Beltway Sniper Shootings-FR Commentary-Tuesday, Oct. 15

Fox News, CNN, Press Conferences | October 15, 2002 | Fox News, CNN, Press Conferences

[Peach]

To avoid multiple vanity threads regarding any news from press conferences, let's keep a live commentary thread going again today.

Note: This is the graphics-free thread. Graphics can be found under the thread titled "Beltway Sniper Shootings-Graphics Only"

[iconoclast]

Detain him for what?

Oh, I dunno .... maybe to see if the shootings stop?

[demlosers]

The "secrecy" behind this investigation is starting to look very suspicious.

That is standard operating procedure when any big disasters/crimes happen. Government suffers from the '1938 War of The Worlds' syndrome.

[jacquej]

I do not recall seeing anyone on this thread stating that we shouldn't go shopping, but I am reading rather quickly.

Maybe you are as well...

Recognizing that shopping areas, gas stations, and other crowded areas of opportunity are being targeted is not the same as cowardly behavior, in my opinion.

What is your problem?

[Peach]

The theory you heard sounds right to me - two vehicles - one to make a quick get-away and attract attention, while the actual shooter's car slowly drives away.

[meowmeow]

Breaking+++ Woman killed last night was FBI AGENT!!!

Most people here work for the government in some respect. You can't fling a dead cat without hitting a civil servant/military/contractor/law enforcement person.

[ellery]

Here's a question (piggybacking on someone else's mapping of shooting times vs. Islamic prayer times): what times are mosques open for visits? They would be an ideal place to hide -- no way would we see law enforcement barging in in the middle of prayers. There wouldn't have to be cooperation by the mosque, either...the shooter might just show up and pretend to be just your average worshipper....

Anyone have a map of the shootings' proximity to various mosques?

[Elenya]

On the other hand, this would involve tailing her, monitoring her house, and/or intercepting a phone call to know that she was going to Home Depot.

Unfortunately this would also raise the possibility of the perps getting inside info. Better not be the case...

[ET(end tyranny)]

And maybe its planned that way for a purpose!

[Fred Mertz]

I heard on one Fox report last night that there was a witness to the shot being fired from inside a van.

But that was it, the witness reports were being very tightly held and extremely sketchy.

Thanks; I hadn't heard that witness's report. I thought the shooter's nest is normally across the main thoroughfare at a safe standoff distance.

[joey'smom]

I saw that SAUL CENTERS sign on TV last night and also wondered if there's a connection. Being on the West Coast, I had no idea how common it was -- but it caught my eye.

[livius]

Thanks! I think, even before this, a dark-colored (possibly maroon) car was seen at one of the other scenes.

It's possible, of course, that this car was totally unrelated. If there are a lot of white vans in the world, there are also a lot of dark sedans...

[iconoclast]

I still can not see a clear link to the Michael's Craft stores

I can't either, but I have wondered if Michael's uses white box type trucks.

[areafiftyone]

WELLLL I guess I am gulty. On one post I suggest that if during the Christmas season they haven't caught this psycho yet that maybe going shopping in another state or doing it online might be an option. But that is if you feel like you are not safe shopping in the Virginia/Maryland area. But it's entirely up to the person and I think there is nothing wrong with wanting to protect yourself and your loved ones. :-)

[NittanyLion]

People see the guy actually firing and getting into his van. But no one chases him, runs closer to get the plate number (if real), no one yells "Stop that guy!" or any thing vaguely resembling a warning. No this guy just calmly gets back in his van, bold as the night, and drives off into what can only be construed as a traffic nightmare of cars and lights. No one is carrying a concealed weapon who can make an attempt at stopping him.

I've been thinking the same thing. How is it that no one can manage to mount any sort of pursuit, even just to see on which major road the van leaves? These witnesses are in parking lots; they must be close to their cars.

As an aside, I wonder about the efficacy of broadcasting an alert on all radio stations immediately after the event to give a description of the vehicle and approximate place (apparently a van was spotted traveling East on 50 and not found). Get everyone looking around and you'd quickly narrow your search territory, IMO.

[browardchad]

Yessir, the largest mosque in Northern VA would literally be a 10 minute walk from the Home Depot.

Just a random observation from flipping through the channels last night, and not being at all familiar with that area: many of the shoppers interviewed by the media on the scene (none of which saw the shooter), appeared to be ME (or what the casual observer would consider ME) in both appearance and accent. It struck me because that hasn't been apparent in either print or TV coverage at other shooting sites.

[angkor]

I haven't seen many cops on TV with dogs though.

There was video of them last night running all around the mall parking lot and even to the other side of Rt. 50 with a bloodhound.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Seems to me he was being questioned for five hours, voluntarily (i.e. he went to them, rather than making them come to him...)...

That being said, perhaps I (an owner of an AR-15, with various "sniper manuals", a copy of the video 'Jihad in America', and heck, my wife may even have a deck of Tarot Cards around somewhere...Luckily, I don't own a white vehicle, but I am olive-skinned...) should be detained, too?

Apparently, the guy was able to satisfy law enforcement enough that they didn't hold him, but you can be certain he was under surveliance when the last shooting occurred... but what the hell, let's just lock him up anyway, right? Who cares about the constitution, anyway.. it's just an old fading piece of paper, after all...

[Peach]

Fox reporting all the ways the shooter seems to contradict the police and press: reports that shooter works in small geographic area and the shooter went outside the area; reports the schools are safe and shooter shoots kid; reports the shootings occur at rush hour and the shooter hits after rush hour; recommendations that people don't go out alone and he shoots someone who wasn't alone. Now the press is reporting that there were several witnesses. They should not be reporting this stuff. Next time the shooter could decide to take out any witnesses.

[Letitring]

God bless Mrs. Franklin and her family. This is sooooooo sad. The cops need to find this murderer, fast. It looks as if the killer is spending his weekends lining up his shooting sites for the coming week.

[heckler]

I havent heard, have any of the shootings been linked ballisticly to the same firearm, or have they just been confirmed to have been .223 caliber?