[BiffSchneider]

Let's say you own a small retail store. You probably spend a fair amount of your day looking out at the street, waiting for someone to come in. You're probably familiar with the neighborhood cars. You might even know who drives which car. Likewise, perhaps even more so, with someone who works at a car dealership or car repair shop.

It seems to me that if the sniper does have an urban parking place within the search perimeter, he would choose a place which is not within sight of people like those described above. Even if the parking place is on a busy street, the sniper would need to worry about his immediate neighbors.

The sniper seems to be fairly calculating and careful. So, he has probably found a place where he can come and go without a lot of attention. Are there areas like that in the search perimeter?

[mhking]

Are there areas like that in the search perimeter?

Metro DC is incredibly transient. Add to that the 10-12 colleges in Metro, plus the thousands of tourists, and you have a formula that allows someone a huge sea of humanity to disappear in. And while he's operating quite a bit in the suburban areas, it is not unusual to see out of state/out of area license plates and think nothing of them.

While the notion of "neighborhood watch" would work in many other towns and areas of the country, the notion breaks down in any sort of moderate to heavily trafficed area in Metro DC.

Out of all the shooting vicinities, the only ones that would qualify within your parameters are the two in Fredericksburg. And even then with their proximity to the interstate, there would be less of an eye batted at any "unusual" vehicle there as well.