Virginia Shooting Could Be Ninth 'Beltway Sniper' Murder

CNSNews ^ | 10/15/02 | Jeff Johnson

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Fairfax County, Va., police and members of the multi-jurisdictional sniper task force in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area responded to a shooting Monday night that, by all indications, will be the 12th shooting and the ninth murder committed by the so-called "Beltway Sniper."

Fairfax County Police Col. Tom Manger said the shooting "has the potential of being related to the sniper shootings." He said forensic evidence tests have to be completed before an official determination is made.

"I know that the question in everyone's mind is, 'Is this shooting related to the others that we've had in our area?'" he said. "It's too early to tell at this point; however we are working it and investigating with that potential in mind."

At approximately 9:15 p.m. (Eastern), a white female was killed by a single shot to the upper body outside the Home Depot store in the Seven Corners area of Fairfax County, Va.. Witnesses say the woman "immediately crumpled to the ground," when she was shot while loading packages into her car. The victim, who witnesses believe was killed instantly, was pronounced dead at the scene.

One witness, who heard the shot but did not see the victim fall, or the muzzle flash from the gunfire, told reporters that those in the area of the victim fled immediately,

"Most of the people who were in the parking lot ran into surrounding stores," said Ellis, who asked to be identified only by his first name, "but they didn't want to believe there had been another shooting."

Raymond Massas, who was on his way into the store when the shooting happened, described the scene.

"Before we got to the front entrance, we heard one shot," he said. "Just a few seconds later there was panic, there was screaming, yelling, people yelling to run."

He said approximately 50 customers and employees were held inside the store by investigators for some time after the shooting.

Police issued a "BOLO" (Be On the Lookout) for a white or cream-colored Chevrolet Astrovan with the right (police later said it was the left) rear taillight either broken or burned out. Additional reports indicated that investigators had a partial license plate number and possibly a physical or clothing description of the suspect, but authorities would not confirm that information. Detectives were still interviewing several witnesses three hours after the shooting.

Virginia State and Fairfax County Police quickly closed all of the seven major thoroughfares from which the Seven Corners area gets its name. Traffic on roadways in the area was backed up for several miles until well after midnight as police searched for the suspect's vehicle. Roadways were reopened around 12:45 a.m.

Heavily armed police officers searched all vans that even remotely matched the description of the vehicle, ordering drivers and passengers out at gunpoint. Authorities have asked owners and drivers of minivans matching the description of the suspect's vehicle to be patient with officers and to cooperate completely for their own safety. Searches - broadcast by local television stations - lasted three to five minutes, with drivers and passengers being released immediately after police had searched and cleared their van.

The site of the shooting is immediately adjacent to U.S. Route 50, approximately one mile from Interstate 66, and about two and a half miles from the "Capital Beltway," which encircles the downtown area and part of the Washington suburbs. Other streets leading away from the area, and bridges leading out of Virginia were being monitored by officers in both marked and unmarked police cars.

A spokesman for the sniper task force told reporters that there would be no comment from the group on the Fairfax County murder unless and until forensic evidence confirms that the crime is connected to the previous attacks.

Investigators are urging anyone with information about this or any of the other murders to call the toll-free tip line, 888-324-9800.

[syriacus]

I was noticing all the onlookers (at the scene near Home Depot last night) and realized how correct someone here was, when he or she said a bomb going off in a crowd like that would do great damage. It would also be televised world-wide (CNN, FoxNews, etc) like the second plane crashing into the WTC was.

I hope someone is making sure the area near where someone is killed is safe for other people.

Perhaps the sniper is only getting us used to crowding around areas where victims are shot.

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A pointy headed professor named Fox was on Fox this morning. He knows for sure (just ask him) that this is in no way a foriegn terrorist. He said, "They would have taken credit for it." What an idiot. Who has take credit for nine-eleven, OKC, anthrax and the embassy bombings? What make me think this might be an Islamic terrorist is the finding of the box truck (maybe the truck involved eraly on) and the fact that it had been painted and had temporary tags as if it were procured for a mission rather than a truck that a "crazy" had access to.

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"eraly" is kind like "early"...sorry.

[yoe]

Did anyone see the MSNBC reporter (?) I believe on Sunday, saying he didn't like to use the word sniper, he preferred shooter. What a politically correct jerk. He should apologize to all the true marksmen/women out there who practice their sport with enormous responsibility and trustworthiness. He will probably be one of those who want to see the sniper have a “fair trial”...he might want to remember the sniper did not give a fair chance to nine people he has systematically murdered.