The terror snipers

WorldNetDaily.com ^ | December 8, 2003 | Joseph Farah's

[TaxPayer2000]

It's time for those investigating the Ohio and West Virginia snipers to look at a map of the United States.

John Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo began terrorizing Americans in Maryland and the District of Columbia before moving to Virginia with their sniping campaign.

Earlier this year, a similar sniper pattern was noticed in West Virginia. And before law enforcement officials could get to the bottom of that deadly spree, a new one has been preoccupying the nation in Ohio.

Maryland, D.C., Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio: Anyone else see anything notable there?

Now I know the D.C. snipers are in custody, with one still facing trial and the other awaiting sentencing. I'm not suggesting the same people are behind all these shootings. What I am suggesting is for investigators to think of what is apparently unthinkable to them – that we may have similar motives in all three cases.

So far, the main thought for the cops seems to be to avoid panicking the public. Yet, it was the public that nabbed Muhammad and Malvo after law enforcement experts bungled the case for months – too afraid releasing information might lead to racial profiling.

In Ohio, where law enforcement officials have consulted the D.C. sniper investigators, they are unwilling even to refer to the shootings as sniper attacks.

Chief Deputy Steve Martin, of the Franklin County sheriff's office, said the word implies "a military person" who dresses in camouflage, lies in wait and shoots from long range. "I'm not ready to say that yet," Martin said, noting that the shooter "may be mobile."

Well, Muhammad and Malvo were mobile and they were not known to wear camo. It looks like political correctness may be spreading East to West along with the sniper attacks.

Nevertheless, the Columbus Dispatch has dubbed the shooter the "I-270 sniper."

Authorities investigating three apparently random fatal shootings in August outside convenience stores in West Virginia said they are looking at recent shootings 200 miles away in Ohio in a desperate search for clues.

"There's potential for concern that there may be some connection, and we want to explore that obviously to see whether there is or isn't," said Joseph Ciccarelli, senior supervisory agent for the FBI in Charleston. "It's safe to say right now there's nothing to lead us to believe they are connected, but that could change."

So far, who fired the shots that killed Gary Carrier Jr., Jeanie Patton and Okey Meadows Jr. remains a mystery to the 73 investigators pursuing nearly 3,000 leads.

Carrier, 44, was talking on a pay telephone at a Charleston Go-Mart when he was shot Aug. 10. Four days later, Patton, 31, and Meadows, 26, were killed within 90 minutes of each other at rural convenience stores about 10 miles apart: Patton was filling her car with gas, Meadows was buying milk at a pay window.

Each was killed late at night by a .22-caliber bullet fired from the same weapon.

The 14 Ohio shootings happened along a stretch of Interstate 270 near Columbus. One woman was killed in those shootings, which began in May but have happened mainly in the past two months. Police have no suspects in those cases.

The West Virginia shootings were similar to the Washington-area sniper shootings that terrorized the region last year, and prompted authorities to offer a $100,000 reward to help solve the cases. The investigation yielded little more than vague descriptions of a white heavyset man with a goatee and a grainy security videotape.

Lack of an obvious motive also has stumped investigators.

"We have looked at this being drug-related," said Kanawha County Chief Deputy Phil Morris. "We have also looked at it being a [random] sniper-type of shooting. We will continue looking at all aspects."

It seems they've looked at it from every angle but the most obvious one – the same motive of Muhammad and Malvo.

Is it possible this sniper case might, too, be terrorism-related? Might the guilty parties in West Virginia and Ohio also be al-Qaida wannabes? Is it within the realm of possibility that these are copycat shooters? What's the harm in asking the question? Are we likely to apprehend a shooter if we don't understand his motive?

Let me point out that I was the guy who suggested long before they were apprehended that the D.C. snipers were motivated by an allegiance to the ideals of radical Islam. It turned out to be accurate. Isn't it time to think outside the box once again?

[steplock]

They all came from VERY NEAR the canada border?

There has to be a reason that Washington/Oregon are ISLAMIC EXTREMIST centers of Terrorists.

.

[dirtboy]

I don't think the 270 sniper is in any way related to the other two. The 270 sniper strikes me as one or more kids out wreaking havoc with Dad's deer rifle.

[GladesGuru]

Let's remember a few facts which may be of use. Of all immigrants from Islamic nations, some 80% are not Islamic. They are Christians, Jews, etc.

This means that probably only 20% are potential problems. Now we have a far more managable set to watch. Since any mosque which was built in the last 10, years, and arguably in the last 20 years, may have been built with Saudi funds, such funding data is a legitimate inquiry for the government.

Mosques having accepted such funding should be levelled. Promptly. "If you support a terrorist, you are a terrorist." A valid concept, but it must be applied.

Check all prisoners who were meeting with Muslim chaplins while in prison. Any who made pro-terrorist statements should be dealt with. The First Amendment doesn't protect treason.

As for the professional whiners, tell 'em to get a job so they cn buy their own cheese to accompany their Liberal whine.

The quintessential question is, Do we mean to win the War Against Terrorism or not?

I'd be curious as to the response of the FR community to these hypotheses.

[Fudd]

There is a different MO between the DC snipers, the WV snipers, and the I-270 snipers. The first two snipers were shooting at people, and killing them. The DC snipers worked over a larger area. The I-270 snipers are shooting at cars and buildings in a smaller geographic area.

[Veritas_est]

Let's remember a few facts which may be of use. Of all immigrants from Islamic nations, some 80% are not Islamic. They are Christians, Jews, etc. This means that probably only 20% are potential problems. Now we have a far more managable set to watch. Since any mosque which was built in the last 10, years, and arguably in the last 20 years, may have been built with Saudi funds, such funding data is a legitimate inquiry for the government.

Careful now. You're making too much sense. They'll accuse you of racial AND religious profiling.

[Mr. Bird]

Let me point out that I was the guy who suggested long before they were apprehended that the D.C. snipers were motivated by an allegiance to the ideals of radical Islam. It turned out to be accurate.

Gee Joe, you're sooo smart! That possiblity never crossed our minds, what with us forgetting about 9/11 and all...

[archy]

I don't think the 270 sniper is in any way related to the other two. The 270 sniper strikes me as one or more kids out wreaking havoc with Dad's deer rifle.

You happen to remember a serial killer named Thomas LeeDillon, who shot and killed five southern Ohio hunters and fishermen from 1989 to 1992?

-archy-/-

[archy]

Chief Deputy Steve Martin, of the Franklin County sheriff's office, said the word implies "a military person" who dresses in camouflage, lies in wait and shoots from long range. "I'm not ready to say that yet," Martin said, noting that the shooter "may be mobile."

Sounds like a typical cop's limited viewpoint. I wonder if this guy is even aware that TC 23-14 exists, much less if he's ever read or learned anything from it.

Sniper: a specialist whose prime function is to kill selected high-value targets at long range using superior skill and armament.

[Lurker]

I remember him alright.

He was one sick puppy, and an animal rights extremist to boot.

Funny how you never heard much about that aspect of his killings though.

L

[GeekDejure]

The First Amendment doesn't protect treason.

Assuming you don't live in a PC obsessed country wherein 'protecting trees' is more important than 'prosecuting treason' !!!

.

[GladesGuru]

Come to think of it, I am suggesting both religious and ethnic profiling AND gender profiling as well. Most offenders have been male.

If it works (and it demonstrably does work!) for the Israelis, it will work for us.

[Veritas_est]

Come to think of it, I am suggesting both religious and ethnic profiling AND gender profiling as well. Most offenders have been male. If it works (and it demonstrably does work!) for the Israelis, it will work for us.

Of course you are. But my comment was tongue in cheek. Also, of course, it does work. In fact it is the only thing that makes sense in the investigation of many crimes including terrorism. Investigators look for M.O. in any crime. In a lot of cases profiling is mandatory to finding M.O. and to solving the crime. Especially "serial" crimes. The PC Police unnecessarily tie the hands of law enforcement by playing the "no profiling" card. They are usually opposed to law enforcement anyway unless the crime is against a tree.

[archy]

Come to think of it, I am suggesting both religious and ethnic profiling AND gender profiling as well. Most offenders have been male.

If it works (and it demonstrably does work!) for the Israelis, it will work for us.

Pay close attention here: Most of those who've been stopped, caught in the commission of their acts have been male. From the aircraft hijackings of the 1970s to the Lod massacre to some bombings where the bomber escaped unrecognized, female terrorists have operated with more success than they deserved to get away with. And in the last couple of years, female suicide bombers have received more success and less security detail attention than they deserved. That's been corrected, but whether it will offer improved results is a bit soon to tell.

-archy-/-

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