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Kansan is naNEW ORLEANS (AP) - The coroner's office Tuesday tentatively identified the dead sniper* killed on the roof of a hotel Sunday night after 6 persons were shot to death, as Mark J. Essex, 24, of Emporia, Kan.A spokesman for the coroner said the tentative identification came from fingerprints checked in Washington. He said relatives were coming to make positive identification.At Emporia, the Gazette said the dead man was known as “Jimmy. His parents live in Emporia. “They are known as a nice family, a Gazette spokesman said.The Emporia police had one report on young Essex as AWOL from the Navy in 1970, but no other record other than minor traffic violations.The name was made public while Police Supt. Clarence Giarrusso was talking to newsmen about other aspects of the shootings', which began Sunday morning at the 18-story DownTown Howard Johnson's hotel and did not end until police stormed the hotel roof Monday afternoon.On Monday night, Giarrusso had refused to discuss some details of the shootings with newsmen, and many questions remained unanswered.Among reports checked out, police said, was one at midday Tuesday that there had been a new shooting in another building. The reports proved erroneous, a spokesman said.A major unsolved question involved whatevidence police might have that there was more than a single sniper at the hotel.Giarrusso acknowledged Monday night there could have been just one, but he also said there could have been two or three that police let get away — or that escaped because they were supersmart. He would not talk about other evidence at the time.Among potential evidence being checked, apparently, were comments by police sharpshooters who said they had seen more than one sniper.Policeman John E. Fields, who was in the 10th floor of City Hall, three blocks from the hotel, with a 12-power telescopic sight on his elephant gun, told The Associated Press, “I could see two others. One of them I saw clearly enough to tell what he looks like. The other figure was less distinct, but I could see it clearly enough to tell it was another guy.Fields, who was not allowed to fire the powerful, .300-caliber weapon for fear of killing police in buildings behind the tar- get, said of the sniper who was killed, “I saw him before he got shot, sticking his nose out and looking around.Capt. Edward LaPorte, beside Field with less powerful binoculars, also said there “appeared to be another guy firing with the sniper,Policeman Frederick O’Sullivan, wounded Monday morning in a stairwell near the roof, said he saw the man, or at least the muzzle blasts from his weapon.If the sniper killed Sunday night by police (Continued to Page 2)Where'd he go?New Orleans police zero in on a trap door while searching for a sniper. (UPI Photo)
Newspaper Details
Salina Journal
Salina, Kansas, US
Tue, Jan 09, 1973
Page 13
Full Page
Clipped by
Salina P.
KS, USA 17 Jul 2023
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