Authorities here have now asked the Ohio Department of Transportation, as you say, to shut down about a 20 mile stretch of I- 270 southwest of Columbus, eight miles of which incorporates the area where the shootings have occurred. That shutdown will take place from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. tonight. Authorities haven't said exactly why they want the highway shut down, but last night it was noted at one of the shooting scenes they were using lasers. Lasers were also used during the D.C. sniper case. You can track the trajectory of a bullet that's been fired, go backwards and perhaps see where it was fired from, maybe find more clues.
As you point out, yesterday the number of shootings linked to this case jumped from 12 to 14. The two latest shootings actually occurred several days ago. On Sunday morning, a woman driving on I- 270 in the area where these shootings have happened hears a noise and then several hours later notes she's got a flat tires. She calls the police and they find a bullet hole.
Then some time Sunday night, maybe during the day on Monday, a bullet is fired into a home in this same area. Nobody was hit because nobody was home, but when the owner did return and found a bullet laying on the floor, handed it over to police. They ran a ballistics check and they found a match with four other bullets they've had, including one that fatally wounded a 62-year-old woman on November 25.
Here's the thing that is disturbing investigators. There had been a belief that with the death of Gail Knisley back on November 25 that perhaps this shooting spree would come to an end. If it had been a horrible prank, the shooter would stop with a fatality. That clearly is not the case. There's been two other shootings since. It appears the shooter has not been satisfied. Authorities have had a lot of tips, but so far no big break -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Martin Savidge reporting live this morning from car bomb. Thanks so much, Martin.
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Aired December 6, 2003 - 08:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Ohio police investigating a string of shootings on Interstate 270 near Columbus now say a total of 14 of them are linked. And today, transportation officials are closing part of the freeway to investigate further.
CNN's Martin Savidge is following the story.
He joins us now live from Columbus -- good morning to you, Martin.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Heidi.
Authorities here have now asked the Ohio Department of Transportation, as you say, to shut down about a 20 mile stretch of I- 270 southwest of Columbus, eight miles of which incorporates the area where the shootings have occurred. That shutdown will take place from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. tonight. Authorities haven't said exactly why they want the highway shut down, but last night it was noted at one of the shooting scenes they were using lasers. Lasers were also used during the D.C. sniper case. You can track the trajectory of a bullet that's been fired, go backwards and perhaps see where it was fired from, maybe find more clues.
As you point out, yesterday the number of shootings linked to this case jumped from 12 to 14. The two latest shootings actually occurred several days ago. On Sunday morning, a woman driving on I- 270 in the area where these shootings have happened hears a noise and then several hours later notes she's got a flat tires. She calls the police and they find a bullet hole.
Then some time Sunday night, maybe during the day on Monday, a bullet is fired into a home in this same area. Nobody was hit because nobody was home, but when the owner did return and found a bullet laying on the floor, handed it over to police. They ran a ballistics check and they found a match with four other bullets they've had, including one that fatally wounded a 62-year-old woman on November 25.
Here's the thing that is disturbing investigators. There had been a belief that with the death of Gail Knisley back on November 25 that perhaps this shooting spree would come to an end. If it had been a horrible prank, the shooter would stop with a fatality. That clearly is not the case. There's been two other shootings since. It appears the shooter has not been satisfied. Authorities have had a lot of tips, but so far no big break -- Heidi.
COLLINS: All right, Martin Savidge reporting live this morning from car bomb. Thanks so much, Martin.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
