Serial sniper suspected in convenience store killings in W.Va. (same caliber and class of weapon)

Daily Press ^ | 8/15/03 | JOEDY McCREARY

[stlnative]

Serial sniper suspected in convenience store killings in W.Va.

By JOEDY McCREARY Associated Press Writer

August 15 2003

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Bullets that killed three victims this week outside Kanawha County convenience stores were fired from the same caliber and class of weapon, police said Friday night, but they stopped short of saying they were fired from the same gun.

"All three balls had the same characteristics," Kanawha County Sheriff Dave Tucker said after getting ballistics results from a State Police crime lab. "But we can't say for sure it's the same gun."

Police warned residents not to visit convenience stores alone and stepped up patrols Friday, saying a single shooter could be responsible for the deaths of the three people in and around West Virginia's capital.

CLICK LINK ABOVE FOR FULL ARTICLE

[aristeides]

Head shots another similarity with the D.C. snipers.

[Travis McGee]

Right, but if something like a 7mm was used that did not expand and fragment, the police would say "we have recovered a 7mm slug."

If it did blow up on impact, a 7mm would have almost cut a person in half.

We're all just guessing, your mileage may vary.

[Travis McGee]

But the ranges are much closer, 30 and 70 yards. Hopefully the shooter (most likely his vehicle) will be on video.

[spunkets]

"Most military ammo is "ball" meaning Full Metal Jacket (FMJ)."

Ball refers to the shape of the propellant charge particles. There is ball powders and extruded. The extruded is shaped like little cylinders.

[Travis McGee]

Don't pay attention to the particulars in a new report such as "ball".

Reporters don't know rifles from shotguns, they take bad notes, work from faulty memory, and don't have a clue about the details of firearms facts.

[stlnative]

It makes me wonder if he is leaving some type of calling card at the scenes also and they are being quiet about it again.

[spunkets]

"The darn bullets went right through and didn't expand or leave a large exit wound."

There's too much air in there. The rest is all slippery strings. Fill it with water next time and watch it explode.

[Shooter 2.5]

Not in this case. CPOSharky is correct that the officer may have been referring to Ball Ammo which is Military Full Metal Jacket.

He also may have been referring to the Ballistics Test itself. BALListics.

[sheik yerbouty]

If he could get one. Not enough info yet.

[spunkets]

Yea, I know. I didn't read the story, just commenting about the ball term on the ammo. I hope some citizen eyes the creep while he's taking aim and pops him.

[sheik yerbouty]

To throw off the scent for awhile..

[BenLurkin]

"Reporters don't know rifles from shotguns, they take bad notes, work from faulty memory, and don't have a clue about the details of firearms facts."

[Travis McGee]

My guess is he's on surveillance video, and they'll run down his vehicle. (I hope.)

[spunkets]

The FMJ refers to the bullet. The ball on mil spec refers to the powder type. In the early 20th century when the ordinace guys were testing smokeless powders for small arms ammo, ball was just easier to handle than extruded. They generally found no diff in performance. The extruded stuff was referred to as cordite. The officer could be refering to the bullet though. Most folks don't know the details of smokeless powders, or their history. The original posders in the '03/'06 30cals had too much nitroglycerin. They'd burn the barrel's throat right up.

The civil war era conical was called a minnie ball. That ball term has stuck more or less.

[mountaineer]

Suspect still unidentified
Officials swamped with tips
following shooting deaths

George Gannon
Daily Mail staff

Saturday August 16, 2003; 09:40 AM


Local law enforcement officials said today they are blanketing the area with officers where a suspected serial-type killer fatally shot two victims at Eastern Kanawha County convenience stores.

Metro 911 has been swamped with 200 calls and tips from concerned residents since Thursday evening's fatal shootings at the Speedway in Campbells Creek and the Go-Mart in Cedar Grove.

No new shootings had been reported as of late this morning, and no arrest had been made.

Police were looking for a black extended cab pickup truck with gold trim driven by a large white male that was spotted near the scene of the shootings, said Phil Morris, chief deputy for the Kanawha County Sheriff's Department.

Bullets taken from the crime scenes were analyzed by the State Police's crime lab and it appears they have similar ballistic characteristics, Morris said.

The bullets taken from the shooting at the Speedway in Campbells Creek and bullets taken from the shooting that occurred earlier this week outside a Charleston Go-Mart were "very similar," he said.

"It looks like they came from the same weapon," Morris said today.

Rest of story (mostly rehashes previous reports): http://www.dailymail.com/news/News/2003081611/

[VOA]

bump

[rockfish59]

A Colt Navy?

[rockfish59]

Thanks guys!

I know the term, but Travis is right about the so-called 'reporters'

I call it 'DEADLINE JUMBLED FACT SYNDROME'

[rockfish59]

70 yards! 'That was a difficult shot, no doubt!'

Not at all, even with iron sights.
I had a Saddam target set up at 200 yards and a guy with a scoped 300 mag. dotted both his eyes and pierced both his ears!

If only it were the real thing!

[mountaineer]

Why diss the reporter, who only was quoting the sheriff who called the particular ammunition "ball"? (I happen to have met this reporter - nice guy and a good writer).