Beltway Sniper Shootings-FR Commentary-Sunday, Oct. 13

Fox News, CNN, Press Conferences | October 13, 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. Please stop by the Prayer Thread to leave a prayer for people in the target area http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/767040/posts

[elfman2]

Undaunted by her gubernatorial loss, Janet invests in a cheap paint job and continues her Red Truck Tour in the nations capital.

[doosee]

Perhaps LEO's will address this with each other - they can call for help in future and head in the direction of shots instead.


With all LEO on alert for this sniper, the cop had to know when he heard the shot. Since the sniper was only about 500 feet away near a motel wooded area, and if he (they) were driving a bulky van, the trooper had a chance to run them down. Also, he should have been radioing for massive backup help to close down the area and get aerial help. Big mistake I think the way this went down.

[soozer47]

True, the trooper should help the victim (instinct and all) BUT he also could have been a target by immediately running to aid the victim. Guns do shoot more than one bullet. It seems he should have (could have, would have)at least attempted to see which direction the shot came from. I know I'm arm chair quarterbacking here but this is an important issue that has been raised.

[Born on the Storm King]

although it's probably instinct to get to the victim to provide experienced help.

The State Trooper should have called in for med help while chasing the sniper!

[tomkat]

my instincts are occasionally pretty good, and they continue to insist that this 'surveillance tape'
is very likely just as much wishful thinking as the notion that something as conspiuous as that box truck could have
eluded being spotted all this time.

i'm in PA, and have nothing more to go on than y'all do, but anyone who is deluding themselves into thinking we are/will be
getting the whole story on this might want to have a look at how some other fairly recent events have been 'handled'
re the deaths of americans, the involvement of salamis, and the 'concern' for the truth shown by the alphabet mess that
passes for LE these days ...

CONSPIRACY: The Okla. City-Sept. 11 Connection

<tinfoil repellent>

[Dick Vomer]

I would have headed towards that hill with my gun blazing!

and died... pistol vs. rifle.....bang bang bang...out go the lights..

[Sacajaweau]

You're absolutely right and that's the problem with the whole thing...the concentration is on the victim and covering yourself.

I'm sure he's chastising himself...our compassion gets in the way sometimes. We're just not "hard and evil" like the bad guys.

Sac

[tomkat]

oops, conspicuous ...

[Peach]

Yes - there were several of you who feel the trooper should have run in the direction of the shooting while calling for medical help for victim. I'm sure you are all correct - hopefully it won't happen that way again.

[Jaidyn]

Were all the killings near an intersection? Do you think a sniper could shoot from inside the truck while waiting for a light to change? This scenario would insure a quick and easy getaway.

[Peach]

I'm sure we aren't being told everything. Question for all: How is it that a surveillance videotape would capture the truck featured in the graphic if, as we've been told, the shootings take place from 150 yards or more away? Do videotapes really capture pictures from that far away?

[doosee]

and died... pistol vs. rifle.....bang bang bang...out go the lights..


The sniper has no intention of getting into a firefight. This MO is 1 quick shot and bug out. No way he would have stayed in place to engage an approaching cop, especially one in a car.

[tomkat]

Do videotapes really capture pictures from that far away?

very doubtful

hey Registered, can you ping others that might have expertise in this ?

[Born on the Storm King]

If I was a policeman on duty in that area right now, I would have a rifle in the patrol car at all times---good point, I brought that up earlier!

[Peach]

Thanks, tomkat. It just doesn't make sense to me that surveillance videotape as commonly used at gas stations would capture the shooter's vehicle if the distance he's shooting is 150+ yards as has been reported.

[Lion's Cub]

I have said that I think the Feds may have preempted a parallel attack when the got the Buffalo area and Portland cells. Just found this http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/768234/posts from the NYP:

October 13, 2002 -- Federal prosecutors found Islamic books and Internet printouts - including one titled "How Do I Train Myself for Jihad?" - in the apartment of a suspected member of a Oregon terrorist cell.

The suspect, Jeffrey Leon Battle, also considered attacking synagogues or schools, the prosecutors said.

The books and printouts were found in the Portland apartment that Battle shared with his ex-wife October Martinique Lewis. They are among six people indicted Oct. 4 for trying to go to Afghanistan and join al Qaeda after the Sept. 11 attacks.

I also suspect this may be why we got the warning that schools might be attacked.

[Sacajaweau]

One of the problems with video surveillance is that in many cases, they run for a week, and tape over the next week etc.. Hope everyone starts to "save" their tapes every week.

Sac

[CPL BAUM]

"Looks so far like the weekend is for food, rest and assessing the action for the next week and safe harbor and chief planners are near Fredericksburg."

You might be right on the money with this. My working theory is that he's using the weekends to do some recon and scout his next shooting positions...then waiting for rush hour times to mask his getaways. Certainly using a different vehicle for his scouting...and certainly not toting his weapon around with him. The taskforce should be scouring through any and all videos of the Bowie, Manassas and 2nd Fredericksburg shootings from LAST weekend.

If they have a picture - even if a small grainy one from some video in Manassas - I'm shocked that they would not have released either the image or a sketch of the image indicating that the guy is not a suspect - but wanted for questioning. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

I find it difficult to imagine that this guy is entering and exiting his van in broad daylight with weapon en tote - except for the Bowie school shooting. My guess is that he's parking with the van positioned so that he can sit in the back corner of the van and shoot out through either the passender or driver's side windows. Maybe even with a sun shade covering the front windshield. That might explain why he shot with a police officer across the street - he simply didn't see the policeman while he was snapping in on his target.

[schmelvin]

One question I have is: Why would the police issue a press release saying they had an image of the shooter's face before they'd managed to capture the guy, but then not publish the photo? It seems like the only thing this would accomplish would be to give the shooter a heads-up and an opportunity to pack his bags and leave the country.

Do you think this information was leaked, perhaps? Shouldn't the photo be all over TV, on "America's Most Wanted", at the post office, etc.? If the killer knows they've got it, he needs to be located ASAP before he slips away.

Is it possible the police are bluffing? That they don't have an image, but want him to think they do to manipulate him somehow? Just wondering, and curious to know your thoughts on this.

[Peach]

Good find. I think there was something in the recent taped released from AQ that was in code that activated sleeper cells, not just here but from around the world. Too many incidents of terrorism in the last week. Things could be so much worse if feds hadn't closed down the Buffalo and Portland cells - we could have been looking at multiple attacks similar to what's going on in DC area.