Posted on 02/06/2004 4:04:13 PM PST by Sunshine55
Another Case Linked To Serial Shooter
Van Shot On Interstate 71
POSTED: 3:36 PM EST February 6, 2004
UPDATED: 5:51 PM EST February 6, 2004
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- An eighth shooting has been linked by ballistic evidence to the series of shootings around the city's south side, according to the serial shooting task force.
The shooting occurred at about 2:10 p.m. Tuesday, Franklin County sheriff Chief Deputy Steve Martin said. It was the 21st linked to the serial shootings, and the eighth linked by ballistic evidence.
The driver of a van, John Caito of Bridgeville, Pa., was heading north on Interstate 71 near state Route 56 in Madison County. The driver said he noticed that something hit his windshield on the driver's side. He thought it was a rock, so he continued driving home to Pennsylvania.
Caito then examined the windshield when he got home and contacted South Fayette Township police, who discovered a bullet fragment in the car's dashboard. Pennsylvania State police took the bullet out of the van, and it was transported to the serial shooting crime lab.
"We believe it came from an overpass," Martin said.
The driver said he did not see anything at the time of the shooting.
The bullet was positively linked by ballistic evidence to the one that killed Gail Knisley on Nov. 25 on Interstate 270. The incident is the eighth linked to the same type of bullet.
Tuesday's incident was the southernmost incident the serial shooting task force has investigated.
911 Calls Dismissed
Martin also said Friday that all 911 calls from people claiming to be the serial shooter have been determined to be hoaxes.
That includes the calls that were made 10 days ago during which the dispatcher dismissed the caller, saying that he was only trying to get attention.
Radio Threat Reportedly Heard
Martin also said that the Franklin County Sheriff's Office received information Friday of a threat reportedly made via a citizens band radio.
At about 9:09 a.m., a person traveling on Interstate 71 near mile marker 52 said he heard an unknown male on the CB radio say that he was the sniper and that he was going to kill someone.
The sheriff's office sent an advisory to area law enforcement to notify them about the message. There was no indication that the message heard was from the shooter, Martin said.
A reward for information that leads to the arrest and indictment of the shooter or shooters responsible for Knisley's death stands at $60,000.
I'm impressed that they're so confident they can do this, even when one of the calls warned of shooting police cars next, and shortly thereafter a police car was hit. IIRC.
Let's hope it stays that way. This guy has already killed one precious soul. I think there are a lot of lucky people in Columbus. Some of the victims knew they were being shot at and still maintained enough composure to avoid wrecking.
The police car hit turned out to be a drug bust gone bad. It wasn't related to the sniper (or so we're told).
How would they determine that? Did the overly-helpful 911 operators conclude that? Did they find the 2 men that made the calls?
Sunshine, when they investigated your mom's house they told you the guy was already behind bars. Then the next morning another shooting. I wonder if they are jumping to conclusions by dismissing the 911 callers or if they have additional information. If so, I'd darn sure like to hear about an arrest in the next few hours.
I heard Martin say that on the news today. And he snapped at the person who asked him, and offered no explanation. He seemed very rude to me.
Yipes! I didn't realize the house that was hit was Sunshine55's mom. Did I interpret that correctly?
I-71 in Madison county is a bit out of the shooter's previous attacks which were on the outerbelt.
An organized nut --
if someone or team planned this --
they might be doing
"hoax" phone calls themselves
to play with authorities
and plant bogus leads...
For the last few years
my impression has been that
whenever spotlights
from the media
get turned on "authority"
figures -- cops, judges
scientists -- almost
always these folk appear so
ineffectual
that it's depressing.
They're probably rude because
they know in their hearts
that they are hapless,
helpless and useless unless
they get lucky breaks...
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