Vanity: Solutions Sought for the Sniper Shootings

self | Sunday, October 20, 2002 | Kristinn

[kristinn]

The sniper shootings in the extended Washington, D.C. metropolitan area have law enforcement flummoxed--no suspect; no motive; no positive ID of a get-away vehicle; no effective profile.

12 victims: nine dead and three survivors, plus one complete miss and one inconclusive wounding in Hillandale, Md.

Police are reduced to enacting massive roadblocks and instructing the citizenry to zig-zag through their daily lives.

Rumors abound of lawful gun owners in Maryland receiving phone calls and visits from LEOs about the firearms they purportedly own and their whereabouts at certain days and times.

Motorists are reportedly being searched without warrants as they sit in hours-long back-ups after suspected sniper shootings.

ALL TO NO AVAIL.

The sniper shootings continue as people go about their lives in places they normally feel secure.

Millions of people living and traveling in the area are filled with trepidation at the thought of stopping to fill their gas tanks or running out for a loaf of bread--let alone sending their kids to school or out to play.

Even so, other murders and crimes occur in the area as before, including the firebombing of a Baltimore family's home by drug dealers that took the lives of a mother (who was fighting back at the dealers) and four of her children as well as critically burning her husband.

The hundreds of commonplace murders in this area are cause for caution, not alarm. Yet, though these murders vastly outnumber the sniper shootings, the random nature of the sniper shootings has caused chaos and become a national obsession.

In fact, the sniper shootings have led to a nationwide parlor game of whodunnit and why.

What I'm asking for on this thread is a serious examination of the sniper shootings and lawful proposals for solving and/or preventing further sniper shootings. I'd rather not hear about what the cops are supposedly doing wrong. I'm looking for FReepers to offer positive, pro-active measures to stop and catch whomever is doing the sniper shootings and the reasons why.

[kristinn]

My thanks in advance for your insightful suggestions and observations on behalf of all sniper-bait in the extended D.C. area.

[Southack]

The right software, set upon normal highway traffic camera footage, should be able to show a very small number of vehicles that managed to be in all 12 locations. That's clue #1.

The right software, examining ATM withdrawals, should be able to show if there are any similar geographic withdrawal patterns from cash machines over the same period (the snipers have to have access to money or food/shelter), likewise with credit-card purchases. Naturally, the killers' withdrawals won't match the locations of the shootings, but there should be a discernable pattern of withdrawals that would be made by someone traveling to/from those 12+ murder sites. That's clue #2.

The right chemical tests on the spent shells and shooting locations should be able to identify if the shooter is using pyrex + hand-loaded primers for reloading his own shells or else using off-the-shelf-ammo, which should be able to further aid clues #1 and #2 above.

Start walking the bloodhounds through various neighborhoods inside the killers' identified zone to see if the dogs get lucky by identifying where the killers live/eat/hang out/gas up their vehicles, etc. If it was up to me, I'd have dogs walking every street past every door. All that has to happen is for one dog to recognize one scent, and then it's "case closed" on these SOB's.

Unleash the dogs of war. It's not an insurmountable task to have the dogs walking enough areas for them to cross the killers' paths once, and once is all that it takes...

[Nick Danger]

This guy may have made a mistake this time. By all accounts, the shot was fired from a row of trees behind the Ponderosa Steakhouse parking lot.

I interrupt this note to point to an Outback restaurant, and to say, in my best Crocodile Dundee voice, "That Ponderosa is no steakhouse. This is a steakhouse."

With that out of the way, the shooter appears to have escaped via some roads that go into a construction site on the other side of the trees. It is likely that the shooter's vehicle was the only one on that road on a Saturday night, which means that if we had one of them thar infrared satellites hovering overhead, we now have a movie of a single isolated vehicle leaving the scene. I presume that once the vehicle is identified in such a photo, it can probably be tracked in subsequent pictures even if it joins a heavy traffic stream.

I don't know how good those satellites are, or what their coverage area is, but we might have gotten lucky tonight.

[kristinn]

Thanks. I hope you don't mind, but I'm off to bed. I'll be back later today.

[SicTransitGloriaMundi]

I'm sure now that there's been another shooting and they can rule out all those guns they went door-to-door collecting, the ATF will be returning them to their owners as soon as possible. </SARCASM>

[EternalVigilance]

It is highly unlikely that the sniper(s) could get more than 50 miles in 50 minutes.

This is in all likelihood a foreign army unit (albeit out of uniform and therefore hangable as spies) operating for the sole purpose of killing Americans. Therefore it should be treated as such.

We should have troops prepositioned and ready to move on a moments notice. As soon as the word goes out that an incident has occurred, a fifty mile perimeter should be drawn around the site.

Then, for as long as it takes, nothing or no one should be allowed to leave that perimeter without being thoroughly examined and questioned.

But that's marshall law, you say!! Yes it is---but this is an act of war, and the place it happens is a war zone.

I don't believe that the law enforcement mindset is sufficient to acts of war, or that anything short of what I recommend is enough to solve the problem.

Pussyfooting around with this just strengthens the Islamists AND those who are using this as an excuse to further erode our liberty as Americans.

We have to treat these enemies with brutal force---swiftly and harshly coming down on them so fast they don't know what hit them. To allow this to go on just assures more of the same down the road.

That's my opinion.

EV

[MissAmericanPie]

I just posted this to another thread. No one knows their area better than the people who live there.

I think every town and burg running along 95 should have good old boys, with walkie talkies, staking out the areas in their town where a sniper might think is a likely spot. Perhaps volunteers could sign up for shifts.

I'm guessing in a small town like Ashland, 95 only runs through a small section of it, therefore there may be less than a dozen places where a sniper would pick to take his shot. Citizens of these towns should look around for likely spots themselves and stake them out, they should especially look for other routes the sniper might take to avoid 95 and make his get away. Next time the bum shows up, he might get a welcoming committee.

In any event, citizens on the hunt would be within very close proximity to the next crime scene, close enough to run across the guy fleeing if he is using back roads.

[Quix]

Great idea.

Don't know that it will be easy regardless of the creativity or methods.

I personally believe concerted prayer would have a bigger hand in catching them than anything else.

Nevertheless . . .

I suspect it is possible though expensive to put surveillance planes in the air covering a wide area. It ought to be possible to use computers and cameras in such planes to track all light colored vans in real time.

Also, there are acoustic technologies able to pinpoint shooting sounds instantly. Couple those with the van tracking.

And there ought to be numbers posted in perhaps cell phone cells or some geographic demarcations which users in those areas could immediately look to and call for LOCAL ON DUTY PEOPLE TO IMMEDIATELY MOVE TO AN AREA AND FOR SEVERAL BLOCKS OUT BEGIN TO BLOCK OFF ESCAPE ROUTES. At least among the more frequented shopping areas, gas stations etc. should have such numbers in large characters quickly visible. I don't think 911 could handle it. Nor should it probably.

Everyone living in the greater DC etc. area should be encouraged by multiple media announcements to examine the areas surrounding where they live. If they know of a white or light van in the area--watch it. If MidEastern looking types are driving log their comings and goings. If shootings occur while the van is gone and never when it's home. Perhaps it's time to call in a friendly cop or higher to consider your log and at least note the address etc.

Media could also encourage and teach citizens in that area how to be better witnesses in 1, 2, 3 step fashion. They could be encouraged to immediately record their observations on their cell phone or messaging system or home answering machine to increase accuracy.

When anything like a shot is fired, the bold ones in the area should rush toward it and speak a running commentary into their phone message storage area or some such service. Then write down whatever might remotely be of use.

Folks should start carrying their cameras everywhere with them in the area--especially digital ones--but also, if nothing else the disposable cameras. Small cameras they would train themselves to keep close at hand ready to go with spare batteries and film or extra memory cards.

I'm not sure how practical this is, but volunteers could train stray dogs in dog pounds to go toward the sound of a gun. Community services organizations could pay for dogs to be kept at service stations and other popular places on the major streets. Some dog might just be trained enough and alert enough to prevent the shooter from getting back in the van.

Folks walking around would do well to walk in groups and PLAN CONSCIOUSLY FOR SOME OF THEM TO GO TOWARD THE SHOOTER AND THE MORE SKILLED OF THEM TO CARE FOR THE WOUNDED.

Those walking close to God and full of Holy Spirit should be prayed up etc. such that they could follow Holy Spirit's leading--thinking ahead creatively as to how they might take authority in The Blood and The Name of Jesus to supernaturally halt a sniper in his tracks, gluing him to the sidewalk; call for the van to have blow-outs on the front tires; call for the engine of the van to die etc. Yes, I've experienced such things in my life. Laugh if you wish.

All of us can pray some associates or distant relatives of the characters involved would turn them in for a reward.

Skate borders, motorcyclists and bicyclists might decide ahead of time whether they would be willing and bold enough to chase after the van to insure full noting of license number and number of people in it of what basic features.

It is probably doable to market an odorant which would be extremely unique and distinctive, maybe repulsive to be sprayed on the snipers fleeing if possible and at least on the van with a high pressure sort of water gun. It should be designed to be hard to wash off etc. Dogs could be trained to alert to it.

Gas stations could begin copying all the license plate numbers of all the light colored or even all the vans getting gas and/or driving by their stations when they had the time.

Gun and ammo dealers could begin to be sure they knew their customers or refused service to any Mid-Eastern types. They probably already have all the ammo they need for years but hey--it's an idea. Someone can brainstorm off it.

Skilled baseball players could walk around with a hardball ready to throw it at the head/gun of the person should opportunity allow.

Guess that's all off the top of my head.

Thanks for the thread.

[chance33_98]

The right chemical tests on the spent shells and shooting locations should be able to identify if the shooter is using pyrex + hand-loaded primers for reloading his own shells or else using off-the-shelf-ammo, which should be able to further aid clues #1 and #2 above.

Something which I would be surprised if they have not done yet. Having worked in the reloading industry I am certain they could glean a lot of information from this data. Other information from the scene could also be gathered when the full analysis is done of the angle of shot, etc, and hopefully they have all this worked up by now.

The following is pure speculation, but since you asked...

The sniper appears to be choosing victims at random, but I am guessing he did not start out this way. Either he is linked to his first victim or he is linked to a first victim that has not been found (or is from a previous case as yet unrelated to this one).

It appears he works on oppurtunity, perhaps driving for some time until he is able to find a spot where he can take a shot and make a quick getaway. His shootings take place in early to mid morning and evenings, which may mean nothing or could be related to his work schedule.

That he is working on random victims and via oppurtunity, as well as he is not close to his victims when he kills them may reveal more about him. Many serial killers are face to face with their victims at some point, this killer does not seem to have the stomach for this. His killings indicate he has something of a bombadier mentality (nothing against bombadiers!) - he can kill from a distance and not really feel the full impact of what he has done. They are just objects in his scope. These people are his enemy, and he is waging his war against them, but does not have the courage to look them in the eye and kill them. Based on this I am guessing he is not middle eastern and deep within feels what he is doing is wrong, because it is to people just like him (ie american). Islamic terrorists like to blow up things, then take responsibility and threaten more.

Given the recent state of the economy he may well have been laid off and wants other people to suffer as he has suffered - no one cares about his plight so why should he show them any mercy. Either recently laid off or fired, he is killing many near stores where things are that he can no longer afford. Being a coward he has not the guts to kill his old employer, unless he has done so and we have not found that connection yet.

His financial burdens are probably growing and being ignored in hopes they will just go away, and each time something new crops up it fuels his hatred and desire to kill (perhaps the latest round of bills in the mail, would be interesting to see if they arrive on days near the killings).

He will slip up soon as his inability to control his behavior and anger will cause him to miss a step somewhere, if he abandons his killing to flee the area it will be noticed eventually (ie he moves out of state quickly to be with relatives leaving behind things).

He has shown caution, and with all the cameras around he has not been caught, he can obviously handle a gun, and is not totally haphazard. His job was probably decent paying (and may still be). Probably lives on his own and is divorced. An avid book reader of both fiction and non-fiction, more heavily on the non-fiction side. He sees himself as more intelligent then most people and is frustrated with his problems, which he blames on others because he was too smart to have problems due to himself.

He is feeling bad about shooting the kid, and yet he is glad someone is crying over it as he has cried over his problems. He has only targeted one kid , but feels in retrospect that kids are innocent and that adults are the ones to blame for his woes. Most of his hits have been at businesses, and only one at a school - places of business seem to have both oppurtunity and perhaps something a bit deeper as mentioned earlier.

He now percieves he has a small measure of fame, something he could not achieve in his normal, dull, life (perhaps he was an accountant...heh heh). People know him, without knowing him - like superman and clark kent. He knows he is going to get caught, but until then will keep working on his fame - which has slowly begun to over-ride his hatred. It is now his new 'job'. He is the sniper, famed killer.

Or none of the above :) Just throwing out something into the pool...

[blondee123]

Police should be checking smaller access roads rather than just the big highways. I know this would be harder, but obviously this guy is taking back roads to leave the area. Problem I see, is if response time is 10 minutes to set up road blocks, he can be in another town & access a highway there in ten minutes. It is not an easy one, since he's shooting from a distance & is gone long before the call is made to the police. From where I live, I can be in the next town in 10 minutes, can access 2 different highways & get off at say the next exit, be in the next small town & on more backroads.

[chance33_98]

And Just guessing but his initials will be JA (like James Arnold, etc)- don't ask why, just popped into my head :) It is rather generic...but hey, I wanted to contribute. Good thread BTW and hope people keep posting. BUMP!

Keep posting ideas folks (just not crazy ones like mine).

[twntaipan]

I know someone who helps make the type of aircraft being used (actually helps make them into spy aircraft). He showed me a photo from 25 miles away that was so good it could easily identify the type vehicle in use. And he said it was not the highest tech gadget they had available to them.

They'll get the shooter eventually with this method, or at least they will be able to isolate where he goes to ground and not have to shut down such a large area.

On a devolved thread elsewhere, Travis McGee raises the possibility that the escape is to safe houses which are actually Muslim owned motels.

[navigator]

Make guns illegal. Then the snipers would have nothing to shoot with.

[twntaipan]

Along with walkie-talkies, they should add binoculars and/or night vision equipment. These guys are working from cover.

[185JHP]

Prayer always works - the minimum it accomplishes is more humility in the one praying. I was reading Jeremiah day before yesterday - "Will I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?" The punishment for wickedness can be severe - but it is never too harsh. The wicked never get more than they deserve. The Lord God is never outwitted or overpowered. He did allow Jezebel to live 20 years between the murders and her payday. Payday Someday!

[navigator]

Everyone in the DC area should leave....drive up to New York. Then the sniper would have no one to kill. He'd have to go looking. That's when we'd get him.

[SamKeck]

The shooter's first set of actions took place over a two day period in a fairly compact area of Montgomery County leading me to believe that somewhere within that area is his home base ... and the place to which he must eventually return to avoid coming under suspicion.

The police could set up a special set of good quality video cameras on the main roads leading back into that area and activate them during the hours immediately after a shooting takes place. They could then thoroughly review the tapes in an attempt to look for, and trace, the suspect vehicle and it's license number.

[JCG]

When I first heard that the sniper was taking weekends off (which was true until yesterday) I thought it might be a single dad (or mom?) who had the kids on weekends and was therefore prevented from operating.

How many other reasons might a person's time be occupied for complete weekends? Military reserve duty? Religious observances? Conventions? Sporting events? Weekend cruise? Weekend shooting event? Indian pow wow?

Two in a row?

Anyone have a thought?

Shootings timeline

America's Fifth Column ... watch Steve Emerson/PBS documentary JIHAD! In America
New Link: Download 8 Mb zip file here (60 minute video)

[Quilla]

The best solution I've seen yet was posted by politeia on Friday's Beltway Sniper Shooting Commentary thread:

Whether they have gone underground or not, the entire nation needs to prepare for this type of attack since it has been so successful and the authorities have been foiled.

I think the only way to confront this attack is to prevent the killers from escaping and that will take using instant communication with all drivers in an area. I think we should reactivate the cold war era civil defense horn alarm systems that can be instantly sounded and drivers are alerted to tune to a civil defense radio frequency and listen for instructions. I believe these horns were sounded from fire stations throughout the city and could be heard everywhere. Drivers could be told to stop in place (like the air stop on 9-11. Police on motorcycles could then go after those who continue moving or investigate stopped vehicles.

I am afraid that police will not stop this using typical law enforcement tactics. It will take thinking outside the box and using citizens to defend our own communities.

[T Ruth]

We are all much more likely to be killed in an automobile accident than by sniper fire. Consider the probabilities and do not let unreasoning panic set in. Be alert, but do not cancel normal activities. Doing so is to reward the sniper(s) (probable terrorists).

Consider how much expense and disruption these sniper(s) (terrorists) have caused with a trivial expense. We are overreacting. If terrorists see that they can impose tens of millions of dollars of expense and major disruptions in lifestyle with one or a few operatives and a few thousand dollars of expense, they are likely to repeat the tactic elsewhere.

According to the odds, we should be much more concerned with traffic safety, heart disease, stroke, cancer, AIDS, and other agents of death than we should be concerned with the sniper(s).