Archive through October 16, 2002
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TV ClubHouse: Archive: Beltway Sniper (formerly 5 Shootings...): Archive through October 16, 2002

Whowhere

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 07:31 am EditMoveDeleteIP
That's true, but it's like the more we find out, the less likely it seems that this is an isolated psycho. His actions don't really jive with your typical looney who's mama didn't love him enough as a child.

To explain myself, I suppose I don't want to think that one of our own could be so calculated and cold. There's no method to this madness, which makes me think that it can't be. You're absolutely right - and I've thought of that scenario before. Once this one is caught, who's next to take their place and where are they assigned to wreak havoc?

You got me GAL, it would be best if this is one of our own. But, based on the information I've seen, I just can't bring myself to believe it. YET!

Fluff

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 07:34 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Yes Marysafan. There are a humongous bunch of them. My eyes freeze when I see a white box truck or van. It's insane. Hey, Whowhere? Where did you hear about that? I thought I might have heard them saying something about dark skin on the radio, but I wasn't sure.

Whowhere

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 07:45 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I've heard it several places, on the news, on my radio and at numerous news websites.

CNN says "Olive-skinned"
Foxnews says "Hispanic or Mid-Eastern type " but not African-American and also lists...

Eyewitnesses testified that on Friday:

-- one individual thinks he/she saw one white male

-- one individual thinks he/she saw two olive-skinned males

-- two individuals think they saw one olive-skinned male

Eyewitnesses testified that on Monday night:

-- two individuals think they saw an olive-skinned male

The police are supposed to be working on a sniper sketch, so sometime we'll see a composite of what the witnesses think they saw.

Grooch

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 07:47 am EditMoveDeleteIP
One of our own?

Silksmoke

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 07:48 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Some witness to the shooting outside Home Depot reported seeing the shooter and described him as olive or dark skinned, perhaps of hispanic or middle eastern ethnicity. Definitely not an African American.

My husband mentioned something very eerie this AM. 11 shootings - 9 dead ..... 9/11. That gave me goose bumps.

Djgirl5235

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 07:53 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I hate to point this out WhoWhere, but statistics show that "most" serial killers are caucasian, mid-30's, males... I guess that could fall under "One of our own" giving your wish up above...

Marysafan

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 07:58 am EditMoveDeleteIP
In the movie Arlington road, the question is asked..."How did you feel the day the Federal building was bombed in Oklahoma City?"

The answer: frightened.

Then later...How did you feel when you heard that it was the work of one lone madman...and he had been caught?

The answer: Safe once again.

Please let it be the work of one lone madman.

Whowhere

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 07:59 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm fairly familiar with the typical profiling of our home grown serial killers. But, this isn't typical. Typically, our serial killers act alone, not with a partner. So, if in fact, there are more than one perpetrators, IMO that theory is out the window.

Edited to add: But what do I know??

Whit4you

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 08:01 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Well there are plenty of 'middle easern' or 'hispanics' that ARE one of our own... I can't think of any nationalities, races etc that don't have people born and raised American... except perhaps some remote remote villiagers in some 3rd world country.

Whowhere

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 08:05 am EditMoveDeleteIP
True Whit, I'm just thinking there's a possibility that they are similar to the hijackers were. Transplanted to our country solely for a terroristic purposes. Or, I suppose it could be a Unibomber/Johnny Walker type duo.

Car54

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 08:05 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I felt sick when I heard this description on the news this morning because I knew I would read exactly this kind of discussion.

I wish the media could wait until we know some actual facts from the authorities before they populate this information or speculate on any theories.

Whit4you

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 08:08 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Whowhere - ya I personally think it's a 23ish year old male... who spent a few thousand hours playing a game exactly like the one he's acting out live now... angry at society in general.

Whowhere

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 08:14 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Car - Would you consider a composite sketch of the sniper an actual fact, or are you waiting until we have him on video?

Just curious.

From FoxNews.com:

Robert Young, a Washington construction worker, told police Tuesday that he had heard a muffled gunshot and seen a white van Monday night.

Young said as he backed his truck out of his parking spot, a white Astro van with two men inside tried to turn into his lane. He said the driver appeared very agitated to find his way blocked and instead drove by a neighboring restaurant and out of sight.

Young described the driver as a short man of slight build who appeared to be Middle Eastern.

"I got a good look at the guy," he said.

Whit4you

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 08:17 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Whowhere - some people in this country have 'middle easterners' on their mind because of 9-11. Doesn't mean that someone seeing a middle easterner fleeing the scene means it was a middle eaterner.. ya know what I mean? That person could have been fleeing the scene because they heard gunshots... I don't know of anyone who actually saw someone with a gun in hand up close enough to determine their skin color. And anyhow like I said there are plenty of people of that skin tone that are just as American as I am..born and raised here.

Whowhere

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 08:32 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I see where you're coming from Whit. It's just too coincidental for me. It's the white van + olive skinned multiple eye witness accounts that tend to make me think what I'm thinking.

Hopefully we'll find out soon. Until then, I suppose we could come up with a million possibilities and scenarios. Whoever it is, and for whatever reason they are doing this, I just hope and pray that they catch the perpetrator(s) soon. I think we can all agree on that.

Fluff

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 08:33 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Yep.

I agree Whit. If they did see an dark or olive person, they shouldn't be so quick to say Middle-Eastern. No one knows their nationality for sure. But if they did see an olive complected guy or two, then that's what they saw. I'd hate to jump to conclusions on this one, because we are thinking different things in our heads.

Whowhere

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 08:38 am EditMoveDeleteIP
The news isn't reporting definite 'Middle Eastern' - they grouped that with Hispanic. Some aren't even saying either, they leave it as 'olive-skinned'. It was the witness who said Middle-Eastern.

Fluff

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 08:40 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Now, this guy says Middle Eastern. Check out this link.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20021016/ap_on_re_us/sniper_shootings_214

Whowhere

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 08:42 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Fluff, I posted a snippet of that article above. Not from the same news source, but the same verbage.

Max

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 08:44 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Let me just add that eye-witness accounts are not necessarily the most accurate thing. Especially in high-stress situations like this combined with general paranoia about anyone who vaguely looks middle-eastern.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that the shooter is a regular variety American guy, maybe with olive skin (lots of folks, including me, have that skin tone without being hispanic or middle-eastern), maybe not.

It sounds sick, but I actually hope it IS a "home-grown" person because I don't think we really need one more thing feeding the war machine.

Whoever it is, I just hope they catch him soon. If he's really smart, though, he's on the move to a new area now since the D.C. area has gotten so "hot" now that the military is involved. Unfortunately, I think it's going to take a big stroke of luck to catch this guy.

Whowhere

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 08:46 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Personally, I don't care if he's green with purple spots. I just wish they'd catch him. We can't call him Middle Eastern or Hispanic or, for that matter, a white guy with a great tan, but we can call him is a spineless SOB. (Or can we??)

Car54

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 09:11 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Max and Whit have stated my thoughts pretty well.

Last I heard, the police have published a composite of a van, and some alerts regarding vehicles.

Who, there was no link to your info, but I have not seen that the police have released any alerts or pictures of suspects...and they are the authorities last I heard, not Fox or Yahoo.
Until they are ready to tell us specifically what to look for to help them, the "unnamed sources" are not really helping things.

I DO agree that I would like him caught asap. Just with as little unnecessary panic as possible. I am done now. I will be listening to NPR today for my news.

Fluff

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 09:39 am EditMoveDeleteIP
What I can't believe is that these people used the same van more than once. I think that they are bold, and pretty much feel that they have outsmarted the police. Especially since they struck in such a public area. Dummies! They aren't that smart though. I hope they get what they deserve.

Whowhere

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 09:43 am EditMoveDeleteIP
From what I've read, they are still working on a composite sketch of the sniper and it's up in the air as to whether they will release it to the public at all. But, based on what eye-witnesses claim they saw, they are describing someone with "olive-skin".

Just so I understand what some of you are saying. We can take the eye witnesses account for what they saw in reference to the the description of the van, but as far as what they say about the description of what the sniper looked like, we're jumping to conclusions.

Homebred or transplanted, either way, people are obviously already panicked.

I don't recall referring to any alert or picture being released. Here are a couple links to the information I've been referring to in the posts above:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,65811,00.html

http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/South/10/16/sniper.shootings/index.html

http://www.msnbc.com/news/816566.asp

Mack

Wednesday, October 16, 2002 - 10:01 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Actually Fluff I can believe that "they" used the same vehicle more than once, particularly if it turns out to be a white utility van of some kind. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of these vehicles in this area. Had one parked in my front yard this past weekend because I'm having the outside of my house painted. Yep...white van with ladder racks! Poor painter has been pulled over 4 times by different police but he understands and isn't complaining. Oh...and he's Hispanic so it might even get worse for him if the eyewitness reports are correct.