Another DC-area sniper-style shooting

Wife (FReeper nina0113) | October 4, 2002 | Steve0113

[Steve0113]

Another broad-daylight shooting just occurred, this time in Fredericksburg, VA, just off I-95. It's not even on the news yet.

About an hour's drive south of where the Montgomery County shootings happened, a woman was shot in the parking lot of a Michaels fabric store. My wife was in the store at the time. The victim had left the store and carried her purchases to her minivan. She unlocked the minivan and was loading her stuff into it when she was shot. No sign of the shooter.

No one else was injured.

The woman was taken away in an ambulance, condition unknown. Her license plate (which I'm not going to post) indicated that she had several children.

[wardaddy]

I agree with you. This shooting does not indicate "novice" to me either. It may not include training or high level marksmanship but it lends itself to someone who has more than a passing familiarity with long guns.

[Shermy]

A PETA type is a possibility. The smiley face bomber was of that way of thinking.

[FreeTheHostages]

"Three whites (2 men, 1 woman), one Hispanic and one Indian yesterday. Or 2 whites, 2 Hispanics and one Indian."

Yes, well, it's a possibility that has to be eliminated, whether this is a hate crime. Press seems uncertain on the racial breakdown, as your post indicates.

[browardchad]

Why Michael's? Anyone know any background information on the company?

I don't want to post the spew here, but Michael's is owned by the Wyly family, Bush supporters and owners of Green Mountain energy. They are currently the target of environmental groups:

Boycott Green Mountain

[MP5]

I was going to say the same thing.

Sounds to me like some type of military training.

Detachment and breathing techniques (because the heart beats very fast) I did a little sniper training in the Corps.

[aristeides]

WMAL: No word on condition of victim, but witnesses say she was speaking.

[Skywalk]

I think the mixup regarding the ethnic breakdown of the victims is probably due to the last names not ALWAYS being indicative of the race. There are many blacks with Spanish last names, and I believe the woman shot on the bench had a hyphen in her name Lewis-Rivera, indicating that she may only be married to a Hispanic.

I think it IS safe to say that at least 2 whites are now part of the death toll, and that this is not a "Aryan nation" type killer.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Being reported that the latest victim should live.....

[aristeides]

WMAL: Police do not believe bullet in VA came from high-powered rifle.

[two23]

Ok MSNBC had a clip on about the VA shooting...also mentioned that full ballistic report is still underway as to the ammo that was used.

[Fred Mertz]

PTL!

This is a different shooter IMO.

[js1138]

.223 was intentionally designed by the military to wound, not kill...

Is this different form the .223 Remington that's been around since the 60s?

[FreeTheHostages]

Fun fact for those posting from outside our region:

drive-by shootings happen a lot. you might assume it has to be connected because that's such an unusual crime if you lived in a normal part of the world, but here in the DC-area, the fact that it's a drive-by shooting doesn't, in itself, connect it.

we shall wait and see

[ottersnot]

To be fair in 1992-93 when the Cia shooting happened
none of us had any idea there was such a thing as AlQueda.
That would explain a lack of AlQueda or Terrorism tie in.
It was thought to be a personal grudge.
I think they also noted his possible motive as hatred for
the CIA getting involved in Pakistan during the
Soviet Afghan war. Seem to remember some imagined
slight against the CIA he had???.
Long time ago.
I found out the shooter had lived not even a 1/4
mile away from me in some local apartments.
Scary.

[Flyer]

It may be time for me to bring my gun home from the shop and BLOAT.

[wrench]

There was a story on America's Most Wanted about a shooting in N Atlanta several years ago. The shooter fired from a cap on a pickup. He had bales of pinestraw packed around a firing position, with a small sighting hole to fire out of.

The shooting was about 0900 in the parking lot of a strip mall. Shot a guy stocking an ATM

A quick, cheap shooting blind, use it once and go make another. Could do the same with a stationwagon or minivan.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Can one praise the Lord when a bullet just went through a woman in Virginia? Don't quite understand that one.......

[BlessingInDisguise]

Exactly!

[Dog]

Fred was expressing thanks that she would survive ...is all

[Diddle E. Squat]

Its not PETA or Earth First, because they would have chosen victims that could easily be connected in a way that gets out their message. What's the common factor between all 6 or 7 victims that would make them a target and offer an explanation? Unless the person who was shot sitting on the bench had driven an SUV, it just doesn't fit their agendas.

To me, bitter nuts or fringers would top the list of candidates(which most of these turn out to be, remember the guy in slippers driving down from Philly?), along with terrorism. Sad to say that I can't completely dismiss a political issue raiser hit job(October surprise), but that's not a charge to fling around lightly, and very unlikely. But again, sad that it can't be completely dismissed out of hand. Thank you, Bill & Hillary.