A Texas truck driver said his rig was hit by gunfire the night of Thursday, Dec. 11, as he traveled along Interstate 270, where 15 shootings have taken place this year, NBC4 Columbus TV reported. However, investigators who have been looking into the shootings could not find any damage on the trucker’s rig.
Efrean Regalado said he saw a flash of light on an overpass, and then heard something hit his truck, NBC4 said. He quickly pulled off the highway and called authorities.
"I know it was a gunshot," Regalado said. “I've been around weapons all my life. And I know what a gun looks like when you fire it at night. This was no flashlight. It was actually a gun flash."
Regalado told the station he was not aware of the shootings in the Columbus area when he turned onto I-270 Thursday night. He was traveling from Nashville, TN, to a distribution center near Groveport Road.
Fifteen shootings have taken place in Columbus, OH, since May. Authorities now believe that the 15 shootings at or near the southwestern part of I-270, a loop highway surrounding Columbus, are linked.
Only one bullet hit a human target. It struck and killed area resident Gail Knisley Nov. 25, just before the Thanksgiving holiday. Knisley was riding in the car of a friend who was taking her to see a doctor. A pickup truck was hit just a few hours later nearby. Other bullets have hit a school and other cars.
In addition to Regalado’s truck, at least three commercial motor vehicles have been hit by bullets, according to police and press reports: a Yellow Frieght truck, a UPS delivery truck and a Coca-Cola truck.
Police are moving closer to solving the case. While they would not release many details, they have now received more than 1,000 tips, and they have linked the bullets from five of the shootings through ballistics.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Department, which is leading the investigation, has put out public alerts asking the shooter or shooters to contact them and start a dialog. In addition to the hotline set up for tips - (614) 462-4646 – the Sheriff’s Department has also set up a post office box for the shooter to use to contact authorities. It is PO Box 360562, Columbus, OH, 43236-0562.
