Maryland Sniper Shootings Update Thread

CNN, Fox, Local Radio and Television | October 8, 2002 | CNN, Fox, Breaking News

[Peach]

It's 6:30 a.m. EST and we're waiting to go to the second press conference providing media and local updates on the Maryland sniper shootings. To date, the 13 year old boy has survived the evening and seems to be improving. Fox News mentioned that his aunt is a nurse. The police briefing at 6:15 a.m. mentioned Todd Beamer's Let's Roll comment and police are urging people to use caution, good judgment, but remain strong and try to continue with everyday life as much as possible.

Police had a search warrant last night (didn't say for who or where) related to the sniper shootings, but the search did not provide any information to LEO.

[walkingdead]

I know what should be in the snipers head. A 180-grain boat-tailed sierra.....

[William McKinley]

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[L,TOWM]

>>>>>effective suppressor is a 2-liter Coke bottle with an "X" cut in the bottom taped to the muzzle of an AR-15<<<<<

One of my old SEAL buddies showed me a neat trick with an oil filter, a couple of tools and a rubber gasket, once upon a time...

[Eva]

No, my guess is that the goal is terrorism, plain and simple. They are following through with what they were trained to do, the drive by shootings, then a school shooting, next should be a golf course shooting. The police should also look for them to use sewer systems for access and get aways, since that was recommended on the training film.

This might not be a Muslim terrorist, but it is terrorism and the motive is the same.

[Joe Hadenuf]

That link wont open for me. But for the past few minutes my system has been a little sluggish......Got another link to it?

[blackdog]

Amen to that.

[Atlas Sneezed]

"...And I believe if he had the left blacked out a little, and put the crosshairs on target, I believe his shot will fall right (opposite of the blacked out crescent) of where his crosshairs are. It's an optical thing..."

It's called parallax. It has no effect at the range at which the scope is focused. And out of that range, it might move the point of impact by an inch a cupole hundred yards away.

It is EASY to kill people from far away with an ordinary rifle. Green soldiers have proven this millions of times. As have hundreds of millions of hunters (regarding killing game.)

[Elenya]

I still think that if this thought was prevailant, it may lead to the censorship of video games, which leads to the censorship of other things. It's a domino effect, and I for one do not want to be the one to push on the first domino.

Yes it's a very scary and difficult issue. I remember being really upset with some FReepers wanting to ban Harry Potter because it was EVIL... Things COULD get out of control...

Heck, after all of this sniper stuff, we may actually start getting suicide bombers. Scary stuff people.

That's why I'm hoping it's not a new terrorism wave, even though, as I mentioned earlier, it was my first gut feeling. I know the media would be even more horrible, but just imagining the alternative and the chaos that would follow...

[MrNeutron1962]

"You mean like locking it up, or keeping it in a safe? "

I’d submit that there are state legislatures, my own state of Connecticut for one, that would craft its tort law such that the simple act of owning a gun, that was subsequently used in a crime, is grounds for a law suit in civil court. You then get to spend your hard earned money defending how you stored the weapon, and proving that you were prudent in its storage, and were not negligent in any way. Then you get to sit around and hope that a jury finds the preponderance of the evidence is in your favor. The more infamous the crime committed with the stolen weapon, the more likely you will be found liable. It is just human nature, and our civil system often brings that quickly to light.

The law suits will go something like this, You owned the weapon, it was stolen, if you had not had the weapon to be stolen, then thus and such criminal would not have had it to commit this or that heinous crime. As the legal owner of the weapon you are liable for the pain and suffering of the victims, because you were negligent in its storage. A database of ‘weapon signatures’ only makes this simpler. No longer to they need the weapon, just a spent round or casing, to ‘prove’ your weapon was used. Now, I’m talking civil court here, where the rules are a lot more liberal. It even likely that you will be sued for this negligence without anyone having been ever criminally charged for the crime. Your weapon injured my client, you have to pay for damages.

In effect, the law would place the burden on you, the owner, to demonstrate that the weapon was adequately stored. I can see the juries interpretation of adequate varying widely from case to case. Even if you win the lawsuit, if the suit brought against you had prima fascia merit, and the tort law could make that easy to prove, your recourse to recover your expenses from this trial will be limited at best, impossible at worst. Just one more area for the anti-gunners to score points, by making gun owners fear the financial repercussions of gun ownership.

[Shooter 2.5]

What Maryland needs is someone to contest the laws to the Supreme Court.
I don't think any of the residents are interested. They seem to be more than happy to live under those laws and vote dem every election.

[walkingdead]

"might move an inch at 100yrds"

That's what I was trying to explain to the lady, since this last shot seemed to be a little off, as compared to the others. It's too bad it didn't drift enough to miss all together.

Oh, and thanks for the terminology for "crescent moon" thing. I couldn't think of the technical name for anything.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Made the link. Interesting......

[walkingdead]

Well my friend, let's just hope that our first gut feeling was wrong, but you know what they say about "gut" feelings. They seem to always be right.

Anyway, I have a brother over there in Maryland serving in the Coast Guard. I'd hate to see him get shot, because he was getting a slurpee at the wrong time.

[ET(end tyranny)]

Thanks. That's the book. Every time the title would begin to form in my mind it would disappear just as quickly. By the way, my bringing that book and McVey up, wasn't meant to support the idea that McVey acted alone it was just one of those book/arrest things.

[Freedom2specul8]

I'm glad I could be of help and congratulatinos on your first link! :)

Here's what I found so far. I'm sure there is more ..

13 Year Old Boy Shot Outside Bowie, Md. Middle School, Not Known if Sniper Related
This Killer Doesn't Fit the Expected Profile
Maryland Sniper Shootings Update Thread
Schoolboy targeted by sniper
Math Used in Hunt for Md. Sniper
Police Won't Confirm Missing Man Has Shooting Connections (Have YOU seen this man?)
Breaking- MD/DC Spree Killer Lookout Update
"Profilers: Montgomery County Shooters are Likely From Area"
Fox Cable News is reporting another shooting in D.C. area
Ashleigh Banfield, Feminist Icon: "Couldn't DC Sniper Be A Woman?"
Sniper kills for the thrill: 8th attack leaves teen near death
Police call in reinforcements in U.S. sniper hunt
Boy, 13, Wounded in Eighth Attack Linked to Sniper
CSGV Statement on Sniper Shootings in DC Metropolitan Area
In the Age of Terror, a Sniper Brings Danger Close to Home Again
Md. Shooting Linked to Sniper Spree
PROFILE HINTS WHERE MD. SNIPER WILL STRIKE NEXT
D.C. on Alert As Sniper Roams Free
Sixth death linked to sniper - Police want to talk to N.C. ex-resident [Robert Gene Baker - photo]
Another DC-area sniper-style shooting

[Elenya]

Since we don't know where this person/persons are, the governor is risking others' lives.

You're right. Instead, he should have issued the perp(s) a personal challenge, the "come and get ME if you're so smart" type... But we know better than to expect courage from most politicians...

[Charles Martel]

My biggest problem with the analyses I've seen is this insistence on elaborate planning and training. There's no reason to assume this. The only time these are necessary is if you've picked specific targets, and a specific escape route. Once you do away with those, the whole problem is immeasurably simplified.

It would seem the shooter is selecting only his place of concealment and escape route, then simply taking whatever target of opportunity is presented.

[Freedom2specul8]

How embarrassing.. I'm sure there ARE more threads that I've missed. :-p I'm glad my kids don't see my grammar sometimes. :)

[Wild Irish Rogue]

" Occam's razor says this is terrorism."

It's also a primer for future terrorists on how to paralyze an entire region. I'm sure they're taking notes.