Posted on 10/10/2002 5:30:36 AM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection
Police in the Washington, D.C. area say it is too early to say whether a fatal shooting in a western suburb is related to a recent series of sniper attacks that has left six people dead and two others critically wounded. Authorities say a man was shot and killed late Wednesday as he filled his car at a gasoline station in Manassas, Virginia. Forensic evidence is still being analyzed. The sniper attacks have been linked by ballistics evidence.
Reports say certain elements of the Manassas shooting bear a resemblance to the sniper shootings, which began around the Washington area last Wednesday. Like the man killed in Manassas, all of the sniper victims were shot once, seemingly at random as they performed everyday tasks. Two of the people killed last week also were gunned down at gasoline stations.
Meanwhile, authorities say they are searching for a white van seen driving away from the location of the Manassas shooting. Police have been searching for a white vehicle in connection with the shootings last week. News reports early Wednesday said police discovered what may be the first known communication from the killer: a card used in fortunetelling, said to have written on it a message telling police, "I am God."
The card, known as a Tarot card, reportedly was found, along with a spent shell casing, near a school in a Maryland suburb where a sniper attack Monday left a 13-year-old boy critically wounded.
Police officials say they did not authorize information about the card to be released to the media and refused to comment further on the matter or other details of the investigation. Federal authorities are assisting in the investigation.
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