Speaking Out About the Snipers' Arrest

This is a partial transcript from The O'Reilly Factor, October 23, 2002. Click here to order the complete transcript.

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O'REILLY: Reaction from the families who have lost loved ones to the sniper's bullets. An incredible turn of events.

Our guest, Larry Gaffigan, knew two of the sniper victims. His friend, James Martin, and his own housekeeper, Sarah Ramos, were both shot in Maryland. Mr. Gaffigan joins us from Rockville where he's coordinating an organization called the Victims' Rights Foundation.

And with us also from Philadelphia is Bob Meyers. His brother, Dean, was killed in Manassas, Virginia.

Mr. Meyers, we'll start with you and your reaction to the developments of the day, please.

BOB MEYERS, BROTHER OF SNIPER VICTIM: Well, we're very relieved to know that these turn of events has taken place, certainly, primarily for the people that live in the D.C. area.

We have a great kinship to them through the connection of my brother. And we were very concerned for their safety, and our hearts sank every time that we heard of a new incident. So we're very relieved for them in particular.

The other side of it is that it's a first step in the process of us being able to come to final grips with the whole situation, the aspect of it.

O'REILLY: Yes, with the whole -- you can never really resolve it, but, certainly, with the guy running around loose -- that's got to be painful.

Any vengeance on your part, sir? Do you want them to get the death penalty? Are you really angry about it?

MEYERS: No. We made a decision a long time ago to recognize that God sees the big picture, and we only see the small part, and we're willing to defer to the authorities and to God relative to what the conclusion of the matter will be for the perpetrators.

O'REILLY: OK. Mr. Gaffigan, your reaction.

LARRY GAFFIGAN, FRIEND OF TWO SNIPER VICTIMS: My reaction in talking -- in representing the Victims' Rights Foundation is that this -- this gives the families the security in knowing that this killer is off the streets.

But it in no way brings closure for these families. I think the final closure for the families will come probably a year from now when they hear the jury hand down the verdict of guilty. The families...

O'REILLY: You angry?

GAFFIGAN: Are they angry?

O'REILLY: Are you angry, sir?

GAFFIGAN: I'm not -- I'm not angry. Today, I was happy and sad at the same time. I was happy that the killer was off the streets. I'm happy that he won't have a chance to take any more of our friends from us. I'm sad that it didn't come sooner. I'm sad that we didn't catch them. I'm sad for the families that we lost. We lost some great people in our community.

O'REILLY: Mr. Meyers will wrap it up. But the victims' organization that you are coordinating, are you trying to raise money for the families, are you?

GAFFIGAN: We are doing just that. That's one part of our efforts here nationwide and in Maryland. Part of the -- part of our efforts, as you know, when we lose a parent -- and we've lost several parents -- they leave young children and old children. And, when you lose a parent, you lose earned income, and that income goes to mortgage payments, rent payments, groceries, and our...

O'REILLY: We put the slide up there, and we...

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: If you want to help out the families who have lost loved ones and their kids, please do so. We recommend that.

Mr. Meyers, one final question to you, sir. You know what makes me -- see, I'm -- I'm angry. I just -- these guys that do this, whether it's al Qaeda or, you know, the homegrown domestic people, they deserve to be punished in a way that's going to send a message to the rest of the world. Now I understand the philosophical and theological basis of your argument, but I want to see these guys punished in the most horrendous way. Am I wrong?

MEYERS: Well, I would say there's nothing wrong with proper punishment. If the death penalty is what comes, we certainly don't stand against it. I think the difference is that we're willing to let it in the hands of others who are responsible to deal with it as opposed to taking it into our own hands.

O'REILLY: All right. Yes. Nobody wants vigilantism. But we want to deter. We want to send a message, and I don't think that message is being sent, certainly not by our government. Gentlemen, thank you very much. We appreciate it. Next, we will wrap things up with the "Most Ridiculous Item of the Day" and some of your mail.

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