http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A864-2003Aug15.html <b>Rifle Shootings Raise Fear in W.Va. </b> <i>Seemingly Random Killings of 3 at Stores Reminiscent of D.C. Area Sniper Attacks </i> By Jo Becker Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, August 16, 2003; Page B01 West Virginia law enforcement authorities said yesterday that they suspect that a single killer, firing a rifle from a distance, is responsible for three fatal shootings in and near the capital city of Charleston in recent days, a series of attacks reminiscent of the sniper shootings that spread fear through the Washington area last fall. A man and woman were shot late Thursday outside convenience stores near Charleston, in Kanawha County. The killings occurred within 10 miles of each other and about an hour apart. A third man was killed Sunday outside another convenience store in Charleston. Authorities are investigating whether a fourth fatal shooting, outside a Charleston supermarket in March, is linked to what they fear is a random string of killings. The county sheriff, Dave Tucker, said investigators are searching for a black pickup truck with gold trim that witnesses reported seeing at one of the shooting scenes. Witnesses also reported seeing a heavyset white man in the truck. Tucker said investigators believe that a small-caliber rifle was used in the three shootings in the last week. The slugs are being tested to determine whether they came from the same weapon, Tucker said. He said the two victims Thursday night were shot from significant distances, one from about 35 yards, the other from about 70 yards. "We're pretty confident it was a single killer, based on what we know," Tucker said. "The fact that people saw one white male. Plus there's no known relationship between the victims, though that's something we are going back and checking." Officials warned the 200,000 residents of the state's largest county to avoid going alone to convenience stores, especially at night. They said they have formed a "special response" team with the FBI, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and local and state police. The group is similar to the task force formed after the sniper attacks began in the Washington area last October. Ten people were killed and three were wounded in those shootings before investigators arrested two suspects, John Lee Malvo, 18, and John Allen Muhammad, 42, who are awaiting trial. Yesterday, as extra police patrols kept watch on Kanawha County's 900 square miles, anxiety spread through the area, where some of the biggest employers are coal mines and steel mills. There were 10 homicides in the county last year, up from six the year before. "No one here is yet saying that we have a sniper loose -- in fact, police are avoiding that term -- but people here are very, very fearful, and rumors are running amok," said W. Kent Carper, president of the County Commission. "One would have to be concerned about the similarities, and we had to take some of the same precautions." At 10:20 p.m. Thursday, Jeanie Patton, 31, of Charleston was shot in the back of the head as she finished pumping gas at a Speedway station in Campbells Creek, near Charleston. About an hour later, Oakey Meadows, 26, of Charleston was shot in the neck outside a Go-Mart in Cedar Grove. Gary Carrier, 34, of South Charleston was fatally shot in the head Sunday night while using a pay telephone outside a Charleston Go-Mart. Authorities said at a news conference yesterday afternoon that they were reviewing video from surveillance cameras. According to Carper, police are focused on the black pickup, which was seen at the Cedar Grove shooting scene, because witnesses said it appeared suspicious before the shooting. "People were worried because they saw it moving back and forth, prowling the lot, about 20 minutes before one of the shootings," he said. "They discussed what to do but apparently did not call the police."
I saw that kid. What is interesting is that once again nobody seems to care about it in this BBS. The same thing happened last time. but after a day or so people realized the significance. This is probably going to blow up into a big story before we know it. And it is scary if you are resident. It's definately not like the odds of getting hit by lighting like some people were saying last time. It's like being a deer during hunting season. You don't go into the forest if you know there's a rifle in it. You go everywhere but the forest. I feel bad for the residents. When that DC sniper was running around I was lucky enuff to be in Chicago for part of the time. But then I returned and it was kind of scary when I would run each mourning.
