Task Force Investigates 2 New Car Shootings

NBC 4 Columbus ^ | December 23, 2003

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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Investigators will soon know whether the number of shootings in the I-270 case has jumped.

The total number of shootings that investigators believe are linked stands at 18, but there's a possibility that number soon may climb to 20, reported Monique Ming Laven for NewsChannel 4. One shooting killed a 62-year-old woman.

Police are waiting to get back tests before they can determine whether or not a weekend shooting and a shooting reported Monday evening are related to the I-270 case.

On Monday night, at least six investigators looked into the damage done to a sport utility vehicle. The owners of the vehicle, who live on the city's west side, declined to comment on what happened. However, NewsChannel 4 reported that a bullet penetrated the car doorframe on the passenger side. That bullet was removed and sent for testing.

That report came on the heels of another reported car shooting.

Police say over the weekend, a woman's car was in the parking lot of Heather Glenn Apartments, off I-70 and U.S. Route 33 in southeastern Franklin County, north and east of the I-270 area shooter's main target zone. The woman didn't hear any shots during her drive, so investigators believe it happened before she left for work Monday morning.

Columbus police, who checked out the car at the woman's workplace, said because of the apartment's southeast side location that they are looking to see whether the bullets were related. Some bullets were recovered and sent to a lab for ballistics testing.

Residents in southern Franklin County will soon receive fliers regarding the $40,000 reward being offered in the serial shootings case.

Franklin County Sheriff's Deputy Chief Steve Martin confirmed the fliers would be sent during a media briefing held by the task force investigating the shootings.

Martin said that more than 2,600 calls have been called into a tip line that was set up by the task force.

"We're getting priority from the Columbus police department lab," Martin said. "All of that information on these shootings goes there. We have people out there."

Police said that they would return to the area where the shots reportedly came from and would ask neighbors whether they heard gunfire or any suspicious activity, Laven reported.

Seven of the shots, including the only fatal one and two fired into homes, came from the same gun. The others are considered connected by location and other circumstances, investigators have said.

The reward for information that leads to the arrest and indictment of a person or people responsible for the shooting death of Gail Knisley on Nov. 25 was increased to $40,000.

Knisley was shot and killed while riding in a car on I-270 Nov. 25. Her death is one of seven linked by ballistic evidence to the serial shootings.

Anyone with information in the shootings should call the shooting tip line at (614) 462-4646.

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Ping.

[LisaMalia]

Looks like they are expanding their territory. Prayers for my family and friends in Columbus.

[Travis McGee]

At least this guy is, for now, just shooting at cars and not aiming to kill people. The lady who was killed seems almost to have been a by product of his aiming at a car. This is very different from M&M, who were using a scope to aim directly at people with every shot.

[SJSAMPLE]

In case it hasn't been stated, ad nauseum, already:
"OH MY GOD! It's a QUAGMIRE!"

[TYVets]

Not to worry, govenor taft and his army of concealed carry troops will be there to protect you!

Someday