Maryland Sniper Shootings Update Thread

CNN, Fox, Local Radio and Television | October 8, 2002 | CNN, Fox, Breaking News

[Peach]

It's 6:30 a.m. EST and we're waiting to go to the second press conference providing media and local updates on the Maryland sniper shootings. To date, the 13 year old boy has survived the evening and seems to be improving. Fox News mentioned that his aunt is a nurse. The police briefing at 6:15 a.m. mentioned Todd Beamer's Let's Roll comment and police are urging people to use caution, good judgment, but remain strong and try to continue with everyday life as much as possible.

Police had a search warrant last night (didn't say for who or where) related to the sniper shootings, but the search did not provide any information to LEO.

[cake_crumb]

Oops...left out the "maybe to drop" on the ground part...I copied pasted the wrong part of your post that I wanted to reply to...Note to self: brain death is never a good thing.

[iconoclast]

I think one of the Columbine kid's mommy was mixed up with the MMM's.

Anyone know what Sarah Brady's kid is up to these days? I heard he had an interest in sniper rifles. < almost sarcasm >

Makes more sense than most of these posts. ;o)

[LikeLight]

anti . . . I checked out the church website you linked to, but didn't see anything "hair raising" . . . what am I missing (other than a Christian Church which uses a cross as its symbol)? Appreciate your work on compiling so much info.

[ET(end tyranny)]

While looking for threads on this sniper (which I won't post since you have a list, I have 22 but need to figure out which ones you need for your list), I notice there was a sniper in Idaho in September.

One thread, 7 comments, no follow up threads. Anybody know if they ever caught this guy that was firing on cars?

Also, noticed:

Saudi - Sniper in camouflage fires on Australian at BAE compound

Afghanistan - U.S. soldier in stable condition after sniper attack

US soldier hit by sniper fire in Afghanistan

Saudi - Sniper in camouflage fires on Australian at BAE compound

Carnage By Lone Sniper Sends Shock Waves Through Israel's Military Establishment _ and Beyond

Lots of sniper threads for Israel, but unfortunately that is to be expected. The above caught my eye because a lone sniper wiped out a bunch.

They were picked off methodically, one by one: first the Israeli soldiers manning an isolated West Bank roadblock, then their commander, then a medic, then the reinforcements who rushed to help -- seven soldiers, together with three civilians, all killed by a lone gunman armed only with an old single-shot rifle, taking aim from under an olive tree.

Critics are calling it one of Israel's biggest military debacles of the 17-month-old conflict with the Palestinians, and the deaths are fueling debate over whether a conventional army -- even Israel's, long considered to be among the world's premier fighting forces -- can win a guerrilla insurgency like the one raging in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The lethal efficiency of Sunday's assault -- combined with what was denounced as the army's colossal tactical error in choosing the site for the roadblock, and the fact the gunman escaped unscathed after firing for nearly half an hour -- sent shock waves through Israel's military establishment and beyond, triggering some of the fiercest public criticism of the army in years.

I think we better not rule out terrorism with the sniper until we know for sure.

[5by5]

This dog's gonna be looking for rabbits even when he craps (which is what will happen if someone shoots at me). Maybe I'll get lucky and crap on a rabbit.

Seriously, small changes in behavior among large numbers of people can make a difference. Look at the impact of America's Most Wanted. It's certainly not easy or even very likely that any of us can help catch the guy but you've got to start somewhere.

Your maps are a real contribution, BTW. You should probably show a circle of radius 300 yds centered on the victim though to avoid introducing a bias. That said, I wouldn't be a bit surprised to learn that it's part of his MO.

I also wonder if he uses a laser range finder. If so, are there any situations where the light is visible? A foggy day comes to mind but I don't know if the wavelength is visible. Perhaps someone has one and can fill us in.

[wcbtinman]

The vehicle was stationary, but the engine was running.

I thought it was a lucky shot also until this guy later proved it wasn't.

[Charles Martel]

...look at ALL the trees surrounding the area...easy shooting hiding grounds...easy to find on the internet...the PERP is planning all shootings from the internet...

The Mapquest Killer? Boy, are they gonna love the publicity. :^/

With regard to the trees... there is an added benefit to the shooter in using parks to position his shots: when fired near a stand of trees, a rifle bullet's supersonic crack tends to "follow the treeline".

[relee]

PG County Police Chief Wilson announced that last Friday's victim was released from the hospital this afternoon.

[relee]

PG Police Chief Wilson said the reason the police were able to respond so quickly to the school shooting on Monday was because they were staked out at the Michaels store close by.

[Charles Martel]

why just this one? It's just odd, unless they were doing something like seeing if it was still sited in, or something.

Perhaps they just found the lonely .223 round rolling around in the car trunk, after they'd traded-up to a larger caliber. I've got an old paper-hulled 16-gauge shotgun shell at home that turned up in a similar manner... though the 16-gauge shotgun is long gone.

[ET(end tyranny)]

Ok Peach, whar did Moose say earlier that got him into trouble? Just heard him say he wouldn't come out again. Said that he did or said something that allowed the shooter to be around longer???

Whatever it was, it bothered him and I suspect he didn't mean to do anything wrong. I think he was really trying.

[antivenom]

Filipinos-Americans...Christians BUT the Muslims are having a hey day in the Phillipines...maybe the PERP is a dis-gruntled muslim who was forced to engage in Christian activites...looking for a link between the scenes of the crimes and other churches...looking for a clue...I found this church while doing a search on Tasker High school...

[relee]

PG Police Chief Wilson:
All the weapons that were taken in the raid last night were handguns.
The weapon in this case is not a handgun.
Per ATF - it is going to be a shouldered weapon for that type of accuracy.
Be on the lookout for someone carrying a blanket covering a rifle, carrying a rifle case, etc.

[Peach]

From another thread on this topic: I run a company in Maryland that uses white Isuzu box trucks (the truck they were looking for last week, which, incidentally, there are about 2,000 of on the road at any one time). We have about 30 on the road with a variety of drivers of all nationalities and skin colors. Our white and black drivers were not pulled over. All of our hispanic drivers were pulled over last Thursday and Friday and even yesterday. Several of them were pulled over by police with their guns drawn. Therefore, they are looking for only someone who either is hispanic or looks hispanic. This would cover most middle-eastern looking men as well.

[antivenom]

NOPE on the laser...he hasn't done any firing at night...all DAY targets...seems to me he IS dependent on a scope...

[antivenom]

OHH and on the 300 think I will update right now! Thanks!

[iconoclast]

I think if you narrowed your search to snipers random it would be more meaningful in the present circumstance.

[FreedominJesusChrist]

"None of the software is smart enough to make that kind of a good guess."

The software is good, but it ultimately takes the human mind to accurately interpret the data found.

Those smart people at the FBI are probably already watching I-95. The next time a shootings happens, they would be smart to close it down.

The FBI better be keeping an eye on the Northern Virginia area...the suspect probably lives around there. Now the computer software might also be able to pin-point this guy's whereabouts down to a square-mile radius. That is, if they are doing it right.

[ET(end tyranny)]

ROFL; if they ever come to my place, they had better bring several tractor-trailers to haul it all away...

Big white boxy tractor trailers? lol

Seriously though. Think about it. A person looks at your reading material and makes their determination on who you ARE from them!

[FreedominJesusChrist]

You think that some teenager or college student is an expert sharp shooter, with a penchant for assault rifles?

This guy ain't a teenager. This guy has either been in the military or is a awesome hunter, you pick. Perhaps both.