Troopers, Motorists Under The Gun Manhunt Intensifies After At Least Four More Shootings Reported Along I-90

Interstate 90 was a rolling manhunt Thursday as many Spokane commuters, driven to the edge by a series of freeway shootings, were gripped by fear that a sniper had them in his sights.

Prompted by at least four new reported attacks, authorities zoomed from Sunset Hill to Liberty Lake looking for a large man in camouflage clothing, carrying a rifle and a shovel.

They even enlisted an airplane to aid them in their search for the gunman and a red Toyota Landcruiser he is thought to be driving.

For all their efforts, Washington State Patrol troopers couldn’t find the sniper or even confirm that any of Thursday’s reported attacks were the real thing.

But they took each motorist’s complaint seriously.

“We can’t discount anything,” said WSP Lt. Bruce Clark.

A report of a shattered semitruck window triggered the manhunt about 9:20 a.m.

A cashier at the Flying J truck stop at the Broadway interchange told troopers a truck driver had called her to say his passenger-side window was blasted out on I-90 near Argonne Road.

Cashier Shannon Foster said the worried tone in the man’s voice convinced her the shootings had continued.

“Right away I knew it was the freeway sniper,” she said.

Minutes later, the driver called back and told another cashier he was feeling light-headed and bleeding. “He said he had a piece of glass in his neck,” said Noah Yacker, who talked to the man the second time.

The man refused to call police, saying he had a warrant out for his arrest. Troopers said they couldn’t locate the driver or his truck.

Afterward, more than a dozen troopers and sheriff’s deputies combed a grassy area along the freeway between Broadway and Pines. They looked behind buildings, pulled back brush, kicked up leaves.

“We have reason to believe the person might be digging holes where he can hide and shoot from,” Clark said.

A guest at the Quality Inn at Argonne and I-90 called the front desk to report seeing a suspicious man walking in a grassy area between the motel and the freeway about 8:30 a.m.

“He said he was listening to the news about the shootings on the radio when he saw this guy,” said motel spokesman Todd Pugh. “He said, ‘Hey, there’s this individual out here, something looks weird.”’

Deputies said the suspicious man matched the description of the sniper: About 6 feet 2 inches tall, 225 pounds with a scar on his face.

The suspect, who was wearing camouflage clothing, was seen carrying a shovel and a rifle, authorities said. The Landcruiser also was seen twice in the area about the time of the reported shooting, authorities said.

A woman in a dark blue Oldsmobile nervously watched as troopers set up a command post near the Tidyman’s grocery store on Argonne. She was on her way to help escort a semi-truck pulling an oversized load on I-90 through the Valley.

“God that’s scary,” said the woman, who refused to give her name. “It’s just a matter of time before someone gets hurt.”

Three hours after the first suspected shooting was broadcast over police radios, a second report sent authorities racing to the Liberty Lake exit.

This time, a blue Dodge Ram pickup truck was damaged. Bob Cripchfield said he was getting onto westbound I-90 at Liberty Lake when his windshield was hit.

A trooper examined Cripchfield’s windshield but determined a rock probably caused the quarter-sized impression.

Cripchfield wasn’t so sure. “I’ve been hit with a rock before and it doesn’t make that kind of noise,” the 72-year-old man said.

About 1:30 p.m., authorities rushed to another sniper call - this time on Sunset Hill.

A couple driving on I-90 had the passenger-side window of their magenta-colored Honda Civic shattered.

Norm and Angeles Kendrick said they were just beginning to climb the hill when the window exploded.

“It sounded to me like a gunshot,” said Norm Kendrick, a Navy communications technician.

Angeles Kendrick, who was in the passenger seat reading a map, was shaken up but not hurt.

“I just hear a boom, that’s all,” said the woman, a native of Spain. “I just want to go back to my own country.”

A state trooper who examined the couple’s car found nothing inside but broken glass.

The final report about 2 p.m. sent troopers and deputies back to the Valley. A semi-truck driver reported his truck was shot near the Argonne exit, but authorities quickly determined the call was phony.

Sgt. Chris Powell said WSP has been flooded with reports following recent publicity about the 10 confirmed freeway shootings.

Many people may be over-reacting, Powell said. “Realistically, we’ve been breaking windows on the freeway forever,” he said.

But troopers also are worried that a copycat may be at work and aren’t taking any chances.

At least one commuter isn’t too worried, though.

Greg Cusick taped a “no target” sign on the window of his cherry-red Chevrolet Blazer - a bulls-eye with a slash through it.

“We drive on (the freeway) all day long, so we thought we’d print these up,” Cusick said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Color Photos

MEMO: Secret Witness is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the sniper. Anyone with information should call 327-5111.