Copycat Sniper Strikes West Virginia...

[southerngale]

CHARLESTON, W. Va. — In shootings bearing an eerie resemblance to the sniper-style attacks that plagued the Washington, D.C., region last fall, two people were killed in separate incidents Thursday, just four days after a similar killing of another man.

A man and a woman were shot outside Kanawha County convenience stores late Thursday.

Kanawha County authorities said the shootings appeared to be random but that a single shooter could be responsible for the deaths. Police have not identified the weapon or weapons used.

At about 10:20 p.m. Thursday, a woman was shot while pumping gas at a SuperAmerica store in Campbells Creek. County dispatchers said witnesses heard a gunshot but saw no one, reported West Virginia's Charleston Gazette.

The woman's body was covered with a sheet as she lay dead next to her red Pontiac Firebird.

The second shooting happened a little more than an hour later — while police were investigating the woman's death — 10 miles away outside a Go-Mart in Cedar Grove on U.S. 60.

That person died and the body was lying covered with a sheet early Thursday, while a maroon pickup truck was parked nearby in the lot, the Gazette reported.

George Carrier Jr. 34, of South Charleston, was shot in the head and killed Sunday night while using a pay telephone outside a Charleston Go-Mart.

Lt. J.S. Bailes, Kanawha County sheriff's spokesman, had few details about the killings.

But all the victims were killed late at night while at gas stations and all of them reportedly died from single gunshot wounds to the head. Authorities have not confirmed that.

There are apparently striking differences in witness descriptions of the possible suspect's vehicle.

Late Thursday, police across the area were alerted to increase patrols around stores with gas pumps. Police are looking for a black pickup truck with gold trim seen leaving the Cedar Grove store and a dark-green or blue Chevrolet Corsica from the Campbells Creek shooting.

Kanawha County sheriff's deputies were questioning store employees and customers late Thursday but would not release any further information.

Campbells Creek resident Rick Clay told the Gazette that his 16-year-old son, Cody Ryan Clay, had tried to resuscitate the Speedway victim. Cody and his grandmother said they heard one shot and ran to the store from their adjacent residence.

Rand resident Arietta King said she saw a blue Chevrolet Corsica go speeding past her on Campbells Creek Drive, about a half-mile from the store, the Gazette reported. She then came upon the woman’s body, lying on the ground next to her car.

The Charleston Daily Mail reported Friday that the father of the slain woman has identified her as Jeannie Patton of Campbells Creek.

Larry Patton said he learned of his daughter's death from friends who apparently saw her body on a television news report.

WCHS-TV reported that Thursday's male victim has been identified as Okey Meadows Junior.

Kanawha County Chief Deputy Phil Morris voiced concern Friday about the resemblance between the deaths and last year's sniper shootings in the nation's capital region.

Residents were advised Friday not to travel alone to convenience stores and to keep their eyes open, Morris said.

The shootings came less than a year after two snipers randomly shot men and women of all backgrounds and races in Washington and its suburbs. Many of the victims were performing everyday tasks like pumping gas and walking through parking lots at Home Depot and Michael's craft store.

The D.C. sniper shootings left 10 people dead and three others wounded over a three-week span.

Lee Boyd Malvo, 18, and his alleged accomplice, 42-year-old John Allen Muhammad, are being charged in the case.

[JetMaxx]

Dear Lord...people are so twisted and evil nowadays -- it's getting dangerous to even leave the house

[bfez1]

How awful. Hope this isn't another round of random sniper attacks! People are losing it, to much pressure, the world is going crazy.

[wx247]

I heard this on the CBS Evening News With Dan Rather this evening. What a terrible thing. I hope everyone there uses precautions.

[streetsoldier]

I wonder if this sniper isn't doing "practice" shootings...getting his skill and courage up... before going after Jessica Lynch?

[JetMaxx]

I know it's a horrific thought, but I'm wondering the same thing Bill...there are a lot of sick, crazy people out there (I recieved three death threats over the small website I created in her honor; and other webmasters of sites in Jessi's honor reported the same thing to me...about recieving threats and hate mail).

I've seen so many hateful, repulsive, and sickening things posted about Jessica and her family on the internet.....it honestly makes me wonder if some sicko is
targeting her--using other innocent folks for "target practice"

It's only about an hour drive from Charleston to the small West Virginia town where Jessi lives

[nystate]

I wonder if this sniper isn't doing "practice" shootings...getting his skill and courage up... before going after Jessica Lynch?

I really doubt it. Why would anyone want to kill her? Nobody tried to kill other former POWs like Mike Durant after he got home, and he was (arguably) more famous than Jessica.

[streetsoldier]

nystate, re-read Perry's comments above; I've been watching the precautions the authorities have taken re: Jessi, and this is well within speculation that someone...an anti-war "nut", Islamic sympathizer, perhaps some sicko with a Jessica Lynch obsession, etc. may be doing just what I mentioned.

All it takes is one unguarded second to line up the sights and squeeze off a round...and I've "been there" before (ex-cop, in case you didn't know).

[nystate]

nystate, re-read Perry's comments above; I've been watching the precautions the authorities have taken re: Jessi, and this is well within speculation that someone...an anti-war "nut", Islamic sympathizer, perhaps some sicko with a Jessica Lynch obsession, etc. may be doing just what I mentioned.

I read Perry's post...people who would want to kill Jessi are just sick. Its not like she wanted all of the intention. After thinking carefully, I have had a change of heart. I think it is possible, but I think these killings are random acts.

All it takes is one unguarded second to line up the sights and squeeze off a round...and I've "been there" before (ex-cop, in case you didn't know).

No, I didn't know that. I think that you (and every other person in law enforcement and emergency services) are heroes. Every day you guys might have to put your lives on the line...

[southerngale]

Sniper Investigators Join W.Va. Probe

Aug 18, 3:41 PM (ET)
By JOEDY McCREARY

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Investigators who worked on last year's Washington sniper shootings have joined the probe into three fatal shootings in the Charleston area, authorities said Monday.

"We have the agents that worked that particular case," Kanawha County Sheriff Dave Tucker said at a Monday afternoon briefing. "They're on board with us and giving us some good advice, which we're following." Tucker said the investigators have "supplied us with vital information. They have been on the front line with that case."

Two residents from Campbells Creek, an unincorporated valley community near Charleston, were killed Thursday - one in the town itself - and police said their deaths, along with a killing earlier last week in Charleston, could be the work of a single shooter.

Over the weekend, police stepped up their patrols and conducted door-to-door interviews in Campbells Creek, hoping to calm fearful residents.


As night fell Sunday, five patrol cars patrolled the area - usually a job undertaken by two units.

"It has a calming effect on the public," Chief Deputy Phil Morris said.

All three killings had been after dark near gas stations or convenience stores. Morris recommended that residents do their shopping during the day and not go to gas stations at night alone.

Police stopped black trucks with tinted windows and extended cabs; witnesses described seeing such a vehicle at the shootings. Authorities also were scrutinizing video from surveillance cameras.

"There is no suspect at this point," Morris said Sunday.

Pat O'Connor said the increased patrols made him think that investigators believe the shooter lives in the Campbells Creek neighborhood. "It makes you leery of being outside," O'Connor said.

O'Connor said his family had gathered Sunday night to prepare for the funeral of his newborn daughter, Katie, who died Thursday, the same night Jeanie Patton, 31, and Okey Meadows Jr., 26, both of Campbells Creek, were slain.

Already fearful for his family in the area, O'Connor said he now must warn other relatives traveling from as far away as Florida for the funeral.

"I told them to make sure to gas up before they get here. And when they do to make sure they don't see a black truck in the parking lot," O'Connor said.

The first victim was Gary Carrier Jr., 44, of South Charleston, who was shot in the head Aug. 10 while using a pay telephone outside a gas station on Charleston's west side.

The shootings were an immediate reminder of the sniper attacks last fall in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana. Two men were arrested and accused of shooting 19 people, killing 13 and wounding six.

Morris has given out his private office number in hopes that more witnesses - or even the shooter - will come forward. He said the only physical description authorities have in the case is of a large, white male seen at one shooting.

"It's not the best ID in the world, but its the best we have," said Morris.

[Anonymous]

Last year, the DC Sniper struck fear into an area from Washington DC down along Interstate 95 in Virginia clear down to Ashland, Virginia, near Richmond. I am beginning to have flashbacks of that time. It began in late September last year.

Before long that sniper had struck so much fear into people's hearts, that folks were trying to crouch next to their cars while they pumped gas. I personally saw people run into their cars. This is the time of year that the children have their outdoor games. Many football games had to be cancelled. Everyone was scared real bad here in Woodbridge after the sniper shot someone in Manassas, which is only 9 miles from where I live.

We were almost too scared to turn on the news because it seemed that every day there was a new shooting. The most simplest things, like just walking from your job to your car became a life and death gamble. The sniper last year made people scared to go outside and thus the retail industry took a hit as well.

This individual needs to be caught very soon. None of us needs to go through this nonsense again.

Trust me, it's an ordeal.


-Jeb

[TexasStooge]

Oh, boy! Here we go again with those sniper attacks!

[Guest]

I have to add to Bfez's thoughts on this.....society as a whole is feeling more pressure - stressed out - seems like there are more and more killings being reported on TV. Angry American?

With the high profile that the Snipers last year received - it won't be hard to find someone wanting the attention in a sadistic and violent way.

[JetMaxx]

I don't watch much news on tv anymore....it's nothing but the murder report, and too graphic for my taste (especially at dinnertime). There was a young man yesterday that robbed a metro area bank (shots were fired in the bank), then carjacked a vehicle in the parking lot, led cops on a high speed chase....and ended up in a two-hour standoff sitting on the front porch of some innocent woman's home in Dekalb county.

He apparently had a death wish, because he suddenly and inexplicably picked up the gun he'd lay down and fired at the SWAT team, who immediately returned fire, killing him...shot him over 20 times.

While they didn't show the video of him being shot to death on the evening newscasts -- they went as far as showing him firing the shot at officers...and you can hear all the return fire in the audio...which ended his life. I'm honestly surprised they didn't show him being shot to death...for higher ratings

When I want news, I can read Drudge and WSB-TV.com. That way I can eat my lunch and dinner in peace and quiet.

[GalvestonDuck]

*snicker* @ Paul Harvey on the radio. He just made a funny point about the WV sniper.

He said police are on the lookout for a pickup truck...with rifles...in West Virginia. Doh!