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Terror link to Maryland shootings? Experts divided whether killing spree work of al-Qaida
WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Friday, October 4, 2002

Posted on 10/03/2002 11:45:15 PM PDT by JohnHuang2

Though al-Qaida training videotapes and manuals captured in Afghanistan specifically show the planning of attacks on Americans in drive-by shootings, experts who have analyzed those materials are cautious about concluding the murder spree outside of Washington yesterday is connected in any way to terrorism.

The videotapes and training manuals, which show Osama lin Laden's terrorists have prepared to kill Americans with small-arms fire from trucks and vans, were first revealed in a WorldNetDaily report last month.

But John Holschen of Insights Training Center, who produced a report on the tape for military and law enforcement officials, said the rash of shootings in a small area of suburban Washington in a short period of time is unusual but not altogether unique.

"It's not inconceivable that this will turn out to be a terrorist attack," he said. However, he cautioned against jumping to any conclusions without more information.

The training video captured in Afghanistan shows al-Qaida operatives practicing the following kinds of assaults:

Skip Gouchenour, a licensed detective in Pennsylvania who has analyzed the videotape and other training materials and made a presentation on them for the Pennsylvania Detectives Association, agreed that the Maryland shooting and murder spree is very unusual.

"I'm not dismissing the possibility of a terrorist connection," he said. "It's strange, indeed."

Gouchenour specializes in investigating murder cases for district attorneys, defense attorneys, police agencies and private citizens. He says he has run across similar murder sprees in his career, but finds some of the details of this case unusual.

Police across the Washington area are searching for what they describe as "a skilled shooter" who killed five people in a random death spree beginning Wednesday night and continuing yesterday morning in Montgomery County, Md.

The shootings took place at two shopping centers, two gas stations and on the lawn outside an auto dealership along Rockville Pike. The victims were ordinary people doing ordinary things on a seemingly ordinary day.

As a result of the attacks, children were kept indoors at schools in the county.

"We do have someone that so far has been very accurate in what they are attempting to do, and so we probably have a skilled shooter," said Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose yesterday. Police said they are looking for a small, slightly damaged white truck that may have black lettering on the side. Witnesses to the shootings said they saw a truck matching that description leaving some of the crime scenes.

Montgomery County police spokesman Derek Baliles said police suspect the shooter was armed with a rifle.

About 40 minutes before the first killing, a shot was fired through a window of a Michael's craft store in the 3800 block of Aspen Hill Road. No one was hurt, but Montgomery County police said they believe the incident may have been related to what followed.

The first fatal shooting occurred Wednesday night at 6 o'clock, when James Martin, 55, of Silver Spring was killed in the parking lot of a Shoppers Food Warehouse at Randolph Road and Georgia Avenue in Wheaton. By yesterday morning, the stores in the area were open for business as usual. A security tape from a camera that monitors the lot had been turned over to police.

Then about 7:40 a.m., James Buchanan was pushing a lawn mower over a narrow strip of grass in front of the Fitzgerald Auto Mall on Rockville Pike when he was shot.

The next victim was Premkumar A. Walekar, a part-time cab driver. It was about 8:10 a.m., at a Mobil gas station on Aspen Hill Road at Connecticut Avenue in Aspen Hill, when the killer struck and Walekar died pumping gas.

About 8:30 a.m., Sarah Ramos, 34, was sitting on a bench at the shopping center near the Leisure World retirement community off Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring when the killer next took aim and fired.

It was just before 10 a.m. at a Shell gas station in Kensington and Lori Lewis-Rivera, 25, was vacuuming her minivan. The station, at the corner of Knowles and Connecticut avenues in the heart of Kensington, is visible from all directions. But again the killer struck as if coming from nowhere.

Throughout the day the manhunt intensified, but as night fell there had been no arrests. Though authorities have downplayed the possibility of terrorism, the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Secret Service have all been involved in the investigation.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alqaeda; banglist; beltwaysniper; dcsniper; dcsnipers; snipertimeline; snipertraining
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To: cajungirl
A profiler was on tv last nite, Van Quindt or something like that from the FBI. He says young white males under 25 enouraging each other like Harris and Klebold, giving hi fives after a kill, in it for the thrill.

Where do these "profilers" get off saying such fiction? They have no (or little) evidence, and they create grand portraits including the brand of socks they wear? Puhleeze.

101 posted on 10/04/2002 6:46:01 AM PDT by sam_paine
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To: dakine
Charming. I should get a knock on the door soon, I bought a model 94 for my birthday 2 years ago. In Rockville.
102 posted on 10/04/2002 6:46:42 AM PDT by ko_kyi
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To: GnL
"They want info on anyone that owns any type of rifle? That sounds a bit over the top, but I wouldn't put it past them.

The Remington Model 7 is a very common "varminter" rifle, it even comes in a "youth model"...ammo can be bought at Walmart etc. The AR-15 uses a .223 load too, and also a Ruger "rancher model". The .223 load is effective at longer range on larger varmints, so this rifle has appeal to ranchers, rural dwellers and boys who are out-growing their .22's. Yesterday, Fox News Channel had some woman on who said;

"They should be looking for anyone who has "Guns&Ammo" magazines laying around their house."

"Over-the-top" indeed.

103 posted on 10/04/2002 6:47:46 AM PDT by two23
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To: freeperfromnj
Ok. Sorry. PP. Premature Posting.
104 posted on 10/04/2002 6:49:55 AM PDT by sam_paine
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To: two23; GnL; dakine
The interview was conducted by the Arabic-language Al-Jazeera network in late October.... "We will work to continue this battle, God permitting, until victory or until we meet God," bin Laden -- the world's most-wanted fugitive, whose current whereabouts are a mystery -- told the Kabul reporter for the Qatar-based network. "I tell you, freedom and human rights in America are doomed," bin Laden said as the U.S. war on terrorism raged in Afghanistan. "The U.S. government will lead the American people in -- and the West in general -- into an unbearable hell and a choking life."
105 posted on 10/04/2002 6:53:28 AM PDT by sam_paine
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To: ko_kyi
"Charming. I should get a knock on the door soon, I bought a model 94 for my birthday 2 years ago. In Rockville.

I don't live anywhere NEAR MD, but the references to what sounds like a gun-owner witch-hunt is unnerving---Press report on right now showing rifles that use .223 rounds....

this is the best they can do because they have NO suspect description. Oh geesh they are asking people to report ANYONE who has .223's.

106 posted on 10/04/2002 6:56:01 AM PDT by two23
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To: ko_kyi
And my wife wonders why I want to move to Va....
107 posted on 10/04/2002 6:56:43 AM PDT by dakine
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To: dakine
>>The interviewer asked, "What if I know my neighbor down the block has a 30.06, do I still call in?"
The lady said that you should still call because "You don't what other assault rifles he might own."<<

Ye Gods! I hope these dumb-cluck cops are kept hopping from now 'til the cows come home. If people in my neck of the woods were subjected to this, EVERYONE in the area would be turned in.

Jeeze...


108 posted on 10/04/2002 6:56:45 AM PDT by Darnright
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To: Free Trapper
The Ruger Mini-14 would be an excellent candidate as well. Light, accurate, and cheap. They cost half of what the AR-15 clones do.
109 posted on 10/04/2002 6:58:55 AM PDT by Space Wrangler
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To: Darnright
This is PATHETIC.....they have no suspect description...no composite sketches....no nothing, so they will alert people to turn in their neighbors who have those "bad, bad guns"
110 posted on 10/04/2002 6:59:35 AM PDT by two23
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To: two23
The bang list?I don't know how.
111 posted on 10/04/2002 6:59:52 AM PDT by Free Trapper
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To: two23
hey, it's the socialist republik of maryland !
waddaya expect, sanity ?

that cesspool of pc is only 25mi from my front door - oy vey ...

112 posted on 10/04/2002 7:02:27 AM PDT by tomkat
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To: tomkat
Gee whiz...I feel "criminalized"....MOST .223 bolt actions are just more accurate "plinking" rifles....that's what mine is.
113 posted on 10/04/2002 7:05:18 AM PDT by two23
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To: ko_kyi
Double trouble if you own a white truck or van....
114 posted on 10/04/2002 7:07:04 AM PDT by mystery-ak
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To: Darnright
Just think what would be happening if more people had been murdered. The cops would be rounding up all of the rifles they could get their hands on.
115 posted on 10/04/2002 7:08:31 AM PDT by Brad C.
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To: mystery-ak
Double trouble if you own a white truck or van....

I own both a white van and a .223. Good thing I live in Colorado or my home would be surrounded by SWAT by now.

116 posted on 10/04/2002 7:09:08 AM PDT by Betty Jane
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To: infowarrior
"Above the woman's head was a quarter-size bullet hole surrounded by a spider web of cracks."

If this isn't a reporter's exaggeration, then the weapon is most likely a sniper's rifle. Plus, the unconfirmed reports of other wounds as well as the very mortality rate point toward a large caliber weapon.

117 posted on 10/04/2002 7:10:13 AM PDT by antidisestablishment
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To: Betty Jane
LOL....do you have an alibi?
118 posted on 10/04/2002 7:12:15 AM PDT by mystery-ak
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To: dakine
And my wife wonders why I want to move to Va....

Mine used to, but she is getting sick of this nanny-state horse^$#& too. The only reason she didn't want to go to VA is that the traffic is worse. I still have to work in DC.

119 posted on 10/04/2002 7:13:24 AM PDT by ko_kyi
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To: Betty Jane
Double trouble if you own a white truck or van....

Just for the record: I'm a 2nd Amendment supporter and I drive a 4 cylindar import sedan! And don't live anywhere NEAR the state of MD!

120 posted on 10/04/2002 7:14:51 AM PDT by two23
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