Beltway Sniper Shootings-FR Commentary-Wed., Oct. 23,2002

Fox News, CNN, Press Conferences | October 23, 2002 | Fox News, CNN, Press Conferences

[Peach]

Let's keep a live commentary thread going again today. The FBI Tip Line #1-888-324-9800.

All seems quiet since yesterday's news the shooter may target children specifically. It was released on various news outlets the shooter's 3-page letter to police was in broken English and threatened extreme violence. Police announced an electronic transfer of $10m as requested by the shooter was not possible but other options for transfer remain open. No one seriously believes police will actually give the shooter $$, but police are trying to keep a dialogue open with the shooter in an effort to capture this monster.

[Freedom2specul8]

Time for me to take a break..will respond to posts to me when I get back later.

Beltway Sniper Shootings FR THREAD ARCHIVES is now updated.

See ya later

[Quilla]

It is possible that by staying in the VA/DC/MD area where law enforcement presence is at it peak, the killer is furthering the theory that he is from that area.

[ThinkingMan]

Why couldn't he get another 20 shots off? They haven't even come close to catching him yet. Stay away from obviously heavy guarded targets like schools and gas stations, go for early morning or late night people (garbage men, city street workers etc.) that will lead to a delayed reaction time.

I am sure he could manage it.

[Peach]

The shooter isn't planning 20 shots at a clip. His note said 20 body bags. We at FR were speculating whether he would go on another spree where he planned several (3-5) at one time, but aren't envisioning 20 at a time.

[stlnative]

Yes I agree... I think he has his own personal death wish and I do believe that he will finally decide to make a final large killing knowing that body bag #20 or #21 will have his name on it. I think this is what he wants, that is to go down in a blaze of glory at the end of it. Right now he is getting off on the game amd with every kill he knows he is getting closer and closer to being caught. I think if he is in a car, that he has the car loaded with ammo and probably a fully automatic weapon of some sort each time he goes out for a kill, because he is already prepared for when he might be cornered and it may be right in the heart of a traffic jam from them closing everything down due to his last kill that he will be trying to escape from.

[Peach]

Thanks, Kim for all your hard work. It's been so valuable when we've needed to look something up. You're the best.

[conservativejunkie]

There is something that bothered me last night when I read the Washington Post atricle. It was so late last night I couldn't respond but I thought about it all night. Why all of a sudden (after almost 3 weeks of total silence from LE and FBI) thier telling all. Nothing gets leaked unless they want it to. After they came out with our children aren't safe the response of people was frantic. With so many people feeling that it could be foriegn maybe they leaked this to make it sound like a nut job american.

How do we know what was in that letter. I'm sure that only a few people know what it said. I just can't shake the feeling that all these leaks are some sort of ruse to keep us under control. Besides i'm convinced that if it is foreign we will never know.They just won't ever let thst happen. Remember nothing happens in D.C. without well thought plans. NOTHING!

[Quilla]

I may have missed this when I scanned all the posts this morning, but I heard it on CNN (just flipping through) this morning. A company has printed and made available for sale a tee-shirt that says: Virginia is for snipers. Horrible, low class establishment to say the least!

[wewillnotfail]

I thought the reference was that five have died because no one had responded to his contacts with the police?

[TexKat]

MSNBC just said the casing from the Aspen Hill shooting has been found. Don't know if this has been posted here yet.

[ET(end tyranny)]

Virginia is a large state. The shooter has been jumping around. North, then South, then north again. Are there 20 cities within a days drive of Rockville?

[ThinkingMan]

I disagree that he is getting closer to getting caught. What do they know about him other than he is male. Even the white box truck/ white van has dropped off the radar. If he ceases communication for a while (say 20 days/20 shots) they will be where they were after shots 6-11.

This is not to say that the longer he goes, the higher the chances are he will screw up, that much is obvious.

[OReilly]

I think when we first said Fox mentioned 20 body bags, it wasn't disclosed at that time which note reflected that, so it's entirely possible you're right.

The 5 must die, I believe, was in reference to the incompetence of the FBI HotLine. It would make more sense that the 20 came out in a subsequent note and that is what I believe was reliably reported. Some of the confusion is because some are reporting on what others are reporting. BTW, I don't think FOX said it wrong, I just wanted to raise a question, "Is that really all in the one note or maybe it is a separate and subsequent note?

[yukong]

I agree. I have always thought that this guy has a "plan A" which is the one we are seeing executed heretofore, "plan B" which would be something like, getting ready for a kill, and something happens that spooks him or he just doesn't feel right, and a "plan C" that is his "when the world comes crashing in" plan wherein he goes out in a blaze of glory. Possibly with a huge amount of ammo, or explosives or something that lets him take our a large crowd in one big bang.

[Quilla]

The 800 call comes in to their call center, but by the time they realize that it is him and that it is a recording, he is gone, and the recording is still playing. I think the police are trying to plant the idea of a private 800 number, which would make their job easier. He is too smart to fall for it.

OReilly, if this is the case and the sniper is not actually on line during the calls, how did they get the private 800 number to him in the first place? (that's been bugging me)

[American72]

Maybe they have a # set up with voice mail where the sniper and the police can each send and retrieve messages?

[Katya]

Advance apology if this info has been posted, but I'm just working through the thread:
Has anyone heard the polic BOLO this morning? Yesterday they were still asking for a #2 white Hispanic man or similar....I don't have access to a scanner, but remember some Marylanders posting the BOLO's yesterday.

[ET(end tyranny)]

I do believe that he will finally decide to make a final large killing knowing that body bag #20 or #21 will have his name on it.

Then the 10 million and electronic transfer and the 800 number is all for naught? Why bother with all that, and not just go out and shoot, if all the shooter wants is to die?

[vollmond]

1-800-CLEARLY?

[stlnative]

He probably is expected to call into the regular tipline and he says something that lets the call taker know it is him. They then give him the 1-800 #. The 1-800 is for him so that he does not have deal with different call takers or a buzy line.