MAP: Shootings timeline MESSAGE BOARD: Race relations Crime and punishment  ALSO: Timeline: the trail of the suspected drive-by killer Suspect in killings embraced racism after posh upbringing White supremacist leader says his law battle set off shooter Widow of Chicago shooting victim: America has 'heart problem' A CNN/SI producer remembers Ricky Byrdsong TRANSCRIPTS: CNN & Company RELATED VIDEO CNN's Jeff Flock describes the shooting spree Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K CNN's Brian Nelson identifies the victims of the shooting spree this Independence day weekend. Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K How was the suspect found? CNN's Lisa Price explains. Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K CNN's Gary Tuchman profiles Benjamin Smith Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K RELATED AUDIO: Leader of the World Church of the creator, Matt Hale, describes Smith 350K/29 sec. AIFF or WAV sound

July 5, 1999
Web posted at: 10:23 p.m. EDT (0223 GMT)

In this story: Two shots fired during struggle Mayor condemns access to weapons RELATED STORIES, SITES

SALEM, Illinois (CNN) -- Authorities are trying to confirm that white supremacist Benjamin Nathaniel Smith acted alone when he allegedly went on a deadly Fourth of July weekend rampage in two states that targeted blacks, Jews and Asians, a task force spokesman said Monday.

Smith died by his own hand, leaving countless unanswered questions behind.

"The investigation is ongoing," said Skokie, Illinois, Police Sgt. Michael Ruth. "It hasn't ended as a result of the death of Mr. Smith. We are looking deeper into it. We want to find out why this occurred and how this occurred."

Police hope whatever answers they find will help grieving relatives of victims, who included former Northwestern University basketball coach Ricky Byrdsong, gunned down in Skokie while walking with two of his children.

"I'm sure the family members from Mr. Byrdsong want to know why," Ruth said. "I'm sure the other victims want to know why."

A specific motive for Smith's three-day shooting spree has not been determined, but the 21-year-old had well-known racist views.

Last year on the Fourth of July, Smith distributed white supremacist fliers in Bloomington, Indiana.

Asked Monday whether the weekend shootings were related to Independence Day, Bloomington Police Capt. William Parker said, "It raises questions in our minds."

Bloomington Police Chief Jim Kennedy said it appeared Smith acted alone in distributing the racist literature.

"We have no information at all of other people involved in the distribution," he told reporters at a news conference on Monday. "If we develop anybody else, we'll certainly be talking to them."

Suspect shot self 3 times, police say

Smith fled from police Sunday night after abandoning his blue Taurus and carjacking a minivan at gunpoint in the rural southern Illinois town of Ina. The woman driver and her 13- year-old daughter escaped unharmed.

Smith apparently shot himself once in the chin as officers pursued the van in a low-speed chase.

Smith then crashed the van. Authorities said that while Smith struggled with officers he shot himself two more times -- in the leg and the chest, slicing through several organs.

"All the shots were fired by him," Marion County, Illinois, Sheriff Gerald Benjamin told CNN on Monday.

Smith died a short time later at Salem, Illinois, Public Hospital. The county coroner said Smith bled to death.

Two miles down the road from where Smith was stopped, a crowd of 2,000 had gathered for an Independence Day celebration.

A deputy says the goal was to stop the suspect before he got there -- but that Smith himself took care of that.

Authorities believe Smith began his drive-by shootings in Chicago on Friday, when Byrdsong, who was black, was fatally shot and six Orthodox Jews were wounded.

The shooter also fired at Asians and blacks in two Illinois towns on Saturday and fatally shot a Korean-American man Sunday outside a church in Bloomington, Indiana, police said.

Two guns found with Smith -- a .22-caliber handgun and a .380 semi-automatic -- were consistent with the weapons used in the shootings, Kennedy said.

Authorities also said .380-caliber shell casings -- the same kind found in some of the Chicago shootings -- were found at the scene of the Indiana attack.

The FBI said Monday it had not been investigating Smith until the last couple of days. "He was known to the police in Chicago and police in Bloomington (but) the FBI did not have any pending investigation of him," FBI agent Ken Kaiser said.

Mayor condemns access to weapons

Bloomington Mayor John Fernandez said the city had "a great deal of work to do ... to try and begin the healing process. It's the same throughout our country, where we have to bring this kind of hate-driven violence to an end."

"We have so many (hate) groups throughout the country," Fernandez said. "One only needs to surf the Internet to learn about most of them."

The mayor also condemned what he called "incredible access to weapons of mass destruction" in the United States.

"Why a man can have access to a semi-automatic assault weapon ... what is going on?" Fernandez said. "I'm sure Mr. Smith was not part of a well-regulated militia," he said, referring to the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Opponents of gun control say the amendment gives them the right to bear arms. It reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Correspondent Tony Clark and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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