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CNN Live Sunday
Three Deaths In West Virginia Mirror Washington Sniper
Aired August 17, 2003 - 18:18 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.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: In West Virginia, three deadly shootings in the last week are drawing alarming comparisons to last year's sniper attakcs in the Washington area. West Virginia investigators say the shooting in the mountain state all have key similarities. CNN investigative correspondent Art Harris is in Charlestown, West Virginia following the story. What are the similarities, Art?
ART HARRIS, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Andrea, police here in West Virginia are looking for a possible serial killer, a sniper they believe is linked to three killings here, three murders in the last week. Each was shot and killed with one bullet. Random shootings outside convenience stores late at night and police tell us they believe that these killings are linked by ballistics, two of them, and possibly three to a small caliber rifle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF PHIL MORRIS, KANAWHA, W. VA POLICE: It is our belief the shooter made the shot from inside the truck, due to the fact that immediately after the shot, the truck sped away with the tires spinning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: This time, the victim was 26 years old Oki Meadows, who was buying milk, and paying through the late night window. A woman on the pay phone several feet away described a black pickup truck with an extended cab and gold trim. Police want the driver to call them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MORRIS: The person that's driving that black pickup, I want them to contact me, personally, whether they're the shooter or whether they're not the shooter. The individual needs to talk with law enforcement. We need to get them some help, and we want to get them off the road before this occurs again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Charlestown, West Virginia feels an eerie echo to the Washington killings sniper where 13 died and 19 were shot in less than a year. We ran into an uncle of the latest victim outside the gas station of one of the earliest victims.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got to be a coward to shoot someone, to kill someone. I mean, for no reason. You know, you don't take another person's life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Finally here in Charlestown, people are filling up their cars during the day, not at night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you got to stop at a gas station to get a soda or coke, you got stop to see if there's a black pickup truck anywhere in sight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Already the FBI and the ATF have joined state and local investigators in what they consider to be a race against time and terror -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: Art, you mentioned, among the similarities, the fact that in all three of the shooting, they were similar bullets. But do we know in terms of the victims that were being targeted, were there any similarities among them?
HARRIS: They are looking into that, Andrea. They don't have any yet. The first victim was a young mother who was filling up her gas tank, and she was shot as she was walking into the store. Another was a 26-year-old Air Force veteran who was buying milk. They are looking into whether they knew each other. Right now they're considering is random shootings, Andrea.
KOPPE: I know from living in the Washington area myself, when the sniper investigation was going on, what a scary experience that can be. I certainly hope they can catch this individual or individuals soon. Art Harris, thanks for that report from West Virginia.
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 August 17, 2003 - 18:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: In West Virginia, three deadly shootings in the last week are drawing alarming comparisons to last year's sniper attakcs in the Washington area. West Virginia investigators say the shooting in the mountain state all have key similarities. CNN investigative correspondent Art Harris is in Charlestown, West Virginia following the story. What are the similarities, Art?
ART HARRIS, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Andrea, police here in West Virginia are looking for a possible serial killer, a sniper they believe is linked to three killings here, three murders in the last week. Each was shot and killed with one bullet. Random shootings outside convenience stores late at night and police tell us they believe that these killings are linked by ballistics, two of them, and possibly three to a small caliber rifle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF PHIL MORRIS, KANAWHA, W. VA POLICE: It is our belief the shooter made the shot from inside the truck, due to the fact that immediately after the shot, the truck sped away with the tires spinning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: This time, the victim was 26 years old Oki Meadows, who was buying milk, and paying through the late night window. A woman on the pay phone several feet away described a black pickup truck with an extended cab and gold trim. Police want the driver to call them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MORRIS: The person that's driving that black pickup, I want them to contact me, personally, whether they're the shooter or whether they're not the shooter. The individual needs to talk with law enforcement. We need to get them some help, and we want to get them off the road before this occurs again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Charlestown, West Virginia feels an eerie echo to the Washington killings sniper where 13 died and 19 were shot in less than a year. We ran into an uncle of the latest victim outside the gas station of one of the earliest victims.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got to be a coward to shoot someone, to kill someone. I mean, for no reason. You know, you don't take another person's life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Finally here in Charlestown, people are filling up their cars during the day, not at night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you got to stop at a gas station to get a soda or coke, you got stop to see if there's a black pickup truck anywhere in sight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Already the FBI and the ATF have joined state and local investigators in what they consider to be a race against time and terror -- Andrea.
KOPPEL: Art, you mentioned, among the similarities, the fact that in all three of the shooting, they were similar bullets. But do we know in terms of the victims that were being targeted, were there any similarities among them?
HARRIS: They are looking into that, Andrea. They don't have any yet. The first victim was a young mother who was filling up her gas tank, and she was shot as she was walking into the store. Another was a 26-year-old Air Force veteran who was buying milk. They are looking into whether they knew each other. Right now they're considering is random shootings, Andrea.
KOPPE: I know from living in the Washington area myself, when the sniper investigation was going on, what a scary experience that can be. I certainly hope they can catch this individual or individuals soon. Art Harris, thanks for that report from West Virginia.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
