TESTS LINK ALL 3 WEST VIRGINIA SHOOTING DEATHS

UK Guardian ^ | August 21, 2003 | John Raby

[prarie earth]

Investigators Thursday said that ballistic tests showed all three victims in a series of sniper style slayings at area convenience stores were killed by the same weapon.

Charleston Police Chief Jerry Pauley said all the victims, who all were shot in the head or neck last week, were killed by a .22 caliber rifle.

'It does link the three bullets together. They all three came from the same weapon,' Pauley said at an evening news conference. Now that we know it came from the same weapon, we've got a direction to go in.'

Based on witness accounts, investigators are looking for a dark colored two tone F-150 extended cab pickup that was seen at the last two slayings.

[prarie earth]

Sleeper cell from Johnny Mohammad's church in Virginia?

[ErnBatavia]

Somebody's gotta be a halfway decent marksman to be able to kill with a .22 - the head shots weren't lucky plinks, I'd guess.

[SSN558]

Somebody's gotta be a halfway decent marksman to be able to kill with a .22 - the head shots weren't lucky plinks, I'd guess.

Four inch groups are a piece of cake at 100 yards, with most rimfire .22 rifles. What I find baffling is one of these still having enough bullet energy to make a lethal wound at those kind of distances.

[OneTime]

I haven't seen it stated whether this was rimfire or not.

My assumption is that it was from reading the statement, but there are many .22 centerfire cartridges also.

[Myrddin]

The interview on the 6 PM news said it is definitely a .22 caliber CENTERFIRE rifle. That still leaves a broad range of cartridge possibilities. Rimfire is out of the picture now.

[OneTime]

Thanks.

[blam]

Does this mean that the drug motivated theory is out now?

[GOP_Proud]

It's still the same crimes. It shouldn't change their theory.

Early this morning I made a flippant remark about the question one message asked about the truck getting away. That question was about how that's possible in this day of helicopters.

Yes, the WV State Police do have helicopters. I can verify that. I've told everyone I live in Dunbar. The state police academy is about a mile from me. Their choppers fly over often. My flippant comment (helicopters? what helicopters?) was made because I know very well that those helicopters are spending 99% of their time shuttling VIPs across the state and not shining lights on a running suspects. Just a clarification.

My remark that we have several "Barney Fifes here without one Andy" stands with no clarification. That's the gosh, darn truth, which is why I am thanful everyday that we have a very low crime rate.

[Atlas Sneezed]

There are a bazillion 22 rounds, only one of which is the familiar .22 "long rifle" known to kids and plinkers for generations.

Here are some:
22 Hornet
22 K-Hornet
218 Bee
221 Remington Fireball
222 Remington
223 Remington
5.56x45mm NATO
222 Remington Magnum
22 PPC
5.6x50mm Magnum
219 Donaldson Wasp
219 Zipper
225 Winchester
224 Weatherby Magnum
22-250 Remington
220 Swift
5.6x57mm RWS
223 Winchester Super Short Magnum
5.6x52mm R (22 Savage High Power)

Then there are the 22 rimfire cartridges...

And the wildcats...

[Atlas Sneezed]

Bang

[wardaddy]

just conjecture but wouldn't we sort of guess that in West Virginia that the cops and I dare say even some media folks who know that .22 Rimfire and the other .22 calibers can be incredibly different.

I can see a cop in WV saying 22 meaning LR and if he meant .223 or .220 Swift, he'd say so....maybe. This is not MaryLand.

It could be .22WMR which is pretty sporting out to that range easily and the minute bullet diameter difference from LR could be hard to discern after a shot.

I was shot in the ear with a .22 LR at about 60-70 yards and obviously...it was not lethal.

[GOP_Proud]

Instead of a "chicken in every pot", this is the land of a "gun in every home". If a mistake was made, I'd say someone just misspoke, and was not ignorant.

We may be backward about a lot of things but guns and ammo ain't it.

[wardaddy]

Ya'll are fine with me....and I know damn well yall know firearms....which is a good thing.

[wardaddy]

LOL.....is there any link other than rounds?

[MD_Willington_1976]

a .22...thats funny all of the news stations I've seen show a picture of either an AK-47 with a huge magazine or a decked out SKS (with huge magazine and scope) when they introduce the story... I guess a pic of a ruger 1022 just doesn't convey shock and awe as well as the bigger guns...