Thursday, March 30, 2000
Gunman sought in fatal I-75 shooting
Shooter fired in noon traffic at victim's car
BY SARA J. BENNETT and LEISA RICHARDSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Elliott
|
LOCKLAND — Noontime traffic was moving steadily on I-75 Wednesday when a dark-colored car pulled alongside a red Nissan 300ZX.
As the cars cruised side-by-side, leaving Lockland's distinctive concrete canyon behind, a passenger in the dark car suddenly thrust a large handgun out the window, fired at the Nissan's driver — six times, maybe eight — then sped away.
The Nissan slowed, then veered to the right and bounced off the curb.
Inside, Anthony Elliot, 19, of Westwood, slumped, mortally wounded with a bullet in his head. A passenger leaped from the car, paused a few seconds, then climbed a fence and ran.
As he fled, the car slowly drifted back across three lanes of interstate, the victim still inside, stopping against a guardrail on the other side.
Lockland police closed southbound lanes for more than three hours Wednesday afternoon as they began investigating who shot Mr. Elliot and why.
Mr. Elliot died shortly before 9 p.m. at University Hospital without ever regaining consciousness.
“Very possibly, the driver knew the shooter,” said Lockland Police Chief Ken Johnson.
There was no hint of road rage. Witnesses said both cars were driving the speed limit, and neither made erratic moves before the shooting started.
Besides seeking the gunman and the driver of the dark car, police searched for the passenger in Mr. Elliot's vehicle, whom police later identified as Bryon Hyde, 29, of Lincoln Heights. Early today, Lockland police said they had found him.
Police had spoken with him briefly when he called a friend on a cell phone at the hospital while Mr. Elliot was being treated.
Marten Rooster, 44, of Anderson Township, was driving behind Mr. Elliot's car. He called 911 after the shooting unfolded and watched as the Nissan veered into the guardrail.
“I saw a black male jump out of the car. He was in his mid-twenties,” Mr. Rooster said. “He ... stood there a few seconds, jumped the fence and ran.”
No one else was injured in the incident, which was remarkable according to authorities and some witnesses.
“It's lucky no one got hit with a car going across three lanes of traffic at 12:05 in the afternoon,” Chief Johnson said.
Tim Gerbus, president of Moxy Trucks of America Inc., heard shooting from his office, which overlooks the interstate. He thought it was a car backfiring.
He looked out his window to see Mr. Elliot's car nearly hit a bronze-colored car driven by a woman.
“The lady (in the bronze-colored car) was probably very lucky she didn't get killed,” Mr. Gerbus said.
“And I think we were very lucky we didn't get bullets in any of the cars in our facility. It's a very freaky thing to see something like that happen right outside your window.”
Court records show that Mr. Elliot , was charged in December with misdemeanor drug abuse involving marijuana. He had a similar charge in February. He was due to appear in court Friday on a drug possession charge filed by Cincinnati Police on March 14.
Police had only a sketchy description of the shooter's car and its license plate number, Chief Johnson said, although several witnesses had called to offer help identifying the vehicle.
As investigators did their work at the shooting scene, just north of Lockland's border with Arlington Heights, traffic was re-routed from the closed interstate along South Cooper Avenue through a narrow exit cut into a retaining wall. At least one minor collision occurred as semi-
trucks and cars attempted to navigate the narrow turn.
Cincinnati police are helping with the investigation, Chief Johnson said. Departments helping at the scene included Springfield Township, Arlington Heights, Woodlawn and Lincoln Heights.
Anybody with information should call Lockland police at 761-1699 or Crime Stoppers at 352-3040. Police are especially interested in descriptions of the getaway vehicle and its occupants.
Sheila McLaughlin contributed to this report
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