Information "Not Credible"
A major development Thursday in the search for the Washington area sniper. Fairfax County Police Chief Thomas Manger now says a witness description of a cream colored van with a broken tail light, supposedly seen at the Falls Church crime scene is "not credible."Manger also says media reports related to the description of a specific weapon and suspect is "not reliable." There were reports of an AK-74 assault weapon, as well as varying descriptions of a possible suspect. Authorities said Wednesday they were unable to come up with a composite sketch of a suspect.
Manger refused to discuss how or why the information about the van was deemed unreliable. But he says investigators continue working with other witnesses to Monday night's shooting at the Home Depot which killed FBI employee Linda Franklin.
Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose says the descriptions of the white box truck in Montgomery and the vans from a Spotsylvania County crime scene are still reliable.
"The only common denominator thus far is male," Montgomery County Police Capt. Nancy Demme said. "We don't have a refined description to go by."
On Wednesday, police issued a "how to witness" guide: Stare in the direction of the bullet noise, carry around a pen to take notes; if necessary, write down details on your hand. Demme also warned witnesses not to "contaminate" their memories by comparing notes with other people or the media.
Since Oct. 2, there have been 11 shootings in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC, that have left nine people dead and two wounded. One of the wounded, a 13-year-old boy shot outside his school in Bowie, Md., was upgraded Thursday from critical to serious condition, hospital officials said. The other wounded person, a woman in Virginia, was released from a hospital last week.
The victims were men and women of varying ages and ethnic backgrounds, each hit with a single bullet while going about everyday activities. A tarot death card left at one scene read: "Dear Mister Policeman, I am God."
Law enforcement sources told The Associated Press there was no indication that the sniper on Monday night had targeted Franklin because of her job with the FBI's Cyber-Crimes Division. Police said Franklin was not assigned to the sniper case.
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld agreed this week to call military surveillance aircraft into the hunt for the killer. Sources said federal agents on the plane will relay information to authorities on the ground.
Though police remained a subtle presence around major intersections, gas stations and schools, many of which remain under orders to keep children indoors, there was no obvious sign of military planes in the rainy skies Wednesday.
So the question now, which none of the LE's could seem to answer, is what do we know about these crimes?
"Don't call us. We'll call you."
Stare in the direction of the illegal and dangerous assault weapon noise, carry around a pen to take notes; if necessary, write down details on your hand. Be sure to note:
Whether the lone, white, mid-20's gun nut assailant is wearing an NRA shirt;
If the lone, white, mid-20's gun nut assailant is driving the white box truck or the white Astro van;
Any facial hair or details of the lone, white, mid-20's gun nut assailant which might aid in a composite sketch, and;
Disregard any shadows or adrenaline-induced hysteria which tends to make assailant briefly appear Middle-Eastern.