Investigators interview witnesses, try to compile sketch of killer

Wednesday, March 12, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

"The realization that we have to believe is that when somebody's shooting at you, the first reaction is not to get a description of them," Lt. Ross Moen said Tuesday. "It's to take cover and duck, close your eyes and get out of there."

Moen said more than 200 witnesses were being interviewed in connection with the rapper's death as investigators tried to learn what happened and develop a sketch. Many other witnesses fled the scene, he said.

The slaying of the East Coast rap artist, whose real name was Christopher Wallace, occurred early Sunday, six months after the shooting of West Coast rapper Tupac Shakur. The killings were similar and suspected by some to be retaliatory acts.

Police investigating the death of Shakur, 24, near the Las Vegas Strip have complained that witnesses have been uncooperative, hampering efforts to find that killer. The case remains unsolved.

Moen said that while police were exploring the possibility of a connection to Shakur's death, they weren't ruling out any other leads.

Police said Wallace, 25, was in the passenger side of a GMC Suburban at a stop light after leaving a party celebrating the Soul Train Awards. They believe a black man in his early 20s driving a dark sedan pulled alongside the Suburban and fired at Wallace.

The driver of the Suburban drove Wallace to a hospital where he was pronounced dead from multiple 9mm bullet wounds. One of two other vehicles in the artist's entourage attempted to follow the shooter, but failed to keep up, Moen said.

Although police said they didn't expect to release a sketch of the suspect soon, Moen said he was confident investigators would solve the case.

Meanwhile, a Los Angeles funeral home prepared to send Wallace's body to a New York City funeral home where services were pending.

In addition, two organizations announced plans for "peace summits." Dove Entertainment said a peace summit would be included in this summer's hip hop Hall of Fame Awards show to be taped in Los Angeles and broadcast nationally.

And Saban Entertainment, a Los Angeles company, said it was working in conjunction with a local rap and hip hop radio station to organize a rally in April.

Saban Brown said he wanted to "squash the East Coast-West Coast thing," referring to the rivalry between the two rap camps that many believe is at the heart of the Shakur and Wallace killings.