Posted on 10/13/2002 1:43:35 PM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection
US police have said they do not want to the muddy waters of an investigation into a sniper who has killed eight people and wounded two by releasing an inaccurate sketch, amid reports the meticulous killer circling the nation's capital has been sighted.
Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose was asked to comment on reports that the sniper who has electrified the Washington area has been spotted, and police are working on a composite sketch.
Chief Moose, struggling for the right words, said he did not want to "muddy the waters" by releasing an image to the media too soon.
"Please rest assured that when we have something where we are sure that the media can help us we will use that," Moose said.
"The concern is that we pollute the whole thought process, we cause people to have tunnel vision, think they see what they heard on TV and mix that up with reality."
The power of the media has taken center stage in the hunt for the shooter - or shooters, who has used a high-velocity rifle to slam a single bullet into 10 victims since October 2, eluding the largest federal, state and local manhunt in the history of the Washington region.
Chief Moose released a composite image of an older model, mid-sized commercial truck, with light damage to its right rear bumper and black lettering -- a row of large black block letters above a row of smaller letters, on each side.
Chief Moose said the white truck, which has a roll-up door at the rear, was seen at more than one of the shootings by more than one witness and he asked the media to distribute it widely.
He declined to discuss any of the witnesses further.
"None of the witnesses have been able to give us the exact wording" on the truck or its license plate number, Chief Moose said at a news briefing.
The chief said the image is generating new leads.
"Maybe he has had this vehicle repaired," he said, calling on mechanics and body shop workers to think back.
Investigators are working on a sketch of a second vehicle, described as a white Chevrolet Astro van, seen near the latest shooting on Friday, Chief Moose said.
"We're working with a sense of urgency" to get that photo to the public, he said.
Physical evidence has been scant, with one taunting clue apparently left by the shooter near where a 13-year-old victim was shot - a tarot "death" card with the words "dear Mr Policeman, I am God" scrawled on the back.
The cold, methodical killer, who picks off random victims while concealed in a sniper's nest at a comfortable distance, claimed his 10th victim and eighth fatality on Friday.
Kenneth Bridges, 53, a businessman and father of six on the road from Philadelphia, was killed on Friday at an Exxon gasoline station near a busy interstate highway in Virginia.
So's the press. My spouce can hit a small woodchuck sticking up out of it's hole with a .222 at 300 yards.
My favorite is soda cans being blown across a frozen snow. Those babies really whip!
Not if the shooter is making a point. Look Mr. Policeman, you can't even protect someone that is 50 yards from you. It could have been you this time, but instead I 'chose' to let you live. See, I am God. I get to do the choosing on who lives and who dies.
It also serves to imply to the media and others that the police are inept. They can't even find a shooter, that is right under their nose.
Good idea. Let's just kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out.
Report immediately all suspicious activities to the FBI tips hotline... your life and mine may depend on it.
But .... But.... you just said the cops can't defend us!
Terrorize people?? OR
See how they would shut down the highways all around the loop??
Sac
How about to show how a nation of unarmed people cannot protect themselves. And the police cannot protect them either, even if the police is only 50 yards away.
Don't write it off as "not terrorism" just yet.
This guy almost has to have a spotter to cover his behind and his strengths are his "nerve", concentration, endurance and "stealthing" ability.
He must have someone spotting for him and that person has to be BEHIND him watching his back. The sniper has everything he needs to see in front of him.
By now, they've likely figured out how he approaches his shooting position. I'd say the next time out, he'll get caught.
Sac
Wonder why. That seems odd. Of course the question is ME terrorists. Why wouldn't the press even be allowed to ask? Is terrorism liberal press PC now? Terrorist=good, Citizens=bad?
In order to effectively intimidate people in the area, you need to confine the attacks to the area involved. My own expectation is that they will do this again somewhere else--there may be some element of test run in this exercise.
I don't see evidence this is a coordinated attack on an Arts & Crafts chain--its just a coincidence; in the kind of areas where you have the target set up they are looking for, you may have a higher probability of having one of the stores.
It doesn't look to me like any freepers who live outside the area are terrorized--my own view if I lived in the area would be to move on down the middle of the same track on the theory that the odds are on my side.
However to the extent you are denigrating the impact of these incidents, the evidence to the contrary is obvious. I would bet we have between $50 million and $100 million in law enforcement response so far.
More significant in the context of your Reynolds Wrap insult is this--you have an operation which is the exact operation depicted in both the al Queda training manual and an operational training video (in one case the shooting platform is a pickup truck with a canopy; the other is a mini-van I believe); done for exactly the operational purpose; why should we not assume the islamic enemy is the source?
The suicide bomber usually does not get more victims than this crew has; and the bomber does not live to fight another day--he has a 100% casualty rate. You have a wide area population obsessing with this issue; I would bet that there is close to a $100 million law enforcement investment to date. This has been a very successful effort assuming the islamics are in fact the perpetrators.
The first week and wound shots would have been enough together with a note.
This says "kill Americans".
Sac
Nah, it's the media. Judging by this forum they've done a very good job too.
How do we know that there hasn't been a note? When Moose urged the killer to 'reconsider'....
My first thought was.. there's been more communication. jmo
If this is a terrorist would it be more effective doing a single shot and fleeing...or opening fire on a group of people then fleeing....I would think they would go for the larger group instilling more terror....
HUH??
Last time I checked, no one claimed reponsibility for either the first WTC bombing, Oklahoma City, 9-11, or the anthrax killings.
Great going brain trusts. You've managed to enlighten the world with the ridiculous notion that this is some Klebold/Harris tandem fresh from the arcade with plenty of quarters to feed their killing machine.
Sorry, media whores, one attack and getaway -- fine. Two? POSSIBLY. TEN??? This ain't Beavis and Butthead. It's a well-trained, extremely meticulous and well-planned group who've probably cased out each of these locations over the past year, determined their escape routes, and went about the business of purchasing/procuring large, white, nondescript vehicles that can blend into a crowd with relative ease.
Lest anyone forget, I seem to recall an excerpt from the al Qaeda training manual regarding drive by shootings from pickup trucks and "golf course assasinations" which would involve a sniper or two (or three). I seem to recall the scheme of shooting people on their doorsteps and spreading mayhem.
If you can't look at events stretching across the globe and draw an ELEMENTARY connection, then we're in trouble. My guess is that the government thinks we can't handle the truth. Maybe they're right. But this isn't gypsys. It's not acne-scarred high schoolers. It's not military. Once that 13 year old boy was felled and no -- NO ONE even remotely connected to these vermin came forward -- I was convinced that this is not the work of anyone acquainted with this society. Somebody would have dropped a dime. When children are involved, the perp's mom, dad, aunt uncle, friend, ex-, current would have wretched and done the difficult but right thing -- turn the perp in. If it's TWO people involved, that just about doubles the chances SOMEONE knows what's going on. These guys aren't living in a shack in Montana. They're moving in the community.
No, this isn't 9-11. It's water torture.
It's al Qaeda.
Period.
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