Beltway Sniper Shootings-FR Commentary-Sunday, Oct. 20, 2002

Fox News, CNN, Press Conferences | October 20, 2002 | Fox News, CNN, Press Conferences

[Peach]

To avoid multiple vanity threads regarding any news from press conferences, let's keep a live commentary going today. FBI Tip Line: 1-888-324-9800

[Bluebird Singing]

It was in Hollywood, Fl where I live. I also recall that it was known that he had associated with Atta. Atta lived in an apartment here, and had partied at a bar called Shuckums the Friday night before 9/11.

[tomkat]

to clarify, i would have no problem scoping this bastard/s down, seeing the hair growing out of his nose,
putting a bullet in his eye, and getting a solid eight the same night.

but, it'd be much more satisfying to have his balls in my left hand,
while my the knife in my right hand puts a smile under his chin ...

and the best part is ?
dogs still like me ...  

[Letitring]

That is exactly it. Thanks so much, it is an awful story, really.

[tomkat]

oops
my

[Letitring]

Oh Dear, not a good thought based on what we've seen lately.

[livius]

Shuckums? Good grief. I bet it's a real classy place, too. :-)

[snippy_about_it]

Since it is a slow Sunday, I pulled up my links I've saved on some of the terrorist news. I hope all of them still work.

NYC Police Free Suspicious Men Due to Alleged Lack of INS Cooperation

Missiles smuggled into U.S.

Small Aircraft Buzzing Houses - anybody else experiencing this?

Six arrested, one sought in radioactive 'dirty bomb' plot

Al Queda threats against local apartments

Reward Offered for Recovery of Explosives

World faces worse terror attacks than September 11: Wolfowitz

U.S. border will open to trucks from Mexico

Explosives Stolen in Columbus Ga. (240 Pounds Ammonium Nitrite)

Authorities alarmed at fertilizer thefts in SW Florida

Middle Eastern Men & Kayak Rentals

subways on alert

Al Qaeda: U.S., Jews Should Get Ready

Coast Guard warns of terrorist threat in Puget Sound

Smallpox Epidemic Rapidly Spreading In Pakistan Province

Al Qadea: 4 Million In U.S. To Die (Terrorist Web Site Says 1 Million U.S. Children Targeted) Daniel Field airplane stolen [Georgia, USA]

INS Issues Alert On Yemenis

Moroccan Women Arrested [Saudi Wives Plan Terrorist Attack in Gibraltar Straits]

'Dirty Bomb' Suspect Not Cooperating, Wolfowitz Says

German Agency Warns of Al Qaeda Attack on Aircraft

NYC Warned of 'Emergency' Threat (Scary)

San Francisco Bay Terror Fears

Men filming ferry ride raise suspicion [Tacoma, WA]

Truck Trailer With Toxic Chemicals Stolen

Hazardous Chemicals Truck Stolen

Hazmat Teams Prepare For Hydrogen Fluoride To Be Found

Perle thread, Pakastani snipers mentioned Exerpt;
For a time in the early 1990s, violence in Karachi was so endemic that the army took over for the cops. When the troops pulled out, killings started averaging eight per day—and those were merely the ones involving political and criminal gangs. No one bothered to count the shootings, bombings, garrotings, and throat slittings between ethnic and religious groups, much less the toll racked up in quotidian armed robberies, home invasions, and just-for-the-hell-of-it sniper slayings.

Americans were special targets. In March 1995 two U.S. consular personnel on their way to work were mowed down by automatic weapons in an ambush at a busy intersection. Two years later, in November 1997, four employees of an American oil company were shot dead in a carbon-copy replay a few blocks from the Sheraton.

[tomkat]

in general, i'd agree with you.
but as in any organization, one or two good ones tend to consistently make the rest of the mediocrities look good ...

[Bluebird Singing]

Absolutely!
;-)

[livius]

Gads, I knew it was bad, but when the stories are all strung together like that, it's like a nightmare.

Thanks for keeping track of that. It certainly shows what we're up against. People who really, really hate us and will stop at nothing. And are extremely ingenious.

[CPL BAUM]

I concur with the vast bulk of your analyses - and will add my own based upon some obvious observations, what I think I know, or what can I can reasonably infer:

1) The shooter prefers parking lots and gas stations;

2) A clean line of sight is required for a successful hit - that means he has to line up to shoot directly down the aisle of a parking lot (i.e., it is impossible to shoot across parked cars) and preferably the aisle that lines up with the store's exit OR the parking space is across the street from a gas station from an elevated position to avoid shooting "through" traffic;

3) All of the aerial photos Antivenom has posted have parking spaces which are parallel to the line of sight required for an unobstructed shot;

4) It would be more difficult and riskier to exit a vehicle with weapon en tote;

5) Shooting from within the vehicle would shorten the time required to exit the scene;

6) Shooting from the back of the van through either the driver's side or passenger side window would aid in the concealment of the muzzle flash - particularly at night;

7) A semi-automatic rifle ejects the casing a considerable distance - and the casing would be difficult to quickly locate in a wooded environment and/or at night;

8) The only shell casing known to have been found was at Tasker where the shooter(s) must have exited the vehicle;

9) A catcher bag can be used to retain the ejecting shell casing - but at Tasker, wasn't used;

10) The murderer is an equal opportunity killer - selecting his targets based on opportunity and location rather than ethnicity or gender;

11) The taskforce does not readily release information about the investigation, but they HAVE released composites of the vehicles - it is therefore reasonable to assume that LE is convinced that the driver uses a White Astrovan with ladder rack and/or a white box truck;

12) The shooter has escaped three massive dragnets - it is therefore reasonable to assume he is not using the convenient main Interstates - or is using them, but heading away from DC following the shootings. This is particularly true given last night's dragnet;

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: A white Astrovan with ladder rack parking at the back of a parking lot even though spaces are available closer in. The front of the van would be facing the intended target, but be slightly off-center from the parking aisle - or parked slightly askew - so that the shooter could sit in the back corner of the van and have a line of sight through one of the front side windows. If you see a scenario like this, call police ASAP with the tag number and cautiously follow the vehicle if it leaves.

[Letitring]

That's true, seeing Moose so much made me forget about that. :)

[Letitring]

Thank you for posting this list. Easy to see how "under attack" we've been in the time since Sept. 11th, not to mention before. I think I'll go for a nap now. :)

[tomkat]

well, since i'm not likely to see 'em anytime soon,
think pizza, beer, and the end of the ravens game sounds good.

keep after it y'all.
eventually maybe LE'll log in and pick up some ideas ...

[Dog]

See you all tomorrow ....time for the Eagles-Bucs game..

[nicmarlo]

Thanks for the ping; good idea to link them on this thread, too.

[MGMorris]

This sniper seems to melt away and escape detection after every shooting. I believe the white van thing is either a local truck used as an intentional diversion to draw away attention from other common vehicles such as taxi cabs, police cars, fire vehicles or any other usual vehicles or a clean van driven by an accomplice.

A police car would be waved past roadblocks and not arouse any suspicion coming or going. Perhaps a state vehicle or a postal vehicle, UPS, tow truck. Something that stands out so much that it's discounted.

Abstract, I know, but... it's still going on.

[whenigettime]

bump for later

[valleygal]

"They are busily thumbing through a thesaurus looking for other ways to say "we know nothing at this time."

How about, "flustrated" or "disgrumbled"? :)

[tomkat]

i take it there's been no news ?
musta dozed off ...