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Gun used to kill Georgia sheriff-elect not choice of professional hitman, expert says

A gun like this semiautomatic Tech 9 was used to murder Brown, an expert says

'It's unreliable, it's clumsy, it's loud'

By Art Harris
CNN Correspondent

DECATUR, Georgia (CNN) -- With no suspect and no gun in the killing of DeKalb County, Georgia, sheriff-elect Derwin Brown, murder investigators have only bullets and shell casings found at the crime scene.

From those meager clues, experts have identified the type of gun used in the shooting as a 9 mm semiautomatic machine pistol known as a Tech 9. Hundreds of 9 mm guns are in circulation. But experts say it's impossible to trace a bullet to the store that sold it, and without other leads, finding the particular gun used to shoot Brown last December will be a tough challenge.

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VIDEO CNN's Art Harris reports on the case and the lack of clues and evidence Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)     ALSO Gun 'fingerprints' found in Georgia lawman's murder

A retired Georgia Bureau of Investigations firearms expert explained to CNN why the killer would have to be very close to hit Brown. The expert also told about how unlikely it would be for a so-called professional hitman to choose a semiautomatic machine pistol like the Tech 9 as his weapon.

Kelly Fite recently demonstrated to CNN how the killer had to be up close to hit Brown 11 times. Fite loaded his Tech 9, standing about 15 yards away from the target. Fite is a self-described "weapons man," but even his firm grip and precision failed to make up for the inaccuracy of the Tech 9; most of his shots missed the kill zone.

And although it can hold a magazine capacity of up to 32 cartridges, the Tech 9 is a cheap gun that often jams. "I've never seen it as a gun of choice," said Fite. "It's unreliable, it's clumsy, it's loud."

Experts wonder why the killer took the risk of using such an unreliable gun.

"It could be someone with a weapon like this who had a lot of confidence in the gun and knew that it would work and it functioned for him, so he chose it," said Fite.

Sources said there is one theory that the killer could be an angry law enforcement officer who knew the type of gun might throw off detectives. In hunting Brown's killer, sources said police have yet to rule out one of their own.

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