[hankbrown]

Here is a scenario: The shooters are several, part of a cell. There could be three, four, five or ten. Their plan is to work relatively independently, take shots whenever possible. They keep going until one of them is caught. The one caught will probably blow himself up or kill himself. The police will congratulate themselves that the shooter has been eliminated, people will start to go about their daily business without worry. Meanwhile, the rest of the group melts away, only to resurface a few weeks later in another city.

[lgjhn]

"...Here is a scenario: The shooters are several, part of a cell. There could be three, four, five or ten."

Actually, I think it is islamic women that have been specifically trained (and brainwashed) for this assignment thus the light caliber rifle, the cunning, the cold-bloodedness of it.
Another thing, everyone is assuming that they are leaving the scene as soon as the shot is fired. I don't think they are. I think they're hunkering down, well-hidden and then once the heat is off (24-48 hours or so), they are then picked up by their comrades. Everything else is a ploy to throw off LE.
IMHO, this is war and it needs to be treated as such. It takes a sniper to catch a sniper...unfortunately, we appear to refuse to acknowledge that and remain "unarmed".

[ASA Vet]

Their plan is to work relatively independently,

Independent except for passing the same .223 caliber firearm around?

[dasher]

***Here is a scenario: The shooters are several, part of a cell. There could be three, four, five or ten. Their plan is to work relatively independently, take shots whenever possible. They keep going until one of them is caught. The one caught will probably blow himself up or kill himself. ***

I doubt it's a cell, if they planned it out, they would be doing two or three shootings at the same time to spread law enforcement thin making it easier for all parties to get away. This is probably the work of a lone person or no more than three people.