Beltway Sniper Shootings-FR Commentary-Tuesday, Oct. 15

Fox News, CNN, Press Conferences | October 15, 2002 | Fox News, CNN, Press Conferences

[Peach]

To avoid multiple vanity threads regarding any news from press conferences, let's keep a live commentary thread going again today.

Note: This is the graphics-free thread. Graphics can be found under the thread titled "Beltway Sniper Shootings-Graphics Only"

[knak]

I think ballistics would know that.

[Kip Lange]

I'm waiting for Moose to announce the chief suspect as: "Some Puerto Rican Guy!"

(hope somebody gets the reference)

--KL

[sissyjane]

I heard on MSNBC or FOX that she worked in the unit that is trying to stop computer hackers.

[Elenya]

Bo Dietl still believes it's kids mezmerized by video games who are doing the killing -

It was what I thought too but after the shooting of the FBI Analyst and this Predator business I'm seriously reconsidering. The only thing I'm not changing my mind about is that this is not a lone gunman. Teamwork.

[alaskanfan]

Did anyone hear what the CEO of Home Depot said about the company's liability?

It would only serve them right to have some liability. Of course all they would have to do is divert the funds they normally give to HCI.

[Sacajaweau]

Well, one possibility is that they only have one piece of untraceable evidence to dump based on the ballistics. The weapon may be the only thing they can tie to each crime.

I know this defies what little I know about ballistics but is it possible that they have 2 or several weapons tooled exactly the same which would produce a ballistics match??

You weapons guy are going to clobber me on this aren't you??

Sac

[browardchad]

I hope LE is extremely careful with that van, even after the guy is taken out. It'll probably be booby trapped with enough to take out the better part of a city block.

I guess you didn't see the roadblock searches on Friday. In one lane, LE was stopping the car before any white van, to block it in. I kept thinking about the drivers of the cars in front, in back and on the sides of each van. If I were on one of those road-blocked highways, I'd be jockeying for position away from any white vehicles, since LE obviously hasn't considered your scenario.

[dinasour]

"I have never known a time when LEO didn't put out a drawing of suspect as soon as possible. After OKC bombing they immediately put out that picture of #2 (not that it did any good)."

"Of course it did...we now know it was Jose Padilla!"

Or more likely, that had to retract the picture when they found out that John Doe #2 was an Iraqi agent. They're not going to make that mistake again!

[Peach]

Bo Dietl must live in an alternate universe if he really believes that teenagers are doing this. Fox has reported today, and we have long suspected here on FR, that there are two cars (minimum) and at least four people - two shooters and two drivers. Fox confirmed the two vehicles were caught on videotape last week at a gas station just prior to one of the shootings. So Dietl should ask himself: What's the likelihood teenagers have accessibility to two trucks/vans? What's the likelihood 2-4 teenagers are such good shots they have killed 9 of 11 targets? What's the likelihood kids don't have school or work or supervision during the day or night? What's the likelihood that 4 teenagers are all psychotic? There's more, but you get the point. If I ever kill someone, I hope Bo works the case; I'll walk for sure.

[aristeides]

Ofcourse, it could be coincidence.

If the reports that she was shot from 30 feet away are true, I kind of doubt if it was a coincidence. Big change in the M.O.

And if it was not a coincidence, that does raise questions about how the perps knew about her and were able to track her. Mole in the investigation?

[SternTrek]

Would it be too cruel to suggest Helen stop by Michaels for a couple of yards of bright red cordorouy?

[jacquej]

Sac, I am not sure that it is only one weapon. I know "they" (Moose, et al) are talkin' 'bout ballistics and all that, but now need to parse every statement made to us.

Wonder how I ever got the idea I had to do that?

Anyway, I do not remember being told definitively that the shooter(s) are using the exact same weapon for every shot. Yet most seem to be taking this for granted. Could those of you who do, please explain to those of us who are "trust-defiicent"?

[dinasour]

I'm waiting for Moose to announce the chief suspect as: "Some Puerto Rican Guy!"

Now I get it. Chief Moose is trying to protect Gerraldo from angry right wingers.

[areafiftyone]

Just a thought but she might have been shot closer because it was harder to see in the parking lot than it was at the Gas Station because the lighting was dimmer. But that is just a guess.

[freeperfromnj]

Didn'tmean to sound alarmist. I just thought the whole scene on the Beltway was wierd and I felt for those people that were stuck on the roads caught up in it. It's hard to beleive that the area around the capitol could be put in such a situation. Not a day goes by that I come in to the city that I don't think of those types of scenarios since 9/11, especially here in NYC and DC.

[Sacajaweau]

This is way beyond kids...but it does not make video practice invalid.

Heck, all the 9-11 guys had plane simulator videos, GPS units..etc..

Sac

[berkeleybeej]

So that we all know it is the same shooter. He wants all the credit. Same goes with using the Astro...It is a in-your-face challenge.

[aristeides]

I heard that too (that she worked on hackers) listening to WMAL over lunchtime. Maybe it's true. But maybe it's either an untruth or (more likely) a partial truth meant to hide from the public a disturbing aspect of her murder.

[evad]

I can't quite figure out the logic of using the same gun though. Any idea?

Hmmmm...to make everyone thing it was one person comes to mind.