"Possible" sniper in Columbus Ohio ?

The Columbus Dispatch ^ | 11/26/63 | Zalex

[zalex63]

Woman shot to death on I-270 Police investigating series of shootings on South Outerbelt, including another last night Wednesday, November 26, 2003 Bruce Cadwallader and Dean Narciso THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

[zalex63]

A woman riding in a car was shot to death yesterday morning and a truck was shot last night, the latest in a series of reports of vehicles being struck by gunfire along a stretch of the South Outerbelt.

Gail Knisley, 62, of Washington Court House, Ohio, died in the morning shooting. Police had no suspects or motive. They plan to compare ballistics evidence in eight cases in which bullets have struck vehicles on or near I-270 on the South Side since May.

Knisley was killed about 10 a.m. when a bullet fired near the I-270 and I-71 exchange ripped through the driver’s door of the eastbound car in which she was riding. Knisley was sitting in the front passenger’s seat.

About 9 p.m., deputies responded to a report that a Pickaway County man’s truck had been hit by gunfire as he drove south on Rt. 23 near the South Outerbelt.

After Knisley’s death, an exhaustive search by land and by air didn’t turn up hunters or anyone with a gun in the area. Although gun season for deer doesn’t begin until Monday, deputies said outdoorsmen have frequented the area in the past in search of rabbits and birds.

Chief Deputy Steve Martin of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office said he issued a statewide alert to other law officers to be on the lookout for similar shootings.

"But I’m not using the word ‘sniper’," Martin said. "We’re all working on this together — police, the patrol, BCI, everybody."

The reports of vehicles hit by gunfire were filed by different law-enforcement agencies and had not been coordinated until yesterday, Martin said. Five were investigated by the sheriff’s office, two by Columbus police and one by the State Highway Patrol. All have occurred since Oct. 11, except for one in May. No one else has been injured.

Knisley and the driver, her best friend, Mary Cox, 63, of Grove City, were talking when they heard a pop.

"What was that? What was that?" Knisley said before slumping forward, according to the recording of Cox’s 911 call.

Cox made the call on a cell phone after pulling over to the berm near the Rt. 23 exchange.

Martin would not speculate on the type of weapon that killed Knisley.

Sheriff Jim Karnes said he doubted the bullet was fired from another vehicle.

"The trajectory is wrong. It’s too low and was straight across. Maybe it was someone target practicing. We don’t know," Karnes said.

A hole the size of a quarter was noticeable on the driver’s side door of Cox’s 1993 Pontiac Grand Am.

A Columbus police supervisor confirmed he has ordered a homicide detective to begin searching police files for any similar reports.

The drivers in the vehicle shootings investigated by Columbus police have only vague memories of where or when the shootings occurred, Pilya said.

Police leadership yesterday directed Pilya and homicide detective Steve Eppert to review the shooting cases with sheriff’s investigators.

"Over the next few days, we’ll be meeting and brainstorming," Pilya said. "We have a few cases that are similiar in nature but we don’t know how similiar."

Franklin County Coroner Brad Lewis said he will conduct an autopsy today to confirm Knisley’s cause of death. A slug lodged in her body may hold more clues.

The Cox and Knisley families, friends for more than 50 years, were consoling each other last night.

Yesterday was going to be a perfect day out for the two girlfriends: lunch and shopping after a stop at a doctor’s office. Then, a bullet ripped through their lives.

Before the 911 dispatcher could question Cox, she’s heard on the recording saying, "Oh, Gail, no."

Then Cox explained what happened.

"Somebody just shot. I’m in the car, and my girlfriend has been shot.

"Oh, please. I don’t know where the (shot) came through. I don’t see anything."

Sobbing, Cox says, "Oh dear God. We were going to have such a beautiful day."

Another pause, then she says, "I haven’t heard anything out of her for a couple of minutes. Oh, please help me. Oh, Gail, honey, please, oh please."

Cox later told members of her family that she had taken a wrong turn and was heading back toward Rt. 23 when the shooting occurred.

"My mom and her are good friends," said Michael Cox. "She was driving Gail to a doctor’s appointment and heard a sound like a balloon popping.

"She’s very upset this happened to her friend and she think’s it’s her fault."

Relatives said the bullet grazed the sleeve of Cox’s coat before striking Knisley.

Agents with the state Bureau of Identification and Investigation returned to the scene and shut down eastbound lanes of the freeway later in the day to take photographs and measurements.

"I just hope they find out what happened," Michael Cox said. "If it’s a random shot from a hunter, that’s all the more reason to keep them from hunting in this area."

Knisley was the mother of two adult sons and grandmother of two.

Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call detectives with the sheriff’s office at 614-462-3333.

Dispatch reporter Jill Riepenhoff contributed to this story.

bcadwallader@dispatch.com

dnarciso@dispatch.com

[midwestmidnight]

Search before posting. This is already floating around here.

[Damocles]

My first thought was a stray shot from a hunter. I always dread driving past state land during gun season. Some real morons are out without any concept of what is behind their target.

I certainly hope it was an accident...

[Republicus2001]

Nation of Islam again - such a peaceful religion

[Fudd]

I doubt it was a hunter's shot. At least a hunter playing by the rules. That area of Columbus is relatively undeveloped, but a lot of it is City of Columbus which, if memory serves, doesn't allow hunting. It sounds like some ***hole in south Columbus is taking potshots at cars - there are residential areas within walking distance of the freeway in the area of the shooting.

The juristictional confusion is understandable. City of Columbus in the lands just north of the freeways, Grove City just south, and the freeway itself unincorporated.

[SwinneySwitch]

Get a rope.

[eno_]

What would they be hunting with a rifle in a populated area? If the only legal hunting is with deer slugs, then the rifle bullet was more likely to be intentional.

[eno_]

Good thing we have all those white guy in a white van handouts left over from last time.

[smith288]

Im thinking of the area where bikers and quad riders use....is that about the right area? I live just off 62/3 exit inside the outerbelt.

[Damocles]

Martin would not speculate on the type of weapon that killed Knisley.

I didn't see where a rifle had been identified as the weapon in question...

[raynearhood]

It does say there was a hole the size of a quarter, though. If it was a handgun it was a big one, maybe a .44 or a .50, but both would need armour piercing or steel jacketed rounds. Very illegal, and very hard to come by. Otherwise ballistic expansion would have exploded the inside of the door. I think people are just extrapolating. For that kind of power a 30-30 or 30-6 is most likely.

[eno_]

As has been pointed out by other posters, the circumstances make it very likely it was a rifle. If it was a rifle, it was probably not an accident. If it was not an accident... maybe we have a Religion of Peace enthusiast "celebrating" Eid. Good thing the Post Office printed up those stamps.

[gundog]

...armour piercing or steel jacketed rounds. Very illegal, and very hard to come by.

Does this apply to rounds generally regarded as "handgun ammo?" There are a lot of imported cartridges which are copper over steel over lead.

[CharlotteVRWC]

Wow...this is close to my family in Columbus/Grove City,,,I pass up Rte 23, and then onto I-270 going to my Mom's house ....guess I'll have to find an alternate route when I go up there for Christmas, if they haven't caught the guy by then.

[Indie]

More here. It's beginning to look like much more than a coincidence. Much of this area seems to be rural in the southern part: FOX NEWS LINK 11.28.2003

[mtbopfuyn]

Thanks for the link. It does sound like another crazed sniper. Be careful out there, folks.

A few years ago, Mr. M was driving home from work in a rural area and a bullet barely missed him and broke out the passenger window. The sheriff's department wouldn't investigate because it was supposed it was a hunter who could have been several fence lines away from the road. A millisecond later and the sheriff would have had a whole lot more on his hands.

[river rat]

Chief Moose is still looking for work....

Hire him, if you'd like another 10 people killed before he admits the facts of the case..

Semper Fi

[Bloodhawk83]

all bullets are copper over steel or led. mostly led but the old military rounds like the 8mm Mauser have steel centers. neither are illegal. armor piercing bullets are Teflon coated steel but rifles don't usually have them because is makes them very inaccurate due to the weight and hardness which will destroy the riffling and the weight will decrease distance.

[Bloodhawk83]

Don't give this looser the satisfaction of being called a sniper. Snipers are skilled marksmen, and this person obviously hasn't a bit of skill. I mean really cars and houses, for a real sniper this is no challenge. The one casualty was most likely an accident. So don't insult or military snipers or encourage this trigger happy fool by calling him/her a sniper. Thanx

[twilliams1797]

the so-called sniper is still going on as of today, , the other day he hit a house 2 blocks from me, they found a bullet in the bathtub, and verified it as from the same gun..
this idiot is not a sniper, this is some fool going around doing the equivilent(in his mind) of shooting street signs and mailboxes.. with all the publicity and news coverage I can't see how this guy thinks he can get away with it.. ...
a true story : about 13 years ago my son was walking up the alley where we lived on the Hilltop (Columbus west side) and some kid shot at him with a bb gun, hitting him in the elbow.
My son, being stubborn and angry went after the kid, kicking at him with his boots, breaking a bone in the kids hand..
we called the cops, reported the crime, and thats all we evr heard about it, We know the kid had a broken bone because we saw him with a cast later.. anyway about 2 years later, we saw a newsbit about how a kid was shooting at a playground from an attic window, and was caught, being sent to TICO until he was 21..
I think that maybe the police should look at their old files and see what that kid has been doing with himself lately...
if it isn't the same kid, its the same spirit..
BTW my son still has the BB in his elbow.


2Co 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)