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Breaking News
Virginia Shooting Linked to Sniper
Aired October 15, 2002 - 10:00 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We have learned much about this latest shooting just in the last hour. And let's get right to that new information.
First of all, most importantly, we have learned through ballistics information that police authorities say it is a match so this is yet another sniper killing in the Washington, D.C. area. That makes 9 dead, 2 wounded over the last 12 days.
We have also learned the identity of the latest victim, a woman. Her name, Linda Franklin, 47 years old from Arlington, Virginia. And it wasn't too far away from there that Ms. Franklin and her husband went shopping at a Home Depot and that is where her life ended.
Let's go to our Michael Okwu. He is near the scene of the shooting that took place last night.
Michael, good morning.
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.
Authorities this morning say that the autopsy on Ms. Franklin was being conducted this morning. And again, it happened at 9:15 last night, breaking what was nearly 84 hours of silence from this sniper from the last attack on Friday. Of course that silence was rudely disturbed, interrupted sharply last night.
Now again, this woman was shot apparently with her husband not far from her as she was packing up some of -- some of her goods here in the parking lot. It happened at 9:15 in the parking area here in Falls Church next to the Home Depot. Federal agents and other investigators here have literally been on their hands and knees combing the entire area looking and trying to amass all kinds of physical evidence. This is a process that has also taken place in Montgomery County and also following the shooting of a 13-year-old teenager just last week.
Now authorities bused in about two busloads of these people. From what we understand, they will be here for the better part of the day. Authorizes have been homing in on a light-colored vehicle who they -- which they say they're looking for residents to help them try to find.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF TOM MANGER, FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE: We put out information about a vehicle that we were interested in finding last night, a light-colored Astrovan. There's been some misinformation about the taillight. Let me clear that up. We are looking for a light-colored Chevy Astrovan with the left taillight out. It didn't appear to be cracked. It just did not appear to be functioning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OKWU: Now right after the shooting occurred, in a process that has been repeated all too often, authorities shut down major arteries leading into this area. This area known as the Seven Corners Area, and that's because there are so many arteries that essentially feed this place. As one resident here put it, it's like a labyrinth of roads that provides very easy access both in and, of course, out.
Most of the information that's being amassed by the authorities right now is based on these most recent eyewitness accounts, including information they say that they are still amassing even at this moment that also talks about the license plates. They've been receiving a number of accounts of different license plates, and obviously authorities have their hands full trying to put all that information together -- Daryn.
KAGAN: ... time around it would appear that police are getting better eyewitness accounts than the previous shootings.
OKWU: Well that's exactly right. This is not something that you were hearing earlier. Before it was about a sniper who did -- who gave very little warning, did damage with one shot and then left without leaving anything. Last week, a shell casing was found. Now we are told that there have been two shell casings that have been found.
So little by little, in addition to the fact that the eyewitnesses -- there're actual eyewitnesses who say not only have they seen a vehicles but that there have also been some reports about descriptions of people, certain things like whether it was one person or two people and also the shading of their skin. These are little details that may not be entirely accurate, but as authorities plod on in this investigation, each one of these characteristics, traits, bits of information might further bring authorities along to solving this case finally -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Michael Okwu in Falls Church, Virginia, thank you very much. We'll be checking with you throughout the morning.
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 October 15, 2002 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We have learned much about this latest shooting just in the last hour. And let's get right to that new information.
First of all, most importantly, we have learned through ballistics information that police authorities say it is a match so this is yet another sniper killing in the Washington, D.C. area. That makes 9 dead, 2 wounded over the last 12 days.
We have also learned the identity of the latest victim, a woman. Her name, Linda Franklin, 47 years old from Arlington, Virginia. And it wasn't too far away from there that Ms. Franklin and her husband went shopping at a Home Depot and that is where her life ended.
Let's go to our Michael Okwu. He is near the scene of the shooting that took place last night.
Michael, good morning.
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.
Authorities this morning say that the autopsy on Ms. Franklin was being conducted this morning. And again, it happened at 9:15 last night, breaking what was nearly 84 hours of silence from this sniper from the last attack on Friday. Of course that silence was rudely disturbed, interrupted sharply last night.
Now again, this woman was shot apparently with her husband not far from her as she was packing up some of -- some of her goods here in the parking lot. It happened at 9:15 in the parking area here in Falls Church next to the Home Depot. Federal agents and other investigators here have literally been on their hands and knees combing the entire area looking and trying to amass all kinds of physical evidence. This is a process that has also taken place in Montgomery County and also following the shooting of a 13-year-old teenager just last week.
Now authorities bused in about two busloads of these people. From what we understand, they will be here for the better part of the day. Authorizes have been homing in on a light-colored vehicle who they -- which they say they're looking for residents to help them try to find.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF TOM MANGER, FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE: We put out information about a vehicle that we were interested in finding last night, a light-colored Astrovan. There's been some misinformation about the taillight. Let me clear that up. We are looking for a light-colored Chevy Astrovan with the left taillight out. It didn't appear to be cracked. It just did not appear to be functioning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
OKWU: Now right after the shooting occurred, in a process that has been repeated all too often, authorities shut down major arteries leading into this area. This area known as the Seven Corners Area, and that's because there are so many arteries that essentially feed this place. As one resident here put it, it's like a labyrinth of roads that provides very easy access both in and, of course, out.
Most of the information that's being amassed by the authorities right now is based on these most recent eyewitness accounts, including information they say that they are still amassing even at this moment that also talks about the license plates. They've been receiving a number of accounts of different license plates, and obviously authorities have their hands full trying to put all that information together -- Daryn.
KAGAN: ... time around it would appear that police are getting better eyewitness accounts than the previous shootings.
OKWU: Well that's exactly right. This is not something that you were hearing earlier. Before it was about a sniper who did -- who gave very little warning, did damage with one shot and then left without leaving anything. Last week, a shell casing was found. Now we are told that there have been two shell casings that have been found.
So little by little, in addition to the fact that the eyewitnesses -- there're actual eyewitnesses who say not only have they seen a vehicles but that there have also been some reports about descriptions of people, certain things like whether it was one person or two people and also the shading of their skin. These are little details that may not be entirely accurate, but as authorities plod on in this investigation, each one of these characteristics, traits, bits of information might further bring authorities along to solving this case finally -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Michael Okwu in Falls Church, Virginia, thank you very much. We'll be checking with you throughout the morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
