Americas Most Wanted
The images are the first of any kind to be released in association with a killer who has been stalking suburban Washington areas and targeting victims apparently at random. More than a week after the shootings began, a massive task force of county, state and federal officers still won't say if they know who they're looking for, or even if the sniper is acting alone.
"We're putting information out, asking people to have their memories jogged," said police Chief Charles Moose of Montgomery County, where five people were killed.
The two images, produced by the FBI based on witnesses from more than one shooting, show a flat-front white truck with a roll-up door in the back, a weathered paint job, a small dent in the back bumper and unknown dark purple or black writing on the side.
The witnesses were unable to provide the exact wording on the truck or the license plate number. They did tell investigators it appeared to be an older model with a loud motor.
Moose said investigators are also working with witnesses to produce a similar composite sketch of a white Astro van with a ladder on the top that was reported seen leaving the scene of Friday's deadly shooting at a gas station near Fredericksburg, Va.
Asked if the separate sketches meant the sniper may be using more than one vehicle, he said it "is not our goal to make any suggestions at all. We're working with witnesses."
The images were released as the reward for information in the case reached $500,000.
The latest victim was Kenneth H. Bridges, 53, a Philadelphia businessman and father of six who was shot as he pumped gas Friday morning at an Exxon station just off Interstate 95 in Spotsylvania County, Va., about an hour south of Washington.
It was a brazen attack, carried out with a single shot as a state trooper stood just across the street. Bridges fell to the pavement as gasoline continued to pump into his silver Buick.
The trooper rushed to help the victim, and the killer disappeared.
The attacks, all carried out in public places as the victims went about their daily tasks, raised a specter for area residents already shaken by last fall's terrorist hijackings and anthrax attacks.
At least one high school homecoming and several Friday night football games were canceled by worried school officials in and around Washington, D.C.
Members of the Guardian Angels, the volunteer public safety organization, manned two gas stations in Alexandria, Va., to pump gas for travelers who were too scared to get out of their cars. "We're just trying to do our part to make people safe," said group member John Ayala.
Across the street from the scene of Friday's shooting in Virginia, Raja Abilnona parked three tow trucks alongside his filling station as a shield.
"Maybe my customers will think it's safer," he said. "It's harder to see in here ... at least it will make it more difficult for someone to shoot."
Despite jitters, motorists continued to gas up, looking over their shoulders now and then for whoever is terrorizing the community.
"There's what, about 4 1/2 million people living around here?" said John Sewell, 70, a retired schoolteacher who stopped at a RaceTrac station in Spotsylvania County. "I think my chances are pretty good that that guy isn't going to shoot me."
In each shooting, the sniper has fired a single round from a high-powered rifle and most have taken place within easy access of a major highway.
Clarence Shook, filling his truck just up the road, said he keeps a 9 mm Ruger pistol under the dashboard. "I'm not afraid," he said. "But I am cautious."
Tipsters have deluged toll-free hotlines, police stations and sheriff's stations, but their information has yet to lead to the person or people responsible. More than 1,900 calls were received in the 24 hours after the shooting in Spotsyvania County alone, sheriff's Maj. Howard Smith said Saturday.
Near the Exxon station where Bridges was killed, authorities knocked on motel room doors in their search for witnesses and possibly the killer.
One man who was questioned said investigators compared his face with a photo of a sandy-haired man.
"They thought I was the sniper," said Hobert Epps, 36, of Athens, Ga., who said he was staying at a nearby motel.
Epps said investigators told him the picture was from a video surveillance camera near the scene of one of the shootings.
Reporters asked Moose repeatedly Saturday about Epps' claim and about residents who may have seen the occupants of a white cargo van seen leaving the Exxon station. He said it has been his practice not to release such investigative details.
Moose, who planned to appear on four Sunday morning network talk shows, also warned members of the media not to follow investigators as they pursue tips in the case. He said such behavior could threaten the safety of witnesses.
"If you are engaged in that kind of activity, you not only stand the chance of jeopardizing the investigation, but the safety of our investigators and the safety of our witnesses."
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On the Net:
Montgomery County Police Department: http://www.co.mo.md.us
Federal Bureau of Investigation: http://www.fbi.gov
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms: http://www.atf.treas.gov
Hey - we were talking about barriers yesterday. Got one suggestion to use bales of hay...but tow trucks might work.