"Profilers: Montgomery County Shooters are Likely From Area"

WUSA 9 News, Associated Press ^ | October 4, 2002 | The Associated Press

[Hail Caesar]

Profilers: Montgomery County Shooters are Likely From Area

Whoever killed five people with single shots in Montgomery County is probably a white man in his 20s or early 30s who lives nearby, two former FBI profilers said Thursday.

The shooter and an accomplice likely dumped the white truck police were looking for Thursday night, the experts said. "That vehicle will be in a garage or a lake," said Clinton Van Zandt, a former FBI agent.

Both Van Zandt and another former profiler, Robert K. Ressler, said it's unlikely that one person carried out the killings. They said one person was probably the shooter, while the other drove the truck.

The two suspects are "giving themselves high-fives" as they shoot victims in a Columbine-like spree that Van Zandt said won't end until they're caught.

"They're moving - they like it," he said. "This is emotional heroin for them."

Ressler likened the spree to that of Andrew Cunanan, the suspected killer of fashion designer Gianni Versace and four other people. Cunanan died in an apparent suicide as police cornered him on a Florida houseboat in 1997.

"You're dealing with not a serial killer, not a mass murderer, but a spree killer," Ressler said.

Serial killers go though "emotional cooling-off periods" that could span days or even months. In this case, the killings were only hours apart.

The pair could be fugitives in their mid-to-late 20s or early 30s, with nothing to lose, Van Zandt said.

"One or both of these guys feel they've been ditched by the world," he said. "This is 'get-even,' this is 'level the playing field,' this is 'sharp stick in the eye."'

He said the suspects are also probably from the Montgomery County area, either living there, working there or with family connections to the area.

Both experts said crimes like this are generally solved by eyewitnesses or friends who notice that the suspects have disappeared.

"There are people out there right now who have suspicions," Van Zandt said.

[marktwain]

How do you plan on defending yourself against this killer there, tough guy? Do you think that a weapon in your palm is going to stop that slug as it slams through your back? Tell us how much smarter you are than these poor souls that were ambushed?

Think about it a little more than skin deep. It is not the victim, but bystanders that can make a big difference. Even a couple of bullet holes in the vehicle the shot came from could easily lead to their demise or capture. These guys will make a mistake. But it will matter a lot if there is anybody there who can capitalize on that mistake.

[Midwestguy]

Hi all, just discovered this great site after linking over from Instapundit. I haven't had a chance yet to read all of the threads here on the MD/DC/VA so forgive me if this has already been brought up and dissected. Anyway, in thinking about these shootings I begin to wonder if there might not be a message in the choice of Michael's craft stores in two of the shootings. From the timeline given by the media it looks like each days shootings start at Michaels. Now, unless these guys have a real problem with that specific chain or arts and crafts in general there might be something more symbolical to this choice. Interestingly, Michael is the name of the archangel that is very important to Christian, Judism, and Islam.

Specifically, in Revelation 12:7-9 (NIV) "And there was war in heaven. MICHAEL and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down-that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world astray."

Similarly, in the Qur'an 2:98 "Who is an enemy to God, and his angels, and his messenger, and his messengers, and Gabriel, and MICHAEL. Then, lo God himself is an enemy to his disbelievers.

Now, I am probably way off base here, but it could be a possibility that these guys could either Christian zealots that see their actions as part of the great final battle against Satan's followers or Islamists who see themselves as God's (Allah's) messengers, and punishers of non-true believers.

Thus, each day they have begun the attacks at, or near, a store named Michaels to symbolize their mission. This could also be a psychological reinforcement, or justification, to them that they are indeed acting as God's archangel when they do their killings.

Anyway, sorry for the length but just wanted to throw this idea out.

[WackyKat]

This is Islamic terrorism and they're doing everything they can to keep the sheeple in the dark about it.

[ET(end tyranny)]

Welcome to Free Republic.

It was also mentioned by another poster that perhaps the starting at Michaels' might be a code.

[wcbtinman]

If your theory is correct, I think they are shooting the wrong people.

[exit82]

Welcome to FreeRepublic,newbie! It's a great place,and we're glad you're here.

[exit82]

I'm in agreement with both of your statements in # 39, friend.

[Mariner]

"most accurate profiler"

Fits the profile I've been talking about for the last couple of hours since I logged on and found out about this.

However, I disagree on two points:

1. The perps are trained paramilitary agents or religious idealogues

2. They aren't white.

[LikeLight]

If they look "hispanic" I'm betting it's Abu Sayef Islamic Terrorists from Philipines/Indonesia/Malaysia (perhaps Al Qaeda trained) exacting some revenge with their own little "Special Forces" mission behind enemy lines . . .

[Dialup Llama]

The description of the van seems fairly detailed. There must be people out there who know the van just from the description.

[concerned about politics]

"One or both of these guys feel they've been ditched by the world,"

Because they're letting their emotions rule, they're liberals. Also, the "victim" part means liberal. They're loosers.

[bonesmccoy]

This story is chock full of bad reporting. Any doctor with any amount of big city trauma room experience KNOWS that entry wounds are not described as "big". The real issue is the momentum of the round upon entering the body and how the projectile behaves in the body (i.e. tumbles or barrels straight through)

[Future Useless Eater]

the pair could be fugitives in their mid-to-late 20s or early 30s, with nothing to lose, Van Zandt said.

"One or both of these guys feel they've been ditched by the world," he said. "This is 'get-even,' this is 'level the playing field,' this is 'sharp stick in the eye."'

I agree with others here that these guys seem most likely to be middle-eastern, and that this is terrorism.

Does anyone know if the victims appeared to be wealthy americans? or jewish americans?

Even if this pair turns out to not be Islamic, you can bet your A$$ the radical islamists are sitting up and taking notice, probably even cheering every report!
They may very likely recruit and send out some copycat death-squads of their own to add to our hysteria!

[AdA$tra]

Have you EVER seen a profile that mentioned race that said it was anything other than a white man?...

...Or use the term "Left Wing" in conjuction with anything other than an airplane.

[Travis McGee]

He's using a textbook that's as obsolete as a buggy whip catalog.

[Hail Caesar]

The word "terrorism" has been terribly abused and misused since 9/11 - primarily for political reasons by those more intent on power plays and control than revenge and vindication.

[DC native]

Agreed.

[DC native]

Agreed.