Series of EmergencyNet News "Real-time" Reports Concerning Multiple Shooting Murders in the Montgomery County, MD Area -- 03 to 02 Nov 2002

02 Nov 2002

New Shooting Linked To Sniper Spree

SILVER SPRING, MD: Police said a shooting outside a liquor store has officially been linked to a spate of sniper shootings which left ten people dead and three wounded in the Washington area. A man was wounded in the shooting at the shop in Silver Spring, Maryland, which took place on 14 September - two weeks before the serial killings which terrorized the region got under way. Two suspects, John Allen Muhammad and 17-year-old John Lee Malvo, are being held in connection with the shootings. They have also been linked to fatal shootings in Louisiana and Alabama.

A police spokesman said the shooting of 14 September victim had been linked on the basis of "similarity of circumstances, witness information and evidence that confirms the vehicle was in the Washington metropolitan area on the day of shooting." Various law enforcement agencies are continuing to gather evidence against Muhammad, 41, and Malvo, a Jamaican immigrant. United States Attorney General John Ashcroft said the authorities were still investigating whether other people may have been involved or whether the suspects may have committed other crimes.

01 Nov 2002 -- From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA: Two shooting suspects are now charged with a month-long series of killings from the Gulf Coast to the suburbs of the nation's capital. Louisiana officials said on Thursday ballistic tests had linked John Allen Muhammad, 41, and John Lee Malvo, 17, to the 23 September murder of a beauty shop worker -- the second state to file murder charges after re-examining a local shooting for possible links to the Washington-area attacks.

Meanwhile, reports from the Caribbean say that US  federal law enforcement officials are in Antigua, investigating allegations that John Allen Muhammad was engaging in passport racketeering, human smuggling and fake document operations, and/or activities relating to developing military training programs in the island nation.

17:00CST - 31 Oct 2002 -- From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

Rifle Linked to Another Slaying

Baton Rouge, LA -- The Bushmaster .223-caliber rifle used in the Washington-area sniper shootings has also been ballistically identified as the weapon used in the September killing of a shopkeeper in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge Police Dept. Chief Pat Englade announced today. With the forensic match, the sniper suspects have been tied to shootings in five states -- Alabama, Maryland, Virginia, Washington -- and the District of Columbia. Additional important information in the case is also expected to be released at a news conference Friday in Montgomery, AL.

30 Oct 2002 -- From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

GREENBELT, MD: New federal weapons and extortion charges against sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad added to the questions over which jurisdiction will be the first to prosecute him and his alleged partner in the attacks. Muhammad, 41, and John Lee Malvo, 17, are already charged with murder in Maryland and Virginia in the attacks that left ten people dead and three others critically wounded. They are also charged with an Alabama slaying last month and are suspected in a February killing in Washington state.

29 Oct 2002-- From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

UPDATE: 12:00CST - 29 Oct 2002

Muhammad Now Facing Federal Charges

MARYLAND: In the past few minutes it was announced that John Allen Muhammad was being charged with federal violations in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Md., in Prince George’s County, by prosecutors from U.S. Attorney Thomas DiBiagio’s office. The suspect was to make an initial court appearance on the new federal charges within hours. The charging complaint did not name the younger suspect, 17-year-old John Lee Malvo, because he is being considered a juvenile.

TACOMA, WASHINGTON: Long before a series of sniper attacks terrorized the suburbs of Washington, D.C., police say the suspected gunmen may have begun their reign of terror on the West Coast with the slaying of a Tacoma woman and a shooting at a synagogue. Authorities said on Monday they had linked John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo to the February shooting death of a 21-year-old woman whose aunt once worked for Muhammad's auto repair business. Police also identified the pair as suspects in a May shooting at a Tacoma synagogue in which no one was injured.

28 Oct 2002

From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

RICHMOND, VA: The 17-year-old suspect in the Washington-area sniper attacks may have squeezed off the shot that killed an FBI analyst, a Virginia prosecutor said, raising the possibility that the death penalty could be brought against both suspects. Robert Horan, Jr, a Commonwealth attorney, said on Sunday there is "an equal possibility" for both suspects -- John Allen Muhammad, 41, and John Lee Malvo, 17 -- to have shot FBI analyst Linda Franklin outside a Home Depot on 14 October in Fairfax. 

From: ERRI EMERGENCY SERVICES REPORT-EmergencyNet NEWS Service-Sunday, October 27, 2002-Vol. 6, No. 300

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA: A man sought as a material witness in the Washington-area sniper shootings was arrested on Saturday, and prosecutors announced plans to charge the two suspects in Virginia, the second state where 17-year-old John Lee Malvo could face the death penalty. Virginia prosecutors will file charges on Monday to cover two woundings and at least two of the three killings there.

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND: Maryland prosecutors filed the first murder charges against two suspected snipers -- another signal a three- week terror spree has ended and that residents can safely venture outside without fear.

NATIONAL NEWS:

Sniper Suspect Appears In Court

ROCKVILLE, MD: Prosecutors in three states and the District of Columbia are lining up for the first chance to prosecute the two suspects arrested in the sniper attacks that killed 10 people. John Allen Muhammad, 41 -- arrested with 17-year-old John Lee Malvo -- made his first court appearance and was ordered held without bail on Thursday, hours after the nation's largest man- hunt came to an end with their capture at a Maryland rest stop where they were sleeping in their car. Ballistics tests have matched a rifle found in the car of two men arrested in connection with the Washington sniper attacks with the weapon used in the killings.

Police say they now feel "very positive" that the hunt for the gunman who terrorized the US capital and its suburbs is over, following the arrest of the suspects found sleeping in a car. Law officials are now treating the two individuals as suspects in the killings and are scheduled to meet on Friday to discuss filing criminal charges related to the 13 sniper shootings in the Washington DC area which left 10 people dead.

Muhammad, a former soldier described as an "expert marksman," has already been charged with firearms violations. The 17-year-old Malvo, a Jamaican citizen, is the other subject detained. As he is a juvenile, details of all federal court proceedings relating to his case are kept private.

Charles Moose, police chief in Maryland's Montgomery County where six people were killed each by a single shot, said it appeared the hunt was over. Federal officials said the fire- arms offense charge was a way to detain Muhammad while more evidence was sought in the case of the gunman who managed to kill and escape without alerting witnesses.

Media reports have quoted police sources as saying there was a hole carved in the car which would enable somebody to lie in the back and shoot without being seen. Muhammad is an "expert" rifle marksmen who served in the U.S. Army for ten years, according to the US Department of Defense. He was deployed during the Gulf War and left the army with the rank of sergeant.

The arrests came only hours after warrants were issued and a nationwide hunt was launched for the two suspects. Early on Thursday, police converged on a car -- a blue 1990 Chevrolet Caprice -- on Interstate 70 in Frederick County, about 40 miles northwest of Washington and arrested the men without incident. The arrests were prompted by an emergency call from a motorist who spotted the car which matched a police description.

The men were arrested as other officers were investigating leads in Alabama -- where a female employee at a liquor store was shot to death in September -- and in the state of Washington, where Muhammad once lived. FBI agents searched a house in Tacoma, Washington, 2,000 miles from the capital, taking away a tree stump which may have been used for target practice. Muhammad served in the Army at the Fort Lewis base near Tacoma and is believed to have lived in the house.

The firearms warrant issued in the state of Washington -- under which Muhammad was arrested -- lists conversations Muhammad was said to have had with a former Army colleague. According to the warrant, the soldier told the FBI Muhammad had tried to make a sound suppressor and said to him: "Can you imagine the damage you could do if you could shoot with a silencer?"

INSTANT UPDATE - Thursday, October 24, 2002 Posted: 13:23EDT (17:23GMT)

Frederick, MD (EmergencyNet News) -- Two men were arrested early Thursday in connection with the serial sniper attacks after police launched a nationwide search for their car and it was spotted at a Maryland rest stop, authorities said. Members of the sniper task force arrested the men without incident at about 03:30EDT in a highway rest-stop off I-70 in Frederick County, Md. The "persons of interest," tentatively identified as John Allen Williams, age 42, aka John Mohhmad and John Lee Malvo, age 17, were said to be sleeping at the time of the apprehension and they were reportedly taken into custody without violent incident.

Maryland State Police spokesman Maj. Greg Shipley said a passing motorist had alerted authorities that they had seen the wanted Chevrolet in a rest-stop along the highway. Police tactical teams surrounded the vehicle and shortly thereafter, two African-American males were taken into custody, Major Shipley said.

The men are presently being questioned in Montgomery County. The Chevy Caprice is impounded, pending a court order to search it thoroughly. Few other official details are currently being made available...authorities are expected to provide a briefing later this morning...watch this page for additional EmergencyNet News updates...

Additional reference: 2 from state arrested in D.C. sniper case; Sympathetic to Islamic Terrorists??  -- Seattle Times, Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 01:37 a.m. Pacific

23:20EDT - 23 Oct 2002

BOLO: A Vehicle and Two "Persons of Interest" Wanted By Police For Questioning

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD (EmergencyNet News) -- Police have issued a BOLO (be-on-the-lookout) for a Blue or Burgandy 1990 Chevrolet Caprice with New Jersey license plates NDA-21Z. Persons with information about this wanted vehicle should NOT take any action on their own... instead they are asked contact their local police with the information (dial 9-1-1) at the earliest opportunity...or call the FBI tip line at: 888-324-9800

According to Chief Charles Moose of Montgomery County police, a federal arrest warrant involving firearms charges has been issued for two individuals, identified by authorities as John Allen Williams, age 42, aka John Mohhmad and John Lee Malvo, age 17. Chief Moose said that Mr. Williams should be considered "armed and dangerous," but he emphasized that the two men are only wanted for questioning at this time. "Do not assume from this allegation that John Allen Mohhmad, also known as John Allen Williams, is involved in any of the [DC] shootings," Moose said.

More detailed information about an individual(s) that are wanted for questioning in connection with the multiple shooting incidents in the Washington, DC area is expected to be released in the coming 24 hours... visit this page often for continuing updates.

INSTANT UPDATE: 17:15PDT/20:15EDT

DC Shooting Investigation Moves To West Coast

Tacoma, WA (EmergencyNet news) -- FBI and Tacoma police officers are reportedly searching the premises of a residence in Tacoma, WA. No official statements have been issued regarding the reason for digging and intensive examination, but it is believed that law enforcement agents are looking for possible evidence that is associated with multiple shootings in the Washington, DC area. A federal law enforcement source told EmergencyNet News that the search in Tacoma is only one of several searches that are currently on-going at different locations. Unconfirmed reports from law enforcement sources suggest that there may be major investigative developments in the DC shooting case within the next 24 hours. Few other official details have been made available...

INSTANT UPDATE: 12:15EDT - 23 Oct 2002

Latest Shooting Linked to Other Shootings in Area

Chief Charles Moose has, within the past few minutes, confirmed that the shooting of a bus driver yesterday in Silver Springs, MD has been linked to other shootings in several other jurisdictions in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Colombia. BATF Agent Mike Bouchard confirmed that ballistics and other evidence gathered in the latest shooting verified a connection with the other shootings in the area.

From: ERRI EMERGENCY SERVICES REPORT-EmergencyNet NEWS Service-Wednesday, October 23, 2002-Vol. 6 - 296

NATIONAL NEWS:

Sniper Threatens To Target Children

ROCKVILLE, MD: Schools will reopen in the Washington area on Wednesday amid heightened security after a serial sniper threatened to target children. The mystery gunman issued the chilling warning in a letter to police, saying children were "not safe anywhere or at anytime." Police are still trying to confirm whether a 35-year- old bus driver killed from a single shot in Montgomery County, Maryland, on Tuesday was the sniper's latest victim. The gunman is confirmed to have killed nine people and wounded three others in Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC since the shooting spree that began on 2 October.

Media reports said that the sniper demanded a ransom of $10 million in the letter, which was left near the scene of a shooting on Saturday night at a restaurant in Ashland, near Richmond, Virginia. As the intensive hunt for the elusive gunman continued, authorities in Virginia closed schools on Monday and Tuesday, affecting about 140,000 pupils. Other schools in the greater Washington region have canceled outdoor events and kept pupils indoors during school hours.

Teachers have reportedly been briefed by police regarding safety and security, while pupils' parents are volunteering to patrol school grounds. Education officials in Virginia said that schools would reopen on Wednesday, but worried parents were expected to keep thousands of pupils at home.

Montgomery Police Chief Charles Moose revealed the threat to children at a news conference in the latest in a series of communications between the police and the sniper through the media. Chief Moose indicated that police were considering requests made by the sniper in the letter. He said to the sniper on Tuesday: "We have researched the options you stated and found that it is not possible electronically to comply in the manner that you requested. You indicated that this is about more than violence. We are waiting to hear from you."

Chief Moose offered to set up a private post office box "or another secure method" for the sniper to contact police. According to ABC News, the sniper complained in the letter that he tried to contact police by calling a hotline five times over the past eight days, but that he was repeatedly cut off.

Police said they were working on the assumption that the bus driver, Conrad Johnson, was the sniper's latest victim. Johnson was shot as he stood on the steps of his stationary vehicle in the Aspen Hill area of Montgomery County, about 15 miles north of Washington. The scene is close to those of the first six shootings. But the incident took place while it was still dark, much earlier in the day than any previous shootings.

According to other reports, Saturday's found letter also warned of the need for more "body bags" unless a ransom was paid in a matter of days. The Washington Post, citing law enforcement sources, was reporting on Wednesday that authorities confirmed the letter, at least three pages long, demanded up to $10 million in ransom. The letter listed six calls that had allegedly been "ignored" by operators answering phones at the command center in Rockville and the FBI.

The letter was found wrapped in plastic in the woods behind a Ponderosa restaurant in Ashland. The letter was neatly printed on lined paper and included several grammatical errors, sentence fragments and misspellings. The victim of the Ashland shooting, a 37-year-old man, was in critical but stable condition at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond.

The person or people behind the attacks apparently contacted police investigators again on Tuesday, but Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose did not disclose the content or means of that contact, except to say investigators were "formulating a response."

22 Oct 2002 - 17:30EDT

Day 20: DC held Hostage

Statement of Chief Charles Moose, Montgomery County Police:

"It is important that we do this without anyone else getting hurt," he said. "We have researched the options you stated and found that it is not possible electronically to comply in the manner that you requested," Moose said. "However, we remain open and ready to talk to you about the options you have mentioned."  "You indicated that this is about more than violence," said Moose, "We are waiting to hear from you."

Police also released what they described as a "postscript," allegedly from an note left by the gunman at a weekend shooting in Ashland, VA: "Your children are not safe anywhere at any time."

INSTANT UPDATE 10:45EDT - 22 Oct 2002

Victim in Today's Shooting Dies of His Wounds

Silver Springs, MD (EmergencyNet News) -- In yet another tragic turn of events, Suburban hospital officials announced in the past few minutes that the 40-year-old victim in this morning's shooting had died as the result of a single gunshot to the torso. Police said that the victim, a bus driver, who had been waiting on a side street in the 14100 block of Grand Pre Road, used as a staging area for commuter buses, was shot in the chest as he waited to begin his route. Authorities still could not confirm that this latest incident is tied to any other shootings -- pending ballistic forensics evaluation. Due to seemingly similar circumstances, however, police said that they are treating this latest shooting as if it were part of a series of shootings in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Colombia...

08:00CDT/09:00EDT - 22 Oct 2002

Police Investigate Another Maryland Shooting

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND: Authorities said it was too early to tell if a man shot in the chest in Montgomery County early Tuesday was connected to the serial sniper who has killed nine people and injured three others this month. Police put a widespread dragnet into place immediately after the shooting, clogging traffic near Connecticut Avenue and Grand Pre road, one of the main arteries into Washington, D.C. just as the morning commute began.

The latest shooting reportedly occurred near the site of five other sniper attacks. The first report of the shooting came into 911 at about 05:56EDT. A Montgomery County Fire Department spokesman said one adult male victim suffered a chest wound and was being airlifted via life-flight helicopter to a local trauma center. Police set up roadblocks on the street where the shooting occurred -- just minutes from the border with Washington, D.C. It has NOT been verified that this shooting is connected to others in the MD/VA/DC area...

ERRI crime analysts said that if this latest incident is connected to other incidents, that the time and place of this morning's incident was probably chosen by the shooter in an attempt to again "alter his pattern" in an attempt to confuse authorities and heighten fear among the local populace. Secondarily, it still appears that the shooter is directly challenging the police by his ability to strike at a time and place of his choosing. 

Tip line: 888-324-9800 -- please call if you have any information about the DC area shootings -- A $500,000 reward is available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of people involved in the shootings.

INSTANT UPDATE - 18:15EDT - 21 Oct 2002

"The person you called could not hear everything that you said; the audio was unclear and we want to get it right," Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose told reporters at a briefing, making clear he was sending a message to someone else. "Call us back so that we can clearly understand," Moose asked the shooter.

Meanwhile, in Henrico/Hanover County, police announced that they have NOT filed local charges against two men detained earlier today at a gas station (see real time report below). A police spokesman said that the two had been turned over to INS authorities on unrelated immigration issues.

INSTANT 12:20CDT/13:20EDT - 21 Oct 2002

Ashland Shooting Linked to N. Virginia Shootings

Hanover County, VA (EmergencyNet News) -- Sheriff Stuart Cook of Hanover County, Virginia has confirmed in the past two minutes that ballistics tests DO link the shooting of a 37-year-old man on Saturday night in Ashland, VA to multiple shootings in the DC/MD/VA area. Sheriff Cook also said that two male subjects have been taken into custody in the Richmond, VA area. Cook said that he could have no other comment on the larger investigation, except that their intense inquiry continues at this hour...

A half hour after the press briefing in Hanover County, a scheduled briefing from Montgomery County officials was cancelled. A spokeswoman said that the investigation was at an extremely sensitive juncture and that the Sniper Task Force couldn't make further comment at this time...

09:00CDT/10:00EDT - 21 Oct 2002

Man Taken Into Custody in Richmond

RICHMOND, VA (EmergencyNet News) -- A man has been taken into custody and a white van seized from a gas station on Broad St. in Richmond. Reports from the scene say that the man in custody was using a payphone at the time of the police apprehension.  The detainee was described by witnesses at the scene as a male, 35-40 years old, with "brown skin." Few official details have been made available about the detainee or the specific reason he had been taken into custody. Unconfirmed speculation concerning a second suspect continues among sources close to the investigation.

In an possibly unrelated matter, and also in the past few minutes -- shortly after the incident in Richmond -- Chief Moose of Montgomery County Police gave a very brief press conference and said that police "had received a message and were preparing their response to it." No further explanation was offered about the Chief's comments, nor did Chief Moose mention the situation in Richmond. EmergencyNet News is monitoring events regarding the shootings and will provide additional details as circumstances warrant...

From: ERRI EMERGENCY SERVICES REPORT-EmergencyNet NEWS Service-Monday, October 21, 2002-Vol. 6 - 294

NATIONAL NEWS:

D.C. Sniper May Have Left Message

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND: Schools closed across a large part of Virginia on Monday after a message to authorities and a cryptic police response suggested that the elusive Washington-area sniper had expanded his terror spree much further south. In a brief but news conference late Sunday, police issued a direct plea to whomever left a note at the scene of a shooting on Saturday outside a Ponderosa restaurant in Ashland, Virginia, to call them.

Police believe the sniper who has killed nine people in the Washington area may have left them a message at the scene of a shooting on Saturday. In a cryptic statement, police chief Charles Moose said: "To the person who left us a message at the Ponderosa (restaurant) last night. You gave us a telephone number. We do want to talk with you. Call us at the number you provided." Schools in the Ashland and Richmond areas of Virginia were closed on Monday "based on the volume of parent and community concern," officials said. About 200,000 students are affected.

Police sources said they think it was the sniper who left them the message at the restaurant in Ashland, where a man was shot and seriously wounded. Saturday's attack has still not been conclusively linked to the sniper who has spread panic in the states of Virginia, Maryland and the capital itself, but police said they were working on the assumption that the attacks were linked.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch newspaper said police sources at the scene of the latest shooting had indicated that more than one tarot card had been found. It also said that police were investigating the theory that the gunman may have used a bicycle in the Ashland attack and carried his gun in a backpack. The victim of Saturday's attack is in critical condition but expected to survive.

19:30CDT/20:30EDT - 20 Oct 2002

Mr. Sniper: Please Call Montgomery County Police...

"To the person who left us a message at the Ponderosa last night. You gave us a telephone number. We do want to talk to you. Call us at the number you provided. Thank you," Montgomery County, Md., Police Chief Charles Moose said in a televised briefing earlier today.  Moose, leader of the task force investigating 11 shootings in the Washington area, refused to further elaborate, explain his comments, or take questions about the message or how/where it was left. But he asked the news media to spotlight his request "carry it clearly and carry it often," Chief Moose said. Herein, EmergencyNet News is doing as the chief asked...

Source: Montgomery County, MD and the Associated Press

Related Backgrounder: WHAT If it happened in America?? Advice on Terrorism, Emergency Services, and Media Affairs

From: ERRI EMERGENCY SERVICES REPORT-EmergencyNet NEWS Service-Sunday, October 20, 2002-Vol. 6 - 293-08:30CDT

NATIONAL NEWS:

Police In Virginia Look For Evidence In Latest Shooting

ASHLAND, VIRGINIA: Authorities combed the woods and parking lot behind a steakhouse trying to find evidence that may link the shooting of a 37-year-old man to the sniper attacks that have claimed nine lives in the Washington area. The man was shot once in the abdomen after exiting a Ponderosa restaurant on Saturday shortly before 2000 EDT. He was in critical condition after undergoing surgery at MCV Hospital in Richmond, but hospital spokeswoman Pam Lepley said his vital signs were stable.

U.S. Secret Service agents and a sniper task force rushed to the area after the shooting and nearby highways were sealed off as police checked vehicles all the way to the Washington area. If confirmed, the shooting will be the sniper's 12th attack which has left nine people dead and two others wounded since 2 October. Local media reports say officers are again looking for a white van with a ladder rack -- similar alerts were issued after several of the sniper shootings.

Police said the shot was apparently fired from woodland about 100 feet away as the victim walked with his wife. Police said they were examining similarities with other sniper attacks. Before Saturday, the sniper last struck on Monday, when he killed a 47-year-old woman in a parking lot in Virginia.

21: 30CDT/22:30EDT - 19 Oct 2002

Man Shot in Rural Virginia; Link Not Established to DC Shootings

Ashland, Virginia  (EmergencyNet News) -- A man has reportedly been shot tonight outside a Ponderosa Steakhouse in rural Virginia. The incident happened at about 20:00EDT last night. Authorities said that it HAS NOT been confirmed that the shooting in Ashland is connected to the other shootings in the DC Metro area, but members of the Sniper Task Force have been dispatched to Ashland to assist in the investigation. Maryland State Police Sgt. William Vogt told the Associated Press that troopers were on the lookout for "a white van with a ladder rack," that may have been involved in the incident.

Local authorities said that their very preliminary inquiry suggests that the victim was fired upon from a wooded area that is adjacent to the Ponderosa parking lot.

Ashland is located near Richmond, VA, or about 75-80 miles south of Washington, DC. Routes 1, 54, and parts of Interstate 95 are closed as police investigate the incident. The victim in the Ashland incident was reportedly wounded in the abdomen by one shot. He has been taken to a local hospital, where his condition is not currently known....

NATIONAL NEWS:

Sniper Investigators Charge Phony Witness

ROCKVILLE, MD: Police were examining a shell casing found in a white truck -- the same type of vehicle police have profiled in the sniper case -- as Virginia authorities charged a man with misleading investigators in the probe. Montgomery County Police said the shell was found in a white box truck Friday evening by workers at a car rental agency near Dulles International Airport in Virginia. Officials said it was unclear if the truck has any- thing to do with the shooter who has killed nine people and wounded two others in Washington, Maryland and Virginia since 2 October.

The suspect vehicle was removed by police and the casing sent to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms laboratory for testing. The results were expected sometime on Saturday.

More than 1,000 police and government officials, backed by two military reconnaissance planes, are involved in the search for the sniper. With no hard leads to go on, FBI agents were reported to be planning to interview terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba about whether they knew of any plans by the Usama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network for sniper attacks in the US. It is believed that training tapes reviewed by both government and media organizations would seem to indicate that Al-Qaeda operatives have been trained in "sniping techniques." However, officials stressed that there was no evidence to link the sniper to any foreign or domestic terror group at this time.

18 Oct 2002 - From http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND: Prosecutors were investigating whether to file charges against a witness accused of intentionally misleading investigators by falsely claiming he saw a sniper open fire with an assault rifle and flee in a cream-colored van. The story began to unravel when police compared it to accounts from others who saw the shooting on Monday that killed an FBI cyber-terrorism analyst in a crowded Virginia parking lot. The killer has inexplicably not struck since then. Eleven people have been shot in the sniper attacks since 2 October, and nine have died.

11:30CDT/12:30EDT 17 Oct 2002 -- Important Note on Previous Report:  During a press conference in the past few minutes, Mike Bouchard, ATF, and Chief Tom Manger of Fairfax County police said today (17 Oct 2002) that any witness information concerning the identity of a weapon (i.e. AK-74) and a vehicle (i.e. creme-colored van) "is not credible." Police cautioned that witness information presented in the media concerning the last shooting in Falls Church has not been verified and should not be "seen as reliable." Agent Bouchard indicated that nine (9) of the shootings were linked by ballistics (.223) and that unsubstantiated assumptions should not be drawn about other vehicle IDs or another caliber of weapon (s).   

Not Enough Detail To Make Sniper Sketch

ROCKVILLE, MD: Police aren't ready to put a face on the Washington-area sniper who has killed nine people in the past two weeks. Several people have told authorities they saw a man open fire at a northern Virginia Home Depot store on Monday and flee in a white van. But they were not able to give investigators enough details to create a composite sketch.

Captain Nancy Demme of the Montgomery County police said on Wednesday that investigators spoke to two witnesses who saw the killer shoot his ninth victim dead on Monday. She said: "Unfortunately, distance and darkness and perhaps adrenaline have made ... them unable to give us a clear composite we can disseminate." Captain Demme stressed that people on the lookout for suspects should not limit themselves to anyone matching partial descriptions -- including one account that the gunman had "olive-colored skin."

All the witnesses agreed was that the sniper was male. Demme advised residents to not only watch for the white or cream-colored Chevrolet Astro van described by police -- as the man may have several different vehicles. And she said police had not ruled out terrorism, but that investigators had no indication that there was any political or ideological motive behind the shootings.

Police then said they believed they had several new clues that could lead to a breakthrough in the case. For the first time, they had witnesses who believed they had seen the sniper, and they had more detailed descriptions and a partial license plate of a vehicle that he may have used. On Tuesday, the Pentagon agreed to a request from the FBI to provide manned, fixed-wing reconnaissance aircraft -- armed with infrared heat sensors -- to help law enforcement agencies in the hunt for the gunman.

16 Oct 2002

Law Enforcement Working on ID Pictures

(Picture removed due to official police reports)

In related news and according to a statement from Fairfax County Police Chief Tom Manger "There was some additional information that we were able to get from last night's case, and I am confident that that information is going to lead us to an arrest in the case." The information is believed to include several eyewitness accounts concerning the identity of the alleged gunman or gunmen, and other data is thought to include at least a partial license plate number for a van that is wanted by police. Also a potential type of weapon may have been identified. Police have acknowledged that the shooter could be using more than one vehicle and/or more than one weapon. According to federal law enforcement sources, the task force pursuing the DC area shooter is presently said to be working on a composite drawing of at least one individual involved in the incidents, but they have reportedly experienced some difficulty in reaching consensus among the witnesses about the suspects features.

NATIONAL NEWS:

Man Fatally Shot At Virginia Gas Station

MANASSAS, VIRGINIA: In the latest deadly turn in the investigation of a sniper who is stalking the Washington area, a man was gunned down moments after filling his tank at a Virginia gas station. Police said they didn't know if the Virginia slaying was linked to the other attacks, but the shooting only heightened fear that the sniper had struck again. Police in Manassas said it was too early to know if it was linked, but a team investigating the killings has described Wednesday's incident as "very similar."

The series of attacks, which have been linked by ballistics experts, has killed six people and injured two in the area around the capital, Washington DC. Despite a high-profile manhunt, police have so far failed, at least publicly, to identify any strong indication of the identity of the sniper.

The discovery of a tarot card, carrying the message, "Dear policeman, I am God" sparked speculation about a possible new lead. Police have not yet said how many bullets were used in the shooting on Wednesday night. All the other victims were shot with a single bullet.

So far, the victims appear to have little in common - men and women aged from 13 to 72, of white, black, Hispanic and Indian origin. Five of those killed were shot within eight five miles of each other in Montgomery County, and the sixth died on a Washington DC street. Another victim was shot and injured in Virginia, and a boy shot out- side his school in Prince George's County on Monday remains in critical condition.

22:30CDT/23:30EDT - 09 Oct 2002

Montgomery Police On the Way to Virginia: Another Man Shot and Killed At Gas Station

From the ERRI/EmergencyNet News Watchdesk

MANASSAS, VA., Montgomery County police have reportedly dispatched investigators to the scene of a shooting at a gas station in Manassas to look for a possible connection with the string of shooting attacks in the MD/VA/DC area, police said. Although many of the known circumstances in tonight's shooting appear similar to previous incidents, authorities said that no official link to previous sniper attacks can be drawn at this time.

Prince William County police spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Chinn has confirmed that a man was fatally shot about 20:15 tonight at a Sunoco station on Sudley Road, near Route 66. Preliminary and unofficial data suggests that the victim was shot from an unknown distance and that two men were reportedly seen fleeing the scene in a white "Caravan-type" vehicle. The incident remains under intense investigation. Manassas, VA is located about 30 miles Southwest of Washington, DC. EmergencyNet News will bring you additional details if/when more facts are known...

INSTANT UPDATE - 13:00CDT/14:00EDT - 09 Oct 2002

Woods Searched, Nothing Found

By C. L. Staten

Near Ft. Washington/Clinton, MD (EmergencyNet news) -- According to a statement by Cpl. Richardson of the Prince George's County police in the past few minutes, the woods that were of earlier concern have been searched by a multi-jurisdictional task force with a negative result...nothing of interest was found. Corporal Richardson said that police would be leaving that area soon and returning to other duties...

10:00EDT - 09 Oct 2002

Search Underway After Man Seen by Student

CLINTON, MD (EmergencyNet News) -- According to emergency service sources, authorities are currently searching a wooded area near a school in/near Clinton, Maryland. According to so-far officially unconfirmed reports, a student says that they saw a man carrying some sort of suitcase in the woods near the school early this morning. Numerous police and a K-9 unit have been dispatched to ascertain if the report is founded. No further official details were available at the time of this report...

NATIONAL NEWS:

Maryland Police Comb Thousands Of Tips

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND: Investigators combing through thousands of tips in the search for a sniper terrorizing the Washington suburbs are hoping that a spent shell casing found near the latest victim could lead them to the gunman. The casing, found outside a school where a 13-year-old boy was critically injured, was being checked against the National Ballistics Identification Network, a database of crime- scene firearms evidence maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Police are reported to have found a taunting note near the site of one of the shootings.

Police sources told the Washington Post that the message, written on a tarot card and found, along with a shell casing, near a school in Prince George's County, said: "Dear policeman, I am God." A 13- year-old boy was shot and seriously wounded outside the school on Monday -- the eighth case to be linked to the sniper. Police have refused to confirm officially the discovery of the note -- written on the Death Card of the fortune-telling pack -- apparently because it could compromise their investigation.

At the first of several news briefings scheduled for Wednesday, Police Chief Charles Moose of Montgomery County, Maryland, completely declined to discuss the card, if one exists. "It is inappropriate to comment about this card. There has not been anything authorized for release by me," Moose told reporters. Contacted about the card, a police spokesman told the Reuters news service that she could not confirm it. An obviously frustrated Moose reacted angrily when asked about the reported message contained on the card. "Someone in the team, someone on the law enforcement community has done something I find very inappropriate. It indicates that I don't have control of the team," he is quoted as saying. Moose also publicly berated the media, former law enforcement officials, and profilers who have appeared on television and in newspapers, engaging in speculation concerning the sniper incidents.

Despite a massive manhunt and tight security measures across the region, police have so far made little headway in finding the suspect, who has already killed six people and wounded two. Nearly 200 investigators have been working through 1,400 leads, sifted out of 7,500 tip-offs. The discovery of a shell-casing, which was recovered at a patched of flattened grass in a wooded area near the school, has raised hopes of providing a concrete lead for the investigation.

A tarot card reader told the Washington Post that the Death Card had many possible interpretations and it was likely that the sniper did not know a great deal about the cards. A ninth shooting, which took place on 14 September, is being investigated by ballistics experts for possible links to the other attacks. Police have spoken of a single sniper, but have not ruled out the possibility that more than one person is involved.

From: ERRI EMERGENCY SERVICES REPORT-EmergencyNet NEWS Service-Tuesday, October 8, 2002-Vol. 6 - 281

NATIONAL NEWS:

Maryland Sniper Wounds Teen-Age Boy

BOWIE, MARYLAND: A sniper linked to the murder of six adults last week critically wounded a middle-school student on Monday. Police who are investigating the apparently random shootings have urged the federal government to send more federal agents to the area. Local police officers and federal agents are hunting for a "skilled" gunman suspected of killing six people and wounding two others over the past week.

The latest victim, a 13-year-old boy, was shot and wounded outside his school in Bowie, Prince George's County, on Monday. A police spokesman said the projectile recovered from the boy's body came from the same weapon as that used by the sniper in the other attacks. Five of those killed were shot within five miles of each other in Montgomery County, and the sixth died on a Washington DC street. The other victim was shot and wounded in the state of Virginia.

Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose said he needed US Attorney General John Ashcroft to send more agents to help in the manhunt. He said: "Because of the magnitude of the investigation and the likelihood that we're going to need additional resources, I am writing to the attorney general to initiate a formal request for assistance." Federal agents have been assisting in the case since Thursday 3 October, the day after the shootings began.

The boy shot on Monday was reported to be in critical condition after several hours of surgery. More than 100 local police officers are working on the case. But there have been no eyewitnesses and significant clues are extremely scant.

A pair of former FBI agents said on Monday that the shooting of the 13-year-old boy could mean the sniper in last week's shooting spree is becoming more convinced that he can outwit and elude police. Former FBI profiler Clint Van Zandt said that the gunman was most likely cognizant of the press conferences police have given telling parents to continue sending their children to school, even feeding off them. Van Zandt added that the shooter has so far used a three-fold signature: a .223-caliber round, an apparently random victim and a long, single shot.

Van Zandt said the resumption of the attacks after two quiet days could be a signal that the shooter's wrath runs deep. He said: "This is some sort of precipitous anger. Anger over one thing would have dissipated."

Charles Bahn, a professor emeritus of forensics at John Jay College of the City University of New York, said although the sniper probably is deranged and sees himself as all-powerful, two shootings near Michaels craft stores could signal some connection between the killer and the company. A woman was shot in the back Friday afternoon outside a Michaels on the outskirts of Fredericksburg. And less than an hour before the first victim was killed Wednesday, the window of a Michaels craft store in Aspen Hill was shot out. Bahn said if Michaels stores were a target of sorts, the other shootings could simply be diversions for police.

INSTANT UPDATE 16:15CDT/17:15EDT - 07 Oct 2002

Incident at Bowie School Linked to Other Shootings

BOWIE, MD (EmergencyNet News) -- Within the past few minutes, it was announced by Prince George's County Police Chief Gerald Wilson, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF), that it has been determined that the shooting of the 13-year-old boy today is linked to other shootings in DC, Virginia, and Maryland "by forensic evidence." Chief Wilson said that it was a "region investigation now" and everything possible was being done to track down the assassin of six people. EmergencyNet News continues to monitor events in  Maryland and will provide additional details if/when they become available...

FLASH - 08:30CDT/09:30EDT - 07 Oct 2002

Child Shot Near School in Maryland Suburb

 BOWIE, Prince George's County, Maryland - (EmergencyNet News) -- A 13-year-old boy was shot and critically wounded Monday outside a school, authorities said. There was no immediate word on whether the shooting was related to a series of sniper attacks last week in a neighboring county. Few other details are currently available and a massive law enforcement presence is on-the-scene at Benjamin Tasker Middle School in Bowie. Police received a call shortly after 08:00EDT reporting the shooting, said Cpl. Robert Clark of the Prince George's County police.

It is reported that the boy was shot in the torso, at "long range." The stricken youngster was believed transported to the hospital by a relative....where he is thought to be in stable, but critical condition. A "code blue" alert has been issued which will effectively "lock-down" educational facilities in the area.

Anyone with information regarding the shooting in Prince George's County is asked to call: 1-800-673-2777

Bullets Linked To Maryland Sniper Case

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND: Investigators said the bullet used to shoot a Virginia woman matches ammunition used to kill at least four of six victims of a sniper spree in Maryland and Washington, D.C., Major Howard Smith of the Spotsylvania County, Virginia, sheriff's office said on Saturday: "The round that we collected there is in fact a match to the rounds that were used here in Maryland and also in D.C." The 43-year-old woman, who was shot in the back outside a craft store in Fredericksburg, Virginia, some 80 miles south of Washington, is now in a stable condition in a hospital.

Local and federal investigators are continuing to track down thousands of leads in pursuit of the sniper now thought responsible for all seven attacks. Police fear the gunman, who apparently shot his victims at random, may kill again. Charles Moose, police chief in Maryland's Montgomery County, where five of the victims died, said: "My level of concern about the ability of the suspect to strike again is high. We implore him to surrender, stop this madness."

So far, there appears to be little pattern between the victims -- men and women aged from 25 to 72, of white, black, Hispanic and Indian origin. About 100 local police officers and 50 agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are now working on the case. Some 600 of 2,500 leads received are believed to be credible.

Police said earlier they were searching for a gunman and the driver of a white van who may have taken him from killing to killing, but have not ruled out there being more than one shooter, or copycat criminals. All six deaths were caused by a single shot which police believe may have been fired from 100 yards or more across parking lots.

Authorities said a man was found shot to death in a wooded area of Howard County on Saturday night and three people were shot and wounded in Prince George's County. Details were sketchy, but preliminary investigations indicated that none was connected to the series of linked shootings. The man in Howard was found on Browns Bridge Road near the Rocky Gorge Reservoir and the Montgomery County line.

The Prince George's victims were found on Hil-Mar Drive in District Heights. One was found at about 2230 EDT in the 5900 block and the two others about five blocks down the street 90 minutes later.

22:00CDT/23:00EDT - 05 Oct 2002

Virginia Shooting Linked to DC and MD Shootings

VIRGINIA: Tests conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms confirmed that the same weapon was used in the random killings over the past three days in Montgomery County, Md., Washington, DC, and Fredericksburg, VA. Tests were still under way to determine any links to additional shootings in Maryland. “The round that we collected there is in fact a match to the rounds that were used here in Maryland and also in D.C.,” said Maj. Howard Smith, of the Spotsylvania County, Va., sheriff’s office.

12:00CDT/13:00EDT - 05 Oct 2002

Shooter Becoming More Reckless, Police Chief Says

ROCKVILLE, MD: Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose today said that the assailant(s) in a series of shootings in Washington, DC and Montgomery County, MD seem to be exhibiting a "higher degree of recklessness." The statement comes as police examine the evidence involved in a shooting of as woman in Fredericksburg, VA. There, a 43-year-old woman was shot in the back while bending over the open trunk and hatch area of her car. She is now reportedly in serious condition at Fairfax Hospital. A .223 shell casing was also found near the scene of the crime. Police believe that they will gather relevant evidence from the woman's car that may assist in the investigation.

Police said that they are working as fast as possible to compare the forensic evidence that may indicate that all of the various recent shootings are connected. Authorities also warn that it is possible that the killers may strike again and ask that the public remain aware of their personal safety and immediately contact them with any information that might be useful in apprehending the suspects. Anyone with information on Montgomery County Shootings, please call: 240-777-2600   

From: ERRI EMERGENCY SERVICES REPORT-EmergencyNet NEWS Service-Saturday, October 5, 2002-Vol. 6, No. 278-08:30CDT/09:30EDT

NATIONAL NEWS:

Police Around Washington On Alert For Sniper

ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND: Law enforcement authorities are said to be worried after a series of six fatal sniper shootings has occurred around the Washington, D.C., suburbs. Bullet fragments found at the scene of the sixth killing matched those from at least three of the five slayings initially blamed on the random shooter. Police are hunting for a sniper and a driver accomplice.

The sixth victim -- a 72-year-old man -- was killed by a single shot while walking on a street corner in the capital, close to its border with Maryland. He was shot at 2115 EDT Thursday, nearly 12 hours after the 15-hour period when the other five shootings occurred, all within a five-mile radius in Maryland's Montgomery County. Three men and two women were shot and killed with high-velocity bullets in the separate incidents -- two at gas stations and one outside a post office in an affluent suburb of Washington DC.

Police said the victims were hit from a distance, probably with .223- caliber bullets from an assault or hunting rifle. Nearly 150 state troopers and federal agents -- including the FBI and U.S. Secret Service -- are investigating the case.

One victim was shot to death while riding a lawnmower, another while cleaning her car at a gas station. None of the six appeared to have been robbed. Police also said race did not seem to be a motive. The victims were white, black, Hispanic and a man from India.

INSTANT UPDATE -- 23:00CEDT - 04 Oct 2002

DC Shooting Linked to Maryland Murders

WASHINGTON, DC: It has been verified by physical evidence that a sixth victim, a 72-year-old Washington, D.C. pedestrian, was killed by the same .223 caliber weapon used to kill at least three of the recent Maryland victims, according to Special Agent Michael Bouchard of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF). The victim was shot last night near the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Kalmia Street, near the border with Montgomery County. Forensic and ballistics testing is still pending in two other Maryland shooting cases.  Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose said of the shootings this evening, "We implore him to surrender...stop this madness."

*****

18:00EDT - 04 Oct 2002

Woman Shot in Virginia; Intense Investigation Continues

Fredericksburg, Va. (EmergencyNet News) -- A woman was reportedly shot on Friday afternoon, outside a Michaels craft store at Spotsylvania Mall near Fredericksburg, Va.. The incident is being described as having similarities to the shootings in Montgomery County, Md. but, authorities said that there are also differences in the M.O. (Modus Operandi) involved in the Virginia shooting.  A law enforcement source told EmergencyNet News that although it was too early to make an informed decision, that the Virginia incident could also be some kind of "copy-cat" shooting.

Spotsylvania County police say the woman was loading packages into her car about 14:30 local time, when she was shot in the back. As in the incidents in Maryland, the shot that struck the woman was apparently "fired from a distance." There was no official word from medical officials on her condition, but witnesses said she appeared to be alive when she was taken to the hospital.

Police are not saying there's a connection between Friday afternoon's incident and the Maryland shootings. They say it's far too soon to draw any conclusions. Authorities said they are waiting for forensics information in regard to a shooting incident near Georgia Avenue and Kalmia Street last night, and the Virginia incident today. Montgomery County police have also been dispatched to Fredericksburg in an attempt to further ascertain if the shootings are connected. A major investigation continues on several fronts at this hour and EmergencyNet News will bring you additional details if/when they become available.

Additional Shootings in Washington Area; Not Known if Connected

$50,000 Reward For Information Leading to Arrest

Hotline, if you have Information on Montgomery County Shootings: Call -- 240-777-2600 

DC: In other Washington PD news, a man was fatally shot on Thursday night on Georgia Avenue NW about a block south of the Montgomery County line, but Montgomery County police (MCPD) said the violence appeared unrelated to a spate of fatal shootings earlier Thursday in the county.  D.C. police said the man, who had been standing on a corner at Georgia Avenue and Kalmia Street, was struck in the neck at about 21:20 EDT. He was transported to Washington Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead. DC police said they knew of no motive in the incident. Forensics evidence is being analyzed at the time of this report.

Elsewhere, a 26-year-old man was found shot to death early Thursday. The victim was found at about 03:15 EDT in the 1700 block of Corcoran Street NE with multiple gunshot wounds to his body. He was pronounced dead at 05:22 EDT. Though inquiry is underway, it is not presently known if either shooting is related to the series of shootings in Montgomery County.  (See 10:30CDT/11:30EDT - 03 Oct 2002 below)

From: ERRI EMERGENCY SERVICES REPORT-EmergencyNet NEWS Service-Friday, October 4, 2002-Vol. 6 - 277-09:00CDT/10:00EDT

Police In Maryland Look For Shooter

SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND: Among five people killed by single shots in public places in suburban Washington, D.C. were a taxi driver who had asked for an ambulance and then slumped, bleeding, onto a minivan. A landscaper mowing the lawn at a car dealership who stumbled and fell. A woman at a post office who collapsed on a bench. Police are now looking for a "skilled shooter" suspected of a rampage conducted within five miles during a 16-hour span on Wednesday and Thursday.

Three men and two women died after being fired upon at gas stations and shopping centers to the north of the capital. There were six incidents altogether from Wednesday evening to Thursday morning. Police have yet to make any arrests in connection with the murders.

Montgomery police chief Charles Moose said they were looking for a small white delivery truck with black and purple lettering, seen leaving one of the shootings. Police have been stopping white vans on roads in the area. The shootings began on Wednesday at 17:20 EDT (21:20 GMT), with the latest taking place at 10:00 EDT on Thursday. There was no indication that any of the victims had been robbed. Police are fearful that the gunman or gunmen might strike again.

Police details of the killings:

-- A 55-year-old man was the first to be killed, in a parking lot of a grocery store in Wheaton on Wednesday evening.

-- A man riding a lawnmower was killed at 0745 in the White Flint area.

-- A taxi driver was shot to death while filling his car at a gas station at 0815 EDT Thursday in the Aspen Hill area.

-- At about 0845 EDT Thursday, a woman died after being shot in the head at a post office in Silver Spring.

-- A woman was shot to death at a Shell gas station in Kensington.

10:30CDT/11:30EDT - 03 Oct 2002

Six Shootings in Past Fifteen Hours; Five Dead

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD (EmergencyNet News) -- Police are engaged in an extensive manhunt at this hour, looking for two men in a white SUV who may be suspects in a multiple murder case. Charles Moose, spokesman for Montgomery County police said that a "Code Blue" advisory has been issued for area schools and that they have been essentially "locked down," as a precaution. Police released few details of the motive or perpetrators involved in the shootings, nor did they even affirm that they are related. The shootings happened at multiple locations in the Montgomery County/Washington, DC area and facts are still being gathered about each of the incidents, in an effort to ascertain if they are actually connected. A major investigation continues at this hour and EmergencyNet News will bring you additional details as they become available...

This page has been accessed

Times
Powered by counter.bloke.com

© EmergencyNet News Service, 2002. All rights reserved. May not be redistributed or otherwise published without the expressed permission of ERRI/EmergencyNet News.

Emergency Response & Research Institute
6348 N. Milwaukee Ave., #312
Chicago, IL. 60646
(773) 631-3774 - Voice
(773) 631-4703 - Fax
(773) 631-3467 - Modem/Emergency BBS On-Line
http://www.emergency.com - Main Webpage
webmaster@emergency.com - E-mail

Return to the EmergencyNet News page