Beltway Sniper Shootings-FR Commentary-Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2002 [Another Shooting?]

Fox News, CNN, Press Releases | October 22, 2002 | Fox News, CNN, Press Releases

[Peach]

Let's keep a live commentary thread gonig again today.

[rintense]

Yep. It is indeed very sad.

[per loin]

I've got family and friends there. I'd much rather err on the side of caution and have them live,

An odd statement. What is it about your family and friends that would endanger them if the facts about the sniper were made public?

[caa26]

Fownews has the headline on their website, no article yet.

http://www.foxnews.com

[.30Carbine]

Does the ballistic evidence merely confirm that the ammunition is the same, or does it confirm that the same weapon is being used?

Good question. My recollection is that the bullet fragments that are recovered from the victims have "fingerprints" on them from the barrel they have been shot from. I have assumed that each bullet has been verified as having been shot from the same barrel of the same gun whenever a sniper shooting is confirmed. But I could be wrong.

Calling in the reinforcements!

[OXENinFLA]

It's been reversed, He may still be alive?

[Mudboy Slim]

Thanks fer the links...looks like my info was false...MUD

[Cboldt]

Sadly, some of this "enemy army" is not foreign born or even Middle Eastern. They range from Johnnie Walker to Padilla to the mostly American-born black members of the cell busted in Portland recently.

Might I add the thought that, even if a person in traditional Islamic garb (e.g. buhrka, headdress), is shot by "this shooter," it would be a mistake to conclude "the shooter" is not "a person" of radical Islamic persuasion, motivated by a desire to change US culture by means of violence. I used quotes to indicate that "the shooter" might be a team, or even multiple teams.

This story really turns my stomach. Being unable to mount a defense to a specific act or threat of violence really sucks.

[yukong]

Could be. Again, everything is on the table. Cannot, and will not rule anything out. But I just don't see AQ making ransom demands. They are mainly interested in destroying the evil infidels. A rogue cell? Could be. Not ruling anything out. The only thing for sure in this is that this guy is good. He is always 2-3 steps ahead of LE. And I predict that it will be a long time before he is caught. I would predict he will voluntarily stop before he is caught. There is just not enough manpower in the LEAs to cover every spot. Unless we declare Martial law and just shut down everything, and stop everyone that moves about, he has too much freedom of movement. This is one of the prices of freedom. Not complaining here mind you. Just stating the obvious. I don't see this ending soon. Unless this guy gets bored with it.

[mhking]

If this report is accurate. If money is the real objective/agenda. Then I shy away from Islamic terrorism as the agenda/objective. This is someone who is good. Who is evil. Who is well planned and trained.

I don't. This fits the Indonesian Muslims' MO -- get everyone worked up, then ask for money. I've never seen it done with snipers or anything like this before though.

Closest I can think of is (believe it or not) the plot from an action movie. You know: "I've blown up three bombs, give me money or I'll blow up more bombs or bigger bombs. Oh, and BTW, if start evacuating/tell people about this, I'll blow up/kill everyone."

This does not feel good at all.

[slimer]

Sources said the sniper's money demand has them all but convinced that he is not a foreign terrorist.

See #628

[AGreatPer]

MSNBC just had a doctor on that said he is critical but stable. Fox said he died, CNN said he died. What gives here?

[RS_Rider]

lets hope that there is a mistake and he is still alive.
any one know of the condition of saturdays victim?

[tomkat]

today's victim has died, per fnc

[OReilly]

30 Family members just arrived at Bethesda Hospital as the announcement of his death was announced by the media.

[mhking]

MSNBC just had a doctor on that said he is critical but stable. Fox said he died, CNN said he died. What gives here?

I'm guessing MSNBC is behind the curve as usual.

[harpseal]

Peach, is it possible this could still be a Muslim terrorist and the demand for money is another mocking of what they think our values are? Just wondering, I have no clue of course who is doing this or why.

Considering what we do know about the sniper, you may well have defined the reasoning behind the demand for money. First, this sniper has been clever enough to effectively get away from the police after each shooting. Second, any transfer of ransom money would eose the sniper to pick up by the police. There is no safe way to get the ransom. Third, and perhaps most significant the ransom demand could have been made earlier and more effectively. It could also have been fully transmitted via the note with specific times places and numbers to get all the instructions to the PD.

In short the sending of a a ransom demand now is perforce an afterthought and although we still can not definitively state this is an islamo-facist operation or a nutjub operation. Nothing has ruled out the first option

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

[RS_Rider]

how about a good old-fashoned posse, think this might work?

[Magnolia]

Being unable to mount a defense to a specific act or threat of violence really sucks.

That's exactly what the shooter seeks to prove...vulnerability.

[Wordsmith]

what's been ruled out is Multiple Weapons... not shooters.

I still wonder if it could be multiple shooters working to cover each other. Perhaps even a pre-arranged drop-off and retrieval of the weapon, to pass it from shooter to shooter. Make it look like one person, but each possible suspect has an alibi for at least some of the shootings.

[OReilly]

Bethesda Hospital spokesperson was trying to allow the family to get into the hospital first. Various media now calling each other Black.