Columbus Police Name Suspect in Highway Shootings

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Hunt For Serial Shootings Suspect Continues
McCoy Drives Geo Metro

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A suspect is wanted in connection with the serial shootings, NewsChannel 4 reported.

The task force is looking for Charles A. McCoy Jr. McCoy was charged Monday night with felonious assault out of a shooting incident Dec. 15 on Brown Road.

McCoy, 28, is white, 5 feet 7 inches tall and 185 pounds. He has brown hair and green eyes.

McCoy, whose address is listed as 989 Radbourne Avenue in Columbus, drives a dark green four-door 1999 Geo Metro with a black hood with license plate number CGV7387.

McCoy should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone who sees McCoy should call 911.

Franklin County sheriff's Chief Deputy Steve Martin said law enforcement does not know where McCoy is, but believes he is still in the area.

He said evidence leads them to believe that he is a suspect, but would not say what that evidence is.

Martin said McCoy should be considered armed and dangerous "because we believe he bought another gun."

McCoy's own family and at least one of his guns led to a break in the serial shooting case, NewsChannel 4's Nancy Burton reported.

NewsChannel 4 learned that McCoy left town Friday and that his whereabouts are unknown.

Sources told NewsChannel 4 that McCoy allegedly bought a gun at a local gun store, and that is why he is considered armed and dangerous.

Sources also told NewsChannel 4 that one of McCoy's relatives called the serial shooting task force last week and said he may be involved in the shootings. Sources said the same relative turned over at least one gun -- possibly two -- to the task force. Tests were performed on the weapons. At least one of McCoy's guns was matched by ballistic evidence Monday afternoon to the serial shootings, Burton reported.

Several bins of evidence were removed from McCoy's Radbourne Avenue home Monday night, NewsChannel 4's Duarte Geraldino reported.

Neighbors said McCoy kept to himself, but others said he had a temper, Geraldino reported.

"I have twins," one neighbor said. "He yelled at them when they were outside playing. I called him out about it. Now I'm scared to death."

The neighbor said she never felt comfortable around McCoy.

"I'd see him looking out the window," the neighbor said. "He'd always watch me. I'm so scared now because, you know, my kids go to Hamilton, and that was the school that was shot."

Other neighbors said McCoy constantly complained about noise.

The serial shootings at vehicles and buildings scattered along or near Central Ohio highways began in May, though most have occurred since mid-October. Twenty-four shootings have been linked. Nine of them have been linked by ballistic evidence.

Witnesses to the last shooting on Feb. 14 reported seeing a shot fired from an overpass by a clean-shaven white male in his 30s with dark hair, wearing a hat and sunglasses and driving a small black sedan.

The shooting incident McCoy was charged with Monday night occured Dec. 15 at 901 Brown Road. Two shots were fired from a 9 mm handgun into an occupied home.

Bullets reportedly entered the home, located near Greenlawn Cemetery, and were recovered from a second-floor bathtub by investigators the same day. Neighbors told NewsChannel 4 that they heard three shots fired at about midnight. Two bullet holes were found in the home.

"I heard three shots. Bam! Bam! Bam!" neighbor Charles Hall said. "I pulled the curtain back, looked out and there was a car going south on Brown Road. It was dark. All I could see was tail lights. But it was going pretty fast."

Martin said earlier in the investigation that the shooter may live alone, or has the freedom to come and go at all hours of the day and night. Martin said that if he is employed, he has flexibility to his schedule, NewsChannel 4 reported.

He said the shooter has access to weapons, most likely a handgun, and may have shown the weapon to a close, personal friend or associate.

A reward for information that leads to the arrest and indictment of the shooter or shooters responsible for Gail Knisley's death on Nov. 25 stands at $60,000.

Anyone with information is asked to call (614) 462-4646.

Thanks for the ping, flutters! Hope they catch him soon.

He said evidence leads them to believe that he is a suspect, but would not say what that evidence is.
Sources also told NewsChannel 4 that one of McCoy's relatives called the serial shooting task force last week and said he may be involved in the shootings. Sources said the same relative turned over at least one gun -- possibly two -- to the task force. Tests were performed on the weapons. At least one of McCoy's guns was matched by ballistic evidence Monday afternoon to the serial shootings, Burton reported.
Hmmm... do ya think the evidence could be they had a positive match on the ballistic tests??

Yep, looks like the local media here are gripped with fear - that their story will be gone and they can't whip up any more hysteria about somebody having one of those nasty old guns!