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Breaking News
American Killed in Kuwait, One Wounded
Aired January 21, 2003 - 06:33 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to get back now to our breaking news story. Two Americans gunned down in Kuwait. One of them has died. We've got two CNN correspondents covering this story.
Our Martin Savidge is just back from the shooting scene, and Ryan Chilcote is at the hospital in Kuwait City. We're going to get to you, Ryan, in just a minute.
But first to Marty with what happened.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Carol, we know the names of the two Americans that were hit in this attack. We're not going to tell you what they are until we are sure that the family members or next of kin have been notified.
It is a very gruesome scene, though, that you saw out there just north of Kuwait City, and it all began around 9:20 this morning when, according to authorities, the two Americans riding in an SUV leaving -- going way from Camp Doha came up to a four-way intersection that had a traffic light. Police believe maybe the light was red, maybe it wasn't, but either way the attackers were waiting for them right at that intersection reportedly secluded in the line of trees and brush that was waiting at the side of the road there and opened fire with automatic or semi-automatic weapons.
It's unclear at this point if there was just one gunman or maybe more than one gunman. Twenty-four bullet holes were said to be found in the side of that SUV. The passenger was killed almost instantaneously, and the driver is the one that was wounded.
Authorities say from what they could make of the crime scene there, it appears that the gunman may have even been so bold as to leave their position and then walk up to the vehicle and fire some more -- Carol.
COSTELLO: It's just awful. And of course, these were American civilians, and they were doing some work for the U.S. military in Kuwait.
Thank you, Martin Savidge.
Let's go to Ryan Chilcote right now who is at the hospital. He joins us live by videophone.
The other American, is he still in surgery?
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, he still is in surgery. We're at the al-Razzi (ph) hospital. I am told that this is Kuwait's best orthopedic hospital. He is still in surgery. One of his doctors, preferring not to be named, told me that he should be in there for a few more minutes. After that, he's going to be moved to a different part of the hospital, where doctors expect to monitor him for the next few days.
Now, they're operating on his upper right arm on the bone, trying to repair a fracture to that bone caused by one of the two gunshot wounds that he came away with in that incident -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So, it is a good hospital, and I understand that the military has posted guards outside of the door.
CHILCOTE: That's right. I personally saw at least one U.S. soldier carrying a weapon inside, carrying an assault rifle, right outside of the operating room. Another guard just came out of the hospital. So, there is a security contingent here to provide security for this one American citizen.
Also, we understand that there were some U.S. investigators, investigators from the U.S. Army here on the scene conducting an investigation, trying to find out exactly what took place earlier today -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Ryan Chilcote reporting live from Kuwait City this 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 January 21, 2003 - 06:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to get back now to our breaking news story. Two Americans gunned down in Kuwait. One of them has died. We've got two CNN correspondents covering this story.
Our Martin Savidge is just back from the shooting scene, and Ryan Chilcote is at the hospital in Kuwait City. We're going to get to you, Ryan, in just a minute.
But first to Marty with what happened.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Carol, we know the names of the two Americans that were hit in this attack. We're not going to tell you what they are until we are sure that the family members or next of kin have been notified.
It is a very gruesome scene, though, that you saw out there just north of Kuwait City, and it all began around 9:20 this morning when, according to authorities, the two Americans riding in an SUV leaving -- going way from Camp Doha came up to a four-way intersection that had a traffic light. Police believe maybe the light was red, maybe it wasn't, but either way the attackers were waiting for them right at that intersection reportedly secluded in the line of trees and brush that was waiting at the side of the road there and opened fire with automatic or semi-automatic weapons.
It's unclear at this point if there was just one gunman or maybe more than one gunman. Twenty-four bullet holes were said to be found in the side of that SUV. The passenger was killed almost instantaneously, and the driver is the one that was wounded.
Authorities say from what they could make of the crime scene there, it appears that the gunman may have even been so bold as to leave their position and then walk up to the vehicle and fire some more -- Carol.
COSTELLO: It's just awful. And of course, these were American civilians, and they were doing some work for the U.S. military in Kuwait.
Thank you, Martin Savidge.
Let's go to Ryan Chilcote right now who is at the hospital. He joins us live by videophone.
The other American, is he still in surgery?
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, he still is in surgery. We're at the al-Razzi (ph) hospital. I am told that this is Kuwait's best orthopedic hospital. He is still in surgery. One of his doctors, preferring not to be named, told me that he should be in there for a few more minutes. After that, he's going to be moved to a different part of the hospital, where doctors expect to monitor him for the next few days.
Now, they're operating on his upper right arm on the bone, trying to repair a fracture to that bone caused by one of the two gunshot wounds that he came away with in that incident -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So, it is a good hospital, and I understand that the military has posted guards outside of the door.
CHILCOTE: That's right. I personally saw at least one U.S. soldier carrying a weapon inside, carrying an assault rifle, right outside of the operating room. Another guard just came out of the hospital. So, there is a security contingent here to provide security for this one American citizen.
Also, we understand that there were some U.S. investigators, investigators from the U.S. Army here on the scene conducting an investigation, trying to find out exactly what took place earlier today -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Ryan Chilcote reporting live from Kuwait City this 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.
