NEWSFLASH: Another shooting, approx. 9 AM, this time near Fredericksburg

The Free Lance-Star ^ | now | Jim Lakely

[seamus]

I work in a newsroom in Fredericksburg, and they heard on the police scanner that a person has been shot at a gas station at "Four Mile Fork" which is a neighborhood just south of the City of Fredericksburg.

No details yet, but I wanted to let y'all know -- and keep up the tradition of FReepers getting news first.

Pray for the victim, and pray that this is a random shooting, and that this monster's terror has not widened yet again.

[seamus]

UPDATE FROM FREDERICKSBURG NEWSROOM

Speculation from our reporters monitoring the situation is that this guy has gotten away. Various white vans that have been stopped north of the shooting have not panned out. One van was leaving the scene of the shooting, bumping other cars and running a red light. It turned out that he was just scared when he heard the gunshot and was trying to flee. He was not the shooter

Our reporters think the guy was either not in a white van afterall, or actually fled south toward Richmond -- perhaps by doubling back and hitting the interstate. This is the closest police have come to catching him, but as the minutes pass, the chances of him being nabbed wane.

This is also my gut feeling. I think the shooter has given us the slip -- again.

[SarahW]

Maybe it is some stupid kid "anarchist" wannabee. Killing well-fed housewives who like crafts, and folks using that foreign "Oooiiiiiillllll!" But why shoot a schoolkid then?
Are there anarchists who have something against black kids?

Or maybe its an anarchist pretending to be a right-wing anti-cop wacko (accounting for stolen lines from the survivalist/gun-set message boards)

[tracer]

Advisory 11:35 EST re: white Astro van with white rooftop rack and bearing "Total Recall" decal -- WMAL radio news, WashDC....

[KSCITYBOY]

Great recap. Very concise. LOL

[Naspino]

the N.O. @ Wash. NFL game will

It seems to me a lot of people in the media are flocking to MD in order to find juicy targets for the sniper. In GA we had our news crew go up there and track down a girls national soccer competition. I wish the media would stop hypothesizing on the next BEST target for the sniper to drive fear into the hearts of the people.

[Freedom2specul8]

he was just scared when he heard the gunshot and was trying to flee. He was not the shooter

Oh dear Lord... :(

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Interesting white van theory in #790 ...

[ThinkingMan]

This is just a guess, but they probably called in police that were not on duty, hence the civilian clothes. The masks (and this is a big guess) may be to hide the faces of those who have to do undercover work. They have probably mobilized the whole police force for this.

[Ryzaroo]

I was just at a 7-11 in Columbia ( 1/2 way between DC and MD) and a white Chevy Astro van w/ ladder racks and DC tags was in the parking lot....never got to see who the driver was but I called it into the tip line anyway.....enough time for this lunatic to have made it up this north for sure.

Just being diligent.

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

D@mn.

[brianl703]

They don't have a red light camera, but they do have an "autoscope" camera for vehicle presence detection. It's just an NTSC video camera hooked up to an image recognition device that tells the traffic light computer that there's a car waiting. I doubt they record the output from it, and then I doubt that the images would be very good (like good enough to make out a license plate) because it's NTSC and the area that each camera covers..

[Merovingian]

WILL DO! Maybe it was only 4!

[ellery]

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/buffalo_arrests020920.html

Key paragraph: "Investigators also recovered a rifle with a telescope and a cassette entitled "A Call for Jihad" at Al-Bakri's home."

Possible the Tarot card is a red herring, and the white vans squeal off to give the real shooter vehicle cover? Interesting that this happened soon after the new AQ tape releases and after the Buffalo cell busts...

[relee]

They are going to stop searching at 12:00.

[Letitring]

WOW Pete. You predicted this Urban terrorist would go to Fredricksburg next. Would you please tell me your theory on these shootings, again? Please? Man, FReepers rule. :)

[jjm2111]

I justed wanted to say "thanks" for all the updates.

[usapatriot28]

I am beginning to think that the perp isnt in a white van at all and never was

That was my feeling from the beginning. After the Manassass shooting when they reported that a white van sped away my initial thought was that he waited at the gas station till a white van showed up. And sure enough the van in question was there inocently and was unrelated. He's leading the cops on.

[mystery-ak]

I don't think he could get into RFK stadium, but the parking lot would be ideal.....

[Jack Black]

"Are the pump jockeys unionized in Oregon? "

No. But it has been put to a citizen vote and failed. Why? Well do you really LIKE pumping your gas? Apparently a majority of Oregonians do not. It may have to do with the fact that it rains here about 220 days a year. Our gas costs the same as in Washington state,strangely.

They did recently ammend the law making it legal for motorcyclists to pump their own. Previously only licensed attendants could. "Fueling Safety Certificate" I believe is what the license is called.

[putupon]

Geraldo is at the scene doing a phone call with FOX..

I'll bet he's in the shower with a rain coat on just faking it.