The family of a woman who was shot and killed while riding in a car with her friend in November on Interstate 270 thanked police and the community for their support while a task force searched for the serial shooter.
Gail Knisley, 62, was struck by a bullet linked by ballistic evidence to eight others in a series of shootings around the Columbus area. Most of the shootings were south of Columbus. Knisley, of Washington Court House, was riding with her friend, Mary Cox.
Family members spoke at a serial shooting task force news conference Wednesday afternoon, just hours after suspect Charles A. McCoy Jr. was arrested at a motel in Las Vegas.
For the latest on McCoy's arrest and the investigation, click here.
"On behalf of my entire family we'd like to thank everyone in the Fayette County community for the prayers, food, cards and the tremendous outreach of love that has touched our lives in the last four months," said Knisley's son, Brent . "We could never have gotten through this without a wonderful community standing by us."
The shooting took place around 10 a.m. Nov. 25 along the eastbound lanes of I-270, between state Route 62 and U.S. 23.
SLIDESHOW: Shooting On Local Interstate
According to the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, a bullet entered the driver's side door of the car and struck Knisley. Cox was not hurt. Knisley died at Grant Medical Center at about 10:45 a.m.
The small south-central Ohio community gave the Knisley family a lot of support in the weeks and months after the shooting. Knisley was well known in the community.
"Words cannot describe the pain and loneliness we have felt every day since Nov. 25," Brent Knisley said. "'Grammy Gail,' 'Gail' and 'Mom' was a wonderful person. She was kind, generous and loving, and the best woman in the world. She always put everybody's needs before her own, and helping others is what her purpose in life was all about. She will never be forgotten, and life without her will never be the same. We are glad for today's news, but our hearts will never be the same since he took our loved one on Nov. 25."
Cox's son, Michael, also attended the news conference and read a statement on behalf of his mother.
"Our mom has lost a very dear friend, and nothing can replace that," Michael Cox said. "This has been one of the hardest times of her life, and she wishes to thank all of her family and friends for their support the past few months."
The Knisley family also mentioned a serial shootings prayer vigil that was held Friday in Columbus. The vigil was organized by the Rev. Johannes Christian , pastor of Columbus' Adoration and Peace Baptist Church. Christian nearly died in July 2001 after his car was struck by a large rock that a teenager tossed from an Interstate 70 overpass near Springfield.
He said he organized the vigil because he couldn't let the highway shootings pass without taking some action.
"A very special blessing was given to our family Friday, March 12, at a prayer vigil, and (the Rev.) Johannes Christian is a fine example of the true godliness that we have here on Earth," Brent Knisley said.
Christian said the power of prayer helped lead to the break in the case.
"For those who would find this hard to believe, I actually told our ministers that we would see an answer to our prayers within three days," Christian said.
Three days after the prayer vigil was held, a suspect was named.
"We pray for the McCoy family, which has to be going through some real feelings right now that I couldn't possibly understand," Christian said. "I think the key is that I've been praying for God to bring peace. And that God would help us to stop the violence and not allow us to be terrorized."
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