Or is he using ammunition developed for police and SWAT team use....
Posted on 10/10/2002 1:04:08 PM PDT by kregger
Police source: Manassas bullet was a .223
A police source says preliminary indications are that the bullet that killed a Maryland man at a Manassas gas station last night was the same type round used in eight sniper attacks.
Kari Pugh The Free Lance-Star A law-enforcement source said this afternoon that a Maryland man killed in Manassas appears to have been shot with the same kind of bullet used in eight sniper attacks in the Washington area.
At a news conference this afternoon, Prince William County authorities would say only that ballistics tests are being done. But the source, who asked not to be named, said preliminary indications are that it was a .223-caliber round.
Dean Harold Meyers, 53, of Gaithersburg, Md., was gunned down last night as he prepared to fill his tank at a gas station in Manassas. An autopsy showed he was killed by a single shot to his upper body.
Prince William Police Chief Charlie T. Deane said today that the shooting appears consistent with other sniper attacks in the eight days. Six people were killed in Montgomery County, Md., and Washington Oct. 2 and 3. A 43-year-old mother of two was shot in the back outside the Spotsylvania Mall Friday and a 13-year-old boy was critically wounded as he walked to school in Bowie, Md., Monday.
The Spotsylvania victim went home from the hospital Tuesday. The student remained hospitalized today.
Police are looking for a white panel van, possibly a Dodge Caravan, that was seen speeding away towards Interstate 66 shortly after the 8:18 p.m. shooting in Manassas. State police closed the interstate temporarily and Prince William police launched a wide dragnet for the shooter, but he remains at large.
Police said they found some evidence near the scene, but they are not saying exactly what it is. Deane did say, that it was not a message from the killer.
Deane, however, had a message of his own for the gunman: “Turn yourself in, enough damage has been done.”
Prince William Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul Ebert said if the killing is the work of the sniper, and if the gunman is caught alive, he will seek the death penalty.
“I’ve never seen an investigation as intense, thorough and far-reaching,” Ebert said. “Sooner or later we will bring this person to justice.”
They were high on Kwat.
The only reason I remembered that was I recently watched a History channel program about the M-16 which brought back the memories of the small arms portion of gun school.
Or is he using ammunition developed for police and SWAT team use....
Glad I didn't have to dig to deep to have my question answered about last nights thread.
Traffic backs up as law enforcement investigators from state and federal agencies work at the site of a commercial truck's driver-side window being shattered, in the early afternoon near Manassas, Virginia October 9, 2002. Investigators are not yet saying that the incident was related to other shootings in the Washington D.C. area but police agencies throughout the Washington area remain in a state of high alert. REUTERS/Win McNamee
My apologies if this has been discussed already.
Indeed, ranges of 100 yards or less are more commonly practiced for by police SWAT team snipers, expecting ranges in urban enviornments, often against targets armed only with a handgun or edged weapon- or none at all, hardly a threat to the police sniper. As I recall, the FBI reoport on such engagements suggested a typical range of around 75 meters- and that STILL results in shootings such as that in Florida in whica a SWAT sniper mistakenly shot a black woman hostage instead of the white male felon target. Ooops.
But the use of the ammunition involved in the Maryland shootings, at least, seems also to be consistant with that used by police. See the article *Wounding effects of the U.S. Military M193 [M16A1] and M855 [M16A2] Bullet Cartridges *here*.
I have my own guess about what kind of weapon and ammo the shooter is using, and the source from which it was obtained.
FYI, reports of the most recent shooting indicate a possible distance of shooter to target of 730 yards, a bit beyond that at which the current M16A2 target rifles used in National Service Rifle Match competition are routinely used...but not at all with 55-grain M193 ball ammunition.
I would bet tho that these bullets just go right through without doing as much damage as the 55 grain bullets.
I doubt if any of the .223 will stop as well as a 30-06 or .308 but they still can be very effective.
Yes, that was the bet. Where's Diddle at?
But I went ahead and donated $10 to FR, and I hope if any of ya'll haven't already, that you will go ahead and do likewise
The betting began when it was thought that the perp had changed to a shotgun. He didn't so, the bet is off. I contribute $30.00 to FR every month so...I'm cool.
Virginia police spokeswoman described it today as "birdshot," not related to the sniper, but coincidental with the opening of hunting season.
I'm interested in who this monster is working for, in your opinion?
And the shooter didn't change weapons :o
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