Police Link Latest Shooting at Virginia Shopping Center to Washington Area Sniper; Police Have Description of Suspicious Person
ANNOUNCER: This a CNN special report. Live from Washington: Connie Chung.</s>CONNIE CHUNG, HOST: Good evening. I'm Connie Chung. Police today linked the latest shooting at a Virginia shopping center last night to the 10 others by the Washington area sniper. Late today, police, based on eyewitness accounts, say they have a description of a suspicious person or people at the scene. Eyewitnesses also gave police partial license plate information. In addition, a new description and composite of the sniper's van has been released today as well. And this late development: The Pentagon is getting involved, agreeing to lend its airborne surveillance capabilities to the hunt for the sniper. We'll have full details on all aspects and every angle of this story. But first, let's get right to CNN's Ed Lavandera at the scene of last night's shooting in Falls Church, Virginia, at the Seven Corners shopping mall -- Ed.</s>ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Connie, the Home Depot parking lot is the structure that you see behind me. It was almost 24 hours ago Linda Franklin was murdered by what authorities now believe is the D.C. area sniper that has been terrorizing this area for the last 13 days. And as you mentioned off the top, in this case, they have strong witnesses. They have found -- gotten information on partial license plate information, which could be a very significant break, if that is able to come through for authorities. But, at this point, it's not enough to pass on to the public. So authorities here continue to do their investigation. They've been working the area here, combing the area, working for -- looking for clues and evidence that might be around this area. Sources have told CNN that the sniper or the suspect's vehicle was leaving the area. And there's more information on that that we've learned from sources throughout the day.</s>TOM MANGER, FAIRFAX CO. POLICE CHIEF: There was some additional information that we were able to get from last night's case. And I am confident that, ultimately, that information is going to lead us to an arrest in this case.</s>LAVANDERA: The Home Depot parking lot appears well-protected. Concrete walls and a restaurant building block the view through the sides of the two-story parking structure. The best view of where Linda Franklin was murdered is from across Route 50. Sources tell CNN it's believed the suspect's vehicle left the scene driving east on Route 50 toward downtown Washington, then made a U-turn and disappeared on to the 495 Beltway. Despite surveillance helicopters and roadblocks, where every vehicle was stopped, the sniper got away again.</s>MANGER: There are a fair number of ways to leave that area. We had officers in the area as quickly as we could in an attempt to get any information we could about folks that were in that area.</s>LAVANDERA: Witnesses at this scene describe seeing a light- colored Chevy Astro van like this one, with a ladder rack and the left rear taillight out. But at task force headquarters in Montgomery County, Maryland, investigators also released composite images of a van seen at the Exxon gas station shooting in Fredericksburg, Virginia, last Friday. Authorities are looking for one vehicle, but witnesses had different takes on what that van looked like. It's evident authorities have found some of the most useful witnesses since the sniper killing started. But despite this, there is still not enough to release a sketch of a suspect.</s>CHARLES MOOSE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY POLICE CHIEF: If we have information that we feel needs to be in the public arena, would be helpful in the case, we will present that information.</s>LAVANDERA: Now, Connie, to give you an idea of what the situation was like here last night just after the shooting had occurred, we talked about the rapid police response that came into this area. But most of the traffic that was backed up and where the inspections were going on, the roadblocks had been set up, was on the eastbound part of Route 50 heading into downtown Washington. We drove out to this scene last night on the westbound part of Route 50 and had no trouble getting here, as traffic was -- there was no one along the way blocking driving maneuvers along that part of the highway -- Connie, back to you.</s>CHUNG: All right, Ed Lavandera in Falls Church tonight, thank you. Now on the new development: that police believe they have enough to go on to put together a possible description of the sniper or snipers. As for the motive, could it be terrorism? Well, the Bush administration says it's not ruling out such a link, but local police seem to be. CNN's justice correspondent, Kelli Arena, broke this story about a composite sketch that might emerge later. Kelli, what can you tell us about it and how police have been putting it together?</s>KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, law enforcement sources tell us that they have three separate accounts from two different locations, one of those locations being the site of last night's shooting, where witnesses described seeing a male, an olive- to dark-skinned male in a white van. One of those witnesses, though, described seeing two dark-skinned males in a white van. They are working with investigators, trying to get a sketch put together. But I have to say that law enforcement sources have warned us along the way that these individual -- the individual or individuals may have absolutely nothing to do with the sniper attacks. They are people that witnesses saw on the scene. They may have very legitimate reasons for being there. They have to get a sketch together, figure out who it is that they are dealing with, and then try to figure out what that person was doing at that location at that time.</s>CHUNG: Question them, at least.</s>ARENA: Yes.</s>CHUNG: Now, I think that something that has been on the minds of all of us is, Washington, of course, was a target on 9/11. There was the anthrax attack. Could this be a terrorist organization, even al Qaeda, somehow connected with it?</s>ARENA: They're not closing the door. Officials are not closing the door on that. However, there is absolutely no evidence, not one shred of evidence to suggest that this is a terror-related attack, terrorism as has been defined in the last 12 months, since September 11. Investigators point out two issues. They say, No. 1, al Qaeda terrorists do not leave tarot cards on the scene with, "Dear Policeman, I am God" on it.</s>CHUNG: Although -- may I interject -- that may not have been the actual sniper.</s>ARENA: Right. It might not have been, but they are operating on that belief that it was. And secondly, usually by this time, if it is a terror organization involved, someone takes credit. They are fighting for a cause. They are attacking for a reason. So they will communicate in some way to say: "Hey, this is why we're doing this. This is what we're about." They've had no communication. So investigators do not believe that that is what we're dealing with at this time, although they have not closed the door -- but no evidence. And that's really what we have to deal with.</s>CHUNG: And very quickly, just in five seconds, the FBI is not heading up this investigation, as we understand it. The FBI is helping. Why isn't it coordinating and overseeing this investigation?</s>ARENA: Well, state, local and federal law enforcement are equal partners in this effort. You have 400, though, FBI agents. This does not mean that you don't have the full force of the federal government involved in this investigation: 400 agents, 250 ATF agents and analysts. You have Secret Service, you have DEA, you have the U.S. Marshals all involved in some capacity in this investigation, either providing manpower or laboratories or equipment to bring to bear here. So they are equal partners, state, local and federal, are involved.</s>CHUNG: Kelli Arena, thank you. We mentioned earlier that the Pentagon will be assisting in the search for the killer. It's a highly unusual step and it's being shrouded in a good deal of secrecy. CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr broke this story as well. And she's here to tell us about it. We obviously have received the word from Secretary Rumsfeld that the military will be connected to it. But here's Barbara Starr's report.</s>BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The plan calls for the military to provide reconnaissance and surveillance equipment that might be used to try and quickly find the sniper within moments of a next attack. In addition, advanced communications gear will be used to allow the authorities to react faster. Law enforcement authorities will request the equipment as needed but the military will have a tightly-controlled role. Troops will only operate the equipment, passing data to law enforcement authorities who would be alongside. It would be up to civilian authorities to chase and arrest any suspect. Under the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, the military is prohibited from any role in domestic law enforcement. This is not the first time the military has assisted in law enforcement, however. For several years, troops have worked alongside civilian authorities in drug interdiction, looking for suspects but not participating in actual arrests.</s>STARR: Now, Connie, tonight the Pentagon has said they are going to use airborne reconnaissance and surveillance platforms. But they have asked the news media not to reveal any specific details about the exact type of equipment being used for fear of jeopardizing the investigation. And they emphasize that civilian law enforcement remains completely in charge of this investigation. But if the sniper does strike again, the military is now ready to join the hunt -- Connie.</s>CHUNG: Barbara, how rare is this?</s>STARR: Well, as our report indicated, there have been these types of assistance activities, specifically in drug interdiction. But there's never been a law enforcement case exactly like this one. The military, we now know, had been working on this package of assistance for the last couple of days. They wanted to wait until civilian law enforcement really felt they needed it. And now apparently that has happened. And we expect to see some of this to begin being offered up as soon as possibly as tomorrow.</s>CHUNG: All right, thank you, Barbara Starr, at the Pentagon. The nerve center for the sniper hunt is in Montgomery County, Maryland. CNN's Wolf Blitzer has been there in Rockville covering the investigation every step of the way today. And he's there tonight. Wolf, tell us, you just heard Kelli Arena report that police are trying to put together a composite sketch of someone they would like to question. Have you received any word about it? That story is from sources. Have you received any definitive word from Montgomery County?</s>WOLF BLITZER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they would love very much to be able to release a picture, a composite illustration, of the suspect or suspects involved in this. And they've got some eyewitness accounts of the individual or individuals who may be involved in these sniping attacks. But, at this point, they don't have enough hard eyewitness accounts that could justify releasing a sketch of an individual. And, as a result, they haven't done it yet. But you better believe they would love to do that. They did release here today in Rockville, Maryland, two photographs of these two vans that we're seeing. These are images, sketches of the Chevy Astro van, as well as Ford Econoline, with these luggage racks on top that were described variously by eyewitnesses. Remember, Connie, earlier in the week, they released this box- like truck that was also seen at one of the shootings. So they have got various vehicles they are looking for, but they don't have a good illustration of a suspect yet. Once they do, they'll be releasing that. You can count on that.</s>CHUNG: Wolf, there are so many agencies involved in this investigation. You have Maryland, Virginia, D.C., ATF, FBI. How is Chief Moose of Montgomery County managing all of these organizations? As we just heard, the FBI is not taking it over.</s>BLITZER: The Montgomery County police chief, who works right behind me here in Montgomery County, he's in overall charge. Remember, the first five deaths occurred right here in Montgomery County. There have been four others since then, one in the District of Columbia, three now in Virginia. But he's in overall charge. He has got an enormous amount of assistance from the ATF, the FBI, as well as all the other jurisdictions, all of the other counties. But he's taking the lead right now. There's apparently no desire, no inclination to go ahead and put the FBI in charge. The FBI agent in charge here in Montgomery County, Gary Bald, says repeatedly that they are not considering that, at least not now. And that has not changed as a result of the death today -- last night, actually -- of Linda Franklin, an FBI analyst, who was killed by coincidence at that Home Depot out in Virginia.</s>CHUNG: All right, Wolf Blitzer, thank you. Coming up: the eyewitness accounts, what they saw, why so many questions remain unanswered; plus, a talk with one woman who can tell us about the latest sniper hit -- when we return.