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"

[NittanyLion]

Not sure..

Unless the sniper did some recon earlier by moving on foot from the Beltway to the site, then returned in a van. Or unless there was a spotter, but certainly the spotter would be in another vehicle.

As I commented on another thread, if the cops had witnesses saying the shooter exited a vehicle and returned to it, why even have bloodhounds?

Strange.

[OReilly]

Chief Manger said at 9 am that ballistics have confirmed the shootings are linked. Some media are saying that that means they found a shell casing and have matched the firing pin marks to link the shootings. Autopsy was underway at time of the briefing so they didn't have the projectile.

Well, all the planted casings could be linked to a bogus weapon. No?

The projectile could have exited from the victim and was recovered at the scene. No?

[areafiftyone]

You are too funny. :-) Hey wait, don't those Amish terrorists have beards????? ;-)

[Garak]

And won't you feel silly if it IS international terrorism and you didn't consider the option? Leave everything open right now... I've considered the option - I would say there's maybe a 10% of it being so. But this looks more like a traditional sociopath. If people want to keep Muslims out, they should look at Lackawanna or Portland, and NOT THIS, for their justification.

[wewillnotfail]

I don't know, seems like the 11 or 12 people that have been shot (9 dead) were pretty brave and not cowering. You don't have a clue, where do you live?

If you mean to say that I am clueless because the majority of the people local to the problem are going about their business a usual, I'll grant that my perceptions of the locals are shaped by the media (ulp...did I just say that?)so maybe i am clueless.

But I dispute your statement that those who were shot were brave. They were behaving rationally in view of the odds. Behaving rationally is not bravery.

[evad]

Fox reported that the shooter might even been as close as 30 feet from the victim..

He left a scent for the dog to track...

Thanks dog..I completely missed the 30 foot proximity fact/possibility. I had assumed this was from long range like all the others.

This adds all kinds of wrinkles to the case if true...such as this being a "victim specific hit" of the FBI analyst as opposed to the other RANDOM hits.

[exmarine]

Would a Muslim use a pagan tarot card (or if he's clueless guy just off the boat, know what one is?). Would he proclaim "I AM GOD"? No. Of course not. Let's try to appeal to the better angels of our nature instead of finding an excuse to burn mosques down.

I can recall no case in U.S. history where this type of serial sniping occurred. Furthermore, terrorist muslims are worse than sociopaths - they do it with religious fervor - believing they will go to the big whorehouse int ehsky. I'm sick and tired of our govt targeting Americans unjustly. Time after time after time. I firmly believe that that exmarine in MD would have been charged and framed (like Hatfield) had not the REAL sniper killed another! The FBI, CIA are corrupt and incompetent, and who knows what movtivates the cops.

[ilgipper]

If these killings were going on in Yemen you might have a better case for saying it was Al Qaeda.

AlQueda has declared war on the west, not Yemen. When they attacked a ship in Yemen a couple years back, it was a US Navy vessel.

Since Al Queda have certainly never attacked on US soil, they clearly can't be involved here...

[tomkat]

The only piece of evidence we have points AWAY from it being a Muslim. Would a Muslim use a pagan tarot card (or if he's clueless guy just off the boat, know what one is?).

these salami jihadi vermin would use your mother's undies if they thought it would help destroy the 'great satan'.
btw, concensus of opinion here seems to think tarot might just have originated in the ME.

Would he proclaim "I AM GOD"? No. Of course not.

again, all koran exhortations are off in the battle with us infidels.

Let's try to appeal to the better angels of our nature instead of finding an excuse to burn mosques down.

kumbaya, baby ...

(remember your touching thoughts when the bastards gun down your wife)

[Garak]

Osama bin Laden himself was on a videotape joking about how they didn't think the buildings themselves would collapse on 9/11 when they planned it. That tape was pretty clearly taking credit.

[philetus]

This guy has shot 11, killed 9.

I would call that pretty good marksmanship.

[tomkat]

No, Al Qaeda has clearly taken credit for 9/11 and Bali

bullshi'ite

[William McKinley]

That is evidence that they did it. That video was not released by Al Qaeda though. We found it when we went in to Afghanistan.

Al Qaeda does not typically take credit for any attacks.

[glock rocks]

let's appeal to our better angles and respond a couple plain wrappers to the nearest mosque for surveillance next go round, eh?

[ellery]

Prayer times could have bearing if the killer is hiding in area mosques after each shooting. I don't know how mosques work -- are they open 24 hours to all comers? Or are they only open around prayer times? The mosque officials wouldn't even have to be part of the plot -- the killer could just blend in with other worshippers....

[Miss Marple]

Al Qaeda did not publicly claim complicity in either the WTC or the Bali bombing.

The only reason we have a statement from bin Laden on the WTC is because a home video was discovered in Afghanistan. That was not made for western consumption.

In Bali, the Austrlians have information that the bombings are linked to Al Qaeda, but no word from the terrorists themselves.

Please get your facts straight before you attack others here.

[aristeides]

Did those witnesses report what weapon the shooter used? Do we have confirmation it was a rifle?

[tomkat]

beards ?
you betcha !

and, they all wear clothes that look the same !
makes it a real bitch to ID 'em when they go on those infamous strudle rampages, etc ...

[Aquamom7]

Here's my theory: I believe the shootings are AQ or Iraqi terrorist related. Are they trying to send President Bush a message regarding starting a conflict with Iraq? What if these shootings are just a warning of things to come, i.e. multiple snipers all over the country, if we go to war with Iraq? As far as the Michael's store locations, could this possibly imply that they will destroy our economy during the Christmas season? I know Michael's is a craft store, but could it be related to a Christmas theory in any way?

Maybe the authorities already know who is doing this. Didn't they find a three page letter at one of the shootings? Perhaps the White House has been warned in some way (Iraq?) and no one knows what to do. Either way, I think they all know MUCH more than they are telling us.

[iconoclast]

but what the hell, let's just lock him up anyway, right?

With that many "coincidences"? You damn betcha.