Beltway Sniper Shootings-FR Commentary-Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2002 [Another Shooting?]

Fox News, CNN, Press Releases | October 22, 2002 | Fox News, CNN, Press Releases

[Peach]

Let's keep a live commentary thread gonig again today.

[TexKat]

Namely, Nachman on MSNBC.

[mitchbert]

I think WTOP is holding up announcing the bus driver's death until NOK are officiallly notified.

Strong possibility. I believe relatives are at the hospital now.

[mhking]

Message to Chief Moose: "Can you hear me now!? Good!"

[aristeides]

Sam Donaldson is saying repeatedly on WMAL that the victim has died.

By the way, I wonder if the sniper picks a black victim every time Chief Moose says something that annoys him. The 13-year-old boy is black, isn't he? He got shot after Chief Moose said the schools were safe.

[WashingtonCollegeofLaw]

Good call with assuming all the shots are kill shots. if you are trying to wound people you dont shoot them in the chest. even the best sniper in the world wouldnt be able to guarantee a chest shot wouldnt kill. This last shooting was about 10 minutes from me. took almost an hour for me to commute from Bethesda to WCL, usually a 5 minute drive. cops had blocked off all entryways into DC. Foxnews.com said that the voice on the other line of the phone had a heavy accent and that the letter was in "broken english." guy threatened to kill elementary school kids. the thing that i dont get is that if this is a homegrown nut, why kill kids? what beef would he have with a 9 yr old? really making me think about foreign terrorism right now. this has definitely taken a turn for the absurd

[GirlShortstop]

This fits with their current demonize Iraq policy--John Doe No. 2 is identified as an Iraq refugee

Thank you David for the information.   My understanding of the chain of events has been Jayna Davis' evidence being brought to Philadelphia talk radio; Arlen Specter contacted. Specter had a live interview with Jayna. Movement from there. No doubt JDoe#2 and Iraq has revived DC interest.

[yukong]

I would suggest: A. Glock makes a "baby" 9mm, .40 cal, and .45 cal. Great for concealment. Great for a purse, fannypack, etc. I would go with the 9mm or the .40 as the .45 will buck a bit more. The only qualification I would note is that the grip is not big for concealability sake, so if you have big hands, it may not feel comfortable. But if you are normal size, then it will work. My first choice. B. S&W and Ruger offer ladies .38s and .357s that are hammerless (no snagging on purses) that are sweet. However, I prefer a semi-automatic for quick reloading. But really, in personal protection, if you cannot do it with 6 shots, you are in deep sh!t anyway. So maybe the ladies Smith & Wesson would be the best. No chance for feed jams that some autos have.

[.30Carbine]

BTW, my carry is a .38 Special.

[David]

"All the guys I've spoken with say to get a shotgun. But I want a handgun. Guess I'll just have to try a few."

It takes a long time to become sufficiently proficient with a handgun to provide any meaningful degree of protection. Further, there are considerations about the type of handgun--my fingers are too short to control the handle on the modern double stack magazine 9 mm guns. After you get a gun you can really learn to control, you need to spend hours at a range practicing.

I know enough about guns to know that I don't want to be in a firefight with anyone anywhere--if you are defending your house, something with a long barrel is significantly more effective--a shotgun is clearly better.

One of the Al Queda events in the training material was to drive up to a house selected at random; kick the door in and shoot everyone inside. How do you defend that? Keep your shotgun handy? They probably wear bulletproof vests but presumably the shotgun will knock an assailant down. The handgun won't--so if you are defending yourself with a handgun in an attack, you need to practice headshots.

Bottom line--if you don't have military training; for primary defense, you are better off with a rifle or shotgun. The handgun is a secondary proposition after you decide you are also going to go to the trouble of getting a concealed carry permit and actually carry a gun.

[mhking]

for primary defense, you are better off with a rifle or shotgun.

That was the direction I was considering at this point...

[yukong]

Except, you cannot carry a 12 gauge in you pocket when you go to the store, dinner, etc. Long guns for home. Hand guns for away from home.

[Elenya]

Why wouldn't the school at Saint Cyr have a photo of the guy?

Of course they do. I wonder why that sketch wasn't made public here. Why the secrecy? It doesn't make any sense if they think he's nuts. Too much secrecy. LEOs usually don't hesitate to show composite drawings when they think it's a nutcase.

Looks more and more like 2 or more rogue Rambos to me. I'd guess mercenaries hired by some terrorist group (not necessarily but including islamic terrorists). Actually, hired by Saddam might be a good guess.

[tomkat]

your buddy john was back,
but alas, my well-reasoned response got yanked !

imagine that ...

[Route66]

"If reports are correct, he called police from a payphone in the area to tell them of the note he left on a tree in the
wooded area after they failed to find it.

"I am told this is totally bogus and manufactured by leakers who want to curry favor with the news media."

---Maybe so, but it is still being reported that the shooter called them from a phone booth in the suburbs that night. Since he had just left the note, this seems to be a risky move unless he needed to guide them to the note.

This call was why the phone booth was being staked out when they arrested the guys in the white van. They had traced the call from either that phone or one near there.

[rintense]

Thanks David. You've given me much to consider.

[per loin]

I am told this is totally bogus and manufactured by leakers who want to curry favor with the news media.

Source of your info?

[Lion's Cub]

Good point about the home invasion. And I hadn't even thought about the possibility of them wearing kelvar. I've obviously got a long way to go to get into a "wartime" mode.

[mwl1]

People in law enforcement.

[GirlShortstop]

you cannot carry a 12 gauge in you pocket

LOL... is that a 12 gauge in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?!?!    ©¿©

[AmericanInTokyo]

The Saint Cyr, France military school sniper who deserted and is in the US apparantly (with an Interpol alert) was INITIALLY described as Yugoslavian, but French authorities said only a French citizen could take part in that military training at Saint Cyr. I am sure his classmates can be found. I would monitor the largest French daily near that school geographically if any students start volunteering that he was anti US or AQ symp or Middle East background/ but/French citizen. I have been checking the French papers today. There is more in their press on that than in ours. I think some of the biggest breaks in this case will be from FOREIGN MEDIA and bypassing our own and the local US officials who feed the US press peacemeal, controlled tidbits because they think 'we can't HANDLE the truth.'