Authorities in Mississippi fear someone may be posing as a police officer, pulling over cars on the highway and shooting drivers dead. Two shootings this month led the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation to ask for the public's help, CNN reported.
"There are some similarities between the two incidents, mainly the fact they happened alongside a Mississippi highway," said MBI Director Lt. Col. Larry Waggoner on Monday, according to CNN. "The concern is that someone is posing as a law enforcement officer and that is how these vehicles end up on the side of the road."
The first shooting on May 8, left Thomas Schlender, 74, dead in his car in the median of southbound Interstate 55 around 1:30 a.m. Schlender was traveling from Nebraska to Florida to pick up his grandson, according to Sky News.
Three days later, Lori Anne Carswell, 48, was found dead outside of her car on the shoulder of Mississippi State Highway 713 about 2:15 a.m. Caswell had just left work from Fitzgerald's Casino in Tunica County, according to Sky News.
Authorities said the shootings took place 55 miles apart and the victims did not know each other, according to CNN.
The vehicles were found on remote areas of highways and did not have mechanical problems, Sky News reported. Shell castings were found at both shooting scenes.
Officials are urging people to be careful and if they are pulled over and feel uneasy, to call 911 and verify a legitimate officer is pulling them over. People should also drive to a well-lit and crowded area before stopping.
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