'Spree' shooter straying from typical serial killer motivation - main desire is to provoke terror

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | October 12, 2002 | San Francisco Chronicle Staff

[aristeides]

Charles Patrick Ewing, a professor of law and psychology at State University of New York at Buffalo, said the sniper, who has used a rifle at distances of more than 100 yards, appears to be more like the anonymous attacker who mailed last year's anthrax-laced letters. The anthrax attacks "were driven by the desire to terrorize the community, and the person who mailed the letters didn't appear to really care about who died as a result of them."

If the Great Satan is right about the anthrax being a threat to our leaders, the shootings may be the same. And Saddam Hussein may be behind both.

[Dan(9698)]

"NO matter what the "experts" theories are, I get the feeling they are stumped by this one. "

It is probably a teenager into Satan stuff. That involves Tarot cards.

There is a sniper video game that at one point says "I am God".

It is probably like the teenagers in Colorado who shot up their school and killed a bunch of people.

They are looking at the wrong profile.

[Sgt_Schultze]

Maybe I'm giving the sniper too much credit, but he has eluded capture now for two weeks. Since the tarot card was planted, it is likely the shell casing was as well. It may have been from an earlier shooting, and placed at the scene with the before the shooting. The sniper could have backed up further along the same line of sight and shot from a different location.

[null and void]

Indeed. It would be a good idea for everyone to carry a camera/camcorder and pan the suroundings as soon as they have taken cover.

[Sgt_Schultze]

Perhaps the shooter could be caught on camera. But it is just as likely that the camera-operator, after seeing his reporter bleeding from the chest, would seek cover before turning his camera on the source of the report.

[StolarStorm]

I think you might have it. I hope the gov has thought of this as well.

[Dog Gone]

Regardless, the sniper was at that location, and while he was probably careful enough not to leave a fingerprint, he did leave a scent. It doesn't matter whether he actually fired from that location or not in that regard, although I suspect that he probably did.

[CIB-173RDABN]

With no more information then we have at this time, my opinion is just as valid as anyones, so here goes.

I believe this is a sleeper cell that has been activated.I believe there are at least two in what ever vehicle they are using, with possibility of others in covering positions around them.

I believe they will continue to kill until caught, at which time they will be killed in a major gun battle.

I am hoping the authorities are publicly treating this as a criminal act while privately treating it as a war.

I believe that there have been several acts of terrorism already committed against us, but because the government is not ready to act yet, they have been covered up as unconnected acts of violence.

The terrorist have gone along with this game by not publicly proclaiming responsibility, possibly because they know the government knows, and they know that the American people will demand vengence when the truth come out.

[Dante3]

It's a good possibility that the killers are teenagers who are into Satanism.

I tend to lean towards the terrorist explanation (on a poll on www.courttv.com early this morning only 30% felt it was a case of terrorism.)

It could also be members of Hispanic gangs active in the DC area, perhaps part of initiation into the superviolent Salvadorean MS-13 which has chapters across the country. Or one of the many Asian gangs active in the DC area. So far no Asian victims.

It could be also some crazy cult members, such as surviving member of Rev. Jim Jones's Death Squad. Jones used to scream "I am God." The black cult leader, Father Divine, likewise declared himself as God.

[aristeides]

So far no Asian victims.

Cab driver from India.

[Tree of Liberty]

There is a sniper video game that at one point says "I am God".

What's the name of the game in question? Personally, I think that's just tripe served by Bo Diddle to justify his talking head appearances.

[archy]

"I don't recall a case like this where the murders were committed at such a distance," Mr Ewing said. "It is so impersonal."

The sniper murder of a woman holding an infant child at Ruby Ridge in Idaho and the killing of the women and children witnesses to the initial ATF attack and helicopter strafing at Waco, Texas do come to mind....

-archy-/-

[jgorris]

I don't discout al-Quaida terrorism at all.

Well, based on past behavior, I think they'd be trying to take credit for it.

[Sgt_Schultze]

Well, based on past behavior, I think they'd be trying to take credit for it.

Really? Please remind me where it was they publicly admitted the attacks of September, 11.

[jgorris]

Really? Please remind me where it was they publicly admitted the attacks of September, 11.

OK, they didn't claim it immediately after 9/11, for tactical reasons, but they have since done so. I mean, they released taped messages to the media admitting it.

On the otherhand, I conceed that the fact that they haven't so far claimed it would therefore rule out it could be a terrorist operation.

[MeekOneGOP]

My, Gawd ! Lemme drag out my cliche on DIMocRATS:

Liberal DIMocRATS are the party of the Ethically Challenged....

[Sgt_Schultze]

I think the tapes you remember include the one found in Afghan caves after intense bombing. But even on that tape, Usama didn't admit to the deed. In subsequent interviews, I remember al-Qida members recounting how they listened to Usama predicting more plane crashes on that fateful day. But, officially, I cannot remember al-Quaida admitting culpability.

If these shootings are terror related, we can expect them to stop, with similar shootings to begin in another city with long lines of sight and with substantial tree cover.

[Mitchell]

with similar shootings to begin in another city with long lines of sight and with substantial tree cover.

The fact that such shootings have not occurred elsewhere, at least so far, is the biggest argument against this being Middle Eastern terrorism.

[2rightsleftcoast]

That show is a joke. I wrote to CNN about it.
All of the co-hosts IMHO are former Clinton employees!
Today they were TRYING not to sound biased. The two
blondes can never pull this off, one can barely conceal
her sneer when President Bush is mentioned. BTW, does anyone know if Kelly Wallace on that show is related to
Mike Wallace?

[Eva]

I think that is what I said last week, whether the perp is a Muslim or not, he is a terrorist. This is terrorism.