Tess | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 01:47 am     CNN in conjunction with WUSA network is reporting that 2 men assumed to be John Allen Mohammad (age 42) and his step-son John Lee Malvo (age 17) have been taken into custody in Frederick Co. Maryland. They were found sleeping in their car at a rest stop on I-70. The car was the Caprice that had been reported on earlier this evening. At this point all news networks are still waiting for another press conference. It still is not clear if or how these men are involved in the shootings. The firearms violations apparently were the reason for taking them into custody. A motorist spotted the car in question at the rest stop and reported it to authorities. I-70 has been shut down in that area of Maryland which is the northwest part of the state. Swat teams and other law enforcement personnel are still in the area awaiting a search warrant for the car. That is all I can tell at this point from watching CNN live. |
Tess | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 01:50 am     Now the Associated Press is quoting the ATF as saying the one of the persons apprehended was indeed John Allen Mohammed. Also, the map of the area was shown again. There are 7 miles of I-70 closed at this time. There is no word on where the apprehended persons have been taken. |
Whoami | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 01:51 am     Please forgive my ignorance, as I haven't been able to spend the time to be completly updated on this. But, what happened with the two people they took into custody the other day? I'm talking of the one they pulled out of a van at the Exxon station, plus the reported other person. |
Car54 | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 01:59 am     Who, those 2 people were just the wrong place/wrong time..they WERE illegal aliens and have been turned over to immigration authorities. John Allen Mohammed (Williams) and the other young man ARE in custody as Tess posted and the other man, Lee Malvo(sp) his stepson, a high school junior is with him. Police press conference coming shortly. The arrest has not yet been linked directly to the shootings. They are being very careful. |
Car54 | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 02:04 am     MSNBC says authorities are stressing that the police have NOT said that this is the person who is responsible for the shootings. Authorities are awaiting formal identification and confirmation of their ID before they come out and announce anything. |
Tess | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 02:07 am     Car and Who, I'm so glad you are also up. I thought I was all alone here. My husband's family lives in the immediate area of several of the shootings as do very dear friends of ours. This has been a terrifying time for everyone. |
Tess | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 02:11 am     CNN is now reporting that Bellingham Highschool in Washington State is also being searched. It seems that John Lee Malvo attended that school for a time and lived at a mission in the area. The tree stump from the yard in the Tacoma, WA area is being sent to D.C for testing by the federal authorities. |
Whoami | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 02:20 am     I guess we're just gluttons for punishment Tess! I wish I could go to bed. I'm tired, and we need to get up and go to PT tomorrow. But, as usual, Mom refuses to go to bed! Oh well! Thanks for keeping us updated. I hope they catch this guy! It's terrible. My b-i-l's parents live in Virginia. |
Car54 | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 02:25 am     CNN has just explained how they focussed on these 2. During one of their phone calls, the person the police spoke with told them to take things seriously..check with the people in Montgomery. The police realized it might not be Montgomery county, but another Montgomery. There was a shooting in Montgomery AL, and they found a piece of paper with Lee Malvo's fingerprint on it. From that they traced him and Mohammed to Tacoma. |
Car54 | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 02:28 am     The Maryland State police are on right now, giving the details of the arrest. Most of this has been posted. Federal Search warrant is issued for car at rest area, 2 prisoners are with the Montgomery County task force. Identities are being verified. No info on weapons found. |
Car54 | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 02:30 am     One side-light CNN mentioned. Not much info yet on what these two were doing in Montgomery Al, but there is a place there called the Ground Zero training center... with ties to some sort of Islamic group. CNN says the center so far denies any knowlege of these 2. |
Car54 | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 02:53 am     Interesting...the house in Tacoma was not the home of Lee Malvo and John Muhommed. Muhommed was a Gulf War veteran. No direct connection to that home. It is a rental property, no record that he lived there, just that the 2 were SEEN there. Very vague. In Bellingham WA, John Lee Malvo...is 17, from Jamaica, not an American citizen. They are trying to find out who he is and what his background is. Wow, they were saying that the authorities just showed up at the Tacoma house, would not really speak with the current tennant, and just started digging the yard up and cutting the tree. She was home with a small child. How strange. |
Car54 | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 03:08 am     David Bloom on MSNBC just said the connection to Washington DC, and that Muhommed's ex-wife lives in the DC area. No indication she had any knowlege of what was going on. |
Car54 | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 03:12 am     MSNBC telling about the Alabama shooting. On Sept 21, 2 Liquor store clerks shot, but no one arrested. The FBI requested the evidence from that crime, including a bullet from one of the victims. A gun magazine was found on site was tied to Lee Malvo (fingerprint). Mayor of Montgomery is saying the 2 crimes are linked. |
Car54 | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 04:12 am     No verification but, Fort Lewis had an elite sniper training program. They are saying Muhommed did not participate in it, but that he was a mechanic and did other support on the base. |
Car54 | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 04:20 am     The other connection was that the shooter wanted the money to a bank account in Jamaica and there was a connection to these guys. |
Hermione69 | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 04:25 am     Car, have you been to bed at all? I want to thank you for the news snippets. I just woke up and am amazed at what is unfolding. I pray this is it. What a bizarre thing. A forber Fibbie was saying to Katie Couric that they are all very surprised because black men rarely commit crimes of this sort and the whole father/son thing was completely unexpected as well. Of course, it has not yet been proven that these are the men, but it is sure looking like they had something to do with it. I just hope it has no ties to militants or terrorists because that would just mean that it may never stop. |
Itsallgood | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 04:59 am     I am sure praying that these 2 are the ones that are doing this awful thing. Just heard they ARE involved in the shootings. Per CNN news right now. They think they got their guys. OMG I hope it's true. CNN just confirmed it's true. They ARE the guys. Thank God!!!!! |
Itsallgood | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 05:07 am     How disgusting. They just reported that it could of been a competition between the 2, because some were shot in head and some were shot in torso area. OMG....this is unbelievable! I so wanna type more about these 2 but I'm going to refrain. I'm so horrified by this. |
Sia | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 05:29 am     Hermione, the possibility of the sniper(s) being affiliated with a larger group of militants/terrorists terrifies me, too; from Car's earlier post about the possible tie between Muhammed and an Islamic group, it seems plausible and terrifying. I wonder if the Muhammed man's name is an assumed name; I thought he was an American citizen and probably was born with a different name. The thought that there could be more people hidden around the country waiting to do the same thing is just chilling. |
Itsallgood | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 05:35 am     CNN has stated that the Muhammed man became a muslahm (sp) last year. |
Resortgirl | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 05:43 am     I just heard that he had become a Muslim years ago, don't remember how long though.... Ex wife said he was not violent or reclusive... had a good sense of humor... bitter divorce and custody battle |
Whowhere | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 05:47 am     This morning I heard that they had sympathized with the 9/11 hijackers. I don't know, but somehow I had a feeling this was not your typical home-bred white-guy in his late 20's/mid 30's. I'd been saying that from early on. I'm just glad they've got them and now hope there are no others. |
Car54 | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 07:22 am     Actually, Sia, what I was trying to say (sorry if this was not clear) is that the Islamic organization in Montgomery said he had NO contact with them. Sorry if that was not how you read what I was saying. I was posting as they were speaking on the news overnight...I may not have been detailed enough. Certainly don't want to start that speculation again! |
Webkitty | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 07:37 am     I have been watching the updates this morning, and one thing that came to mind was that I am glad that these two were taken alive. My fear was when finally cornered, the person or persons responsible would be shot dead and we would never know the ties involved or the reasons behind these terrible acts. I think its important to know this to (at least try) to help prevent future acts like this. I'm glad the authorities are being careful and taking their time to get a proper search warrant for the car. (not taking any chances that their case against these two might be damaged in any way) I would not like to see them wiggle out of this on a technicality. The immediate community up there must be heaving a sigh of relieve this morning, although those who lost a loved one during this ramage will be affected for life. Just my 2 cents. |