Another DC-area sniper-style shooting

Wife (FReeper nina0113) | October 4, 2002 | Steve0113

[Steve0113]

Another broad-daylight shooting just occurred, this time in Fredericksburg, VA, just off I-95. It's not even on the news yet.

About an hour's drive south of where the Montgomery County shootings happened, a woman was shot in the parking lot of a Michaels fabric store. My wife was in the store at the time. The victim had left the store and carried her purchases to her minivan. She unlocked the minivan and was loading her stuff into it when she was shot. No sign of the shooter.

No one else was injured.

The woman was taken away in an ambulance, condition unknown. Her license plate (which I'm not going to post) indicated that she had several children.

[Dead Dog]

I really doubt the guy is standing or sitting out in the open. I'm guessing he's sitting in a vehicle. A bolt action or single shot does make sense though. They are only doing one shot and relocating. They definately think they are snipers.

There have been reports of people hearing the shot, so it is not well silenced. My bet is that they are using a typical car or van parket in a lot, They simply fire from inside and drive away. Tomorrow they'll use something different.

I hope they get gut shot for this, Islamists or not.

[LibWhacker]

And shopping centers/strip malls whose parking lots can be easily seen from 100 - 200 yards away. The area around all such shopping centers should be put under immediate surveillance.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Can that lady that John Gibson is interviewing talk any faster? She sounds like the lyrics to that Ketchup song.

[Tree of Liberty]

Here's the AR-15.com thread on this morning's AFT briefing. It has a good deal of technical info, as well as righteous indignation.

They have no casings yet, only bullet fragments. As I understand it, it is very difficult to determine a caliber based on a small fragment of the bullet. So, it's suspicious that they'd narrow on the .223Rem and show a few "evil black rifles" that have no known association with the crimes.

[SJackson]

The various .223 caliber cartriges are accurate to 400 yd from a contender.

I heard an interview with some LEO (sheriff?) this AM. He said they made the determination from the bullet, no cases had been found, and mentioned .223 and .222, they former being the more likely based on usage.

[BCR #226]

Yeah, I read that too. The super sonic crack will sound like a gunshot if you are near the flight path. the sound actually comes from the air around the bullet. That is the reason we are hearing conflicting reports on where the shots came from.

Mike

[vetvetdoug]

There was a segment on one of the investigations on Al Queda that mentioned that terrorists in the US could randomly go from place to place and kill innocents. These actions are in that methodology for the terrorists.

All the more reason for a Second Amendment.

[Catspaw]

Toogood was taped in the parking lot of a Kohls. There aren't many private parking lots that don't have some type of video survellience, although most don't have the clarity of the Toogood tape.

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

Could it be some left-wing gun control nut that is shooting people to sow fear, and get more support for gun control laws? I bet you won't hear that theory on the major networks. But 'right-wing gun nut' is sure to be sprinkled liberally (no pun intended) about in news reports.

[Dog]

Thanks for posting that link...

[OXENinFLA]

Thanks for the pic.

just a question how much of the sound from the shot would be muffled if the shot was fired from the back. It would be quite easy to crack the back door about 7"-8", and aim from a prone position, and not be see.

also I'm thinking there may be 3 people one to drive one to shot and one to shut the door after the shot.

[MissAmericanPie]

Your wife was in the store? That's hitting way to close to home.

[gridlock]

Yesterday's sites were all near the Washington Beltway. But the guy didn't bug out. He just went from site to site.

I bet law enforcement is looking at all the tape from the Cabin John Bridge for a white box truck going by at about 8:00 PM last night.

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks for the post Steve. I am glad your wife is safe. It's a tragedy that someone else lost theirs. We've got one or two really sick AHs out there.

[jgrubbs]

I was born in Fredericksburg, VA, my family still lives in Spotsylvania County, I used to go to the Spotsylvania Mall.

I am lifting everyone up in prayer, I hope they catch whoever is behind these shootings.

[ZinGirl]

i'm wondering about copy-cat psychos, though. I, too, would see a connection....but I even wondered yesterday if some nutbags were going to jump on the sicko bandwagon, so to speak. This woman was just wounded? (preliminary info)....perhaps a different shooter who isn't as good of a shot?

[eno_]

Two things:

One, I'm suprised the truck has not been located.

Two, there's lots of room in there to put the shooter up high, in the dark, and put lots of sound-absorbing material around him.

Three, there's almost got to be an accomplice driving, and possibly another accomplice operating the door on the van.

[wardaddy]

Heading South period in terrorist mode means taking bigger risks. Guns are rather plentiful here. I'd stay in gun grabber land were I a terr.

[billhilly]

Here in Virginia groundhog hunting is common and if I am not mistaken the .223 is commonly used for them. There is always the possibility that some guy has gone nuts, and that he is a target shooter. It ain't that much of a leap, now, is it?

[Pete]

Another craft store! They are shooting at people mowing the lawn, getting gas, vacuuming out vehicles, sitting on a park bench and picking up crafts. People who are doing ordinary things. If they wanted to create terror, they are right on track.

Back around the July 4th terror alerts, I sat down and tried to think where and what form the next attacks would take. I figured airplanes were probably knocked down the terrorists' list because of all the security and passenger reactions. Car bombs would be locally effective but wouldn't have the dramatic effect of 9/11, so people, nationwide, would almost be more relieved than terrified. A nuke would be their ideal but I don't believe they have the capability in the US yet.

Where I ended up was with the thought that if a terrorist wanted to really terrorize, he would randomly and anonymously attack individuals in the heartland of America. Then, no where would seem safe. I thought it would have been somewhere in the mid-West but I suppose they could have picked Maryland and Virginia. I would not be the least bit surprised to find out this was the case with these shootings.