Archive through October 22, 2002
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TV ClubHouse: Archive: Beltway Sniper (formerly 5 Shootings...): Archive through October 22, 2002

Twinkie

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 04:57 am EditMoveDeleteIP
They are now saying it was the bus driver that was shot and the sniper was in the woods and seemed to know exactly where the bus driver would be opening the door so he could get a clear shot.

Jo_5329

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 05:49 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Thank the goddess you guys can give some of this information. The TV here at work doesn't pick up ANY stations and there is nothing on the radio that I can find. Yes I'm digging through the websites as fast as I can, but still nothing.

Lord --- this is awful, but I thought for sure that he would hit again soon.

Jo

Laluna

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 06:02 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Well, I live around here, and the local news is saying a few people heard one shot...the victim is male 40 years old...was on the top of step of bus entrance. Traffic is a mess and they are encouraging people who commute to West DC area's and Montgomery County to delay going into the area.

I have not heard a thing about the victim's condition.

Laluna

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 06:04 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Ok...Victim in OR in Critical Condition. Family is on the way to Bethesda Hospital.

Jo_5329

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 06:17 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Prays for the victim --- live!!! Don't let this <blankety blank blank> win!!!!!


Jo

Maris

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 06:33 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Hey Hillbilly - been lurking mostly. Looks like it was the bus driver that was shot.

Jo_5329

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 07:38 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Fox News.com just updated their front page indicating the victim this morning has died. No further information.

Whowhere

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 08:33 am EditMoveDeleteIP
How terrible. This has gone on too long now.

This article has some info I hadn't heard yet.....says that the sniper has an "undeterminate foreign accent" and also mentions the French (Yugaslavian decent)army deserter, as posted earlier as a possible suspect.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,66355,00.html

Fluff

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 08:39 am EditMoveDeleteIP
This is horrible...

I can't believe another one.

Wiseolowl

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 08:45 am EditMoveDeleteIP
It could be anybody , but I srongly suspect that its somebody who has a home base in the area and is very familiar with the local geography. This deserter guy I would think would stick out like a sore thumb.

Whowhere

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 08:49 am EditMoveDeleteIP
That's true Wise, it probably isn't him, but what about the 'heavy undeterminate foreign accent" and the letter being "poorly worded, bordering on broken English"?

Maybe he's faking it, maybe not? Maybe he's American, maybe not?

Fluff

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 09:04 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Really, you heard that about the sniper???

Grief!

Fluff

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 09:04 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Nevermind, saw the post above.

Hermione69

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 09:05 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Wise, I think it has to be someone familiar with the Montgomery County/DC area too. When he came south towards Richmond, Virginia, he stopped short of coming into the city itself and Richmond is VERY confusing to people who don't know the area and I hoped that meant he is not confident enough with the highways and byways to have come any closer. Of course that is selfish of me because I live in Richmond and it is equally tragic wherever it occurs. My heart breaks for all the victims and their loved ones.

Max

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 09:32 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Don't know if this was posted already or not, but from what CNN reported this morning, the reason the police want the caller to call back is not that they couldn't understand, but that they couldn't hear. APparently, the caller used some sort of voice distortion device and it kept cutting out. Anyway, that's what they said on CNN while I was getting ready for work this morning. I don't think anyone can pin down anything about an accent yet.

Mack

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 09:36 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Though the news is a little confusing right now most stations are reporting that this morning's victim has died. I can't describe my feelings right now. Hate, disgust, fear and a clear desire to see this person, or persons, caught and executed.

Twiggyish

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 10:02 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I think we all are feeling this way Mack!

Fluff

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 10:12 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Oh yeah. Definitely.

Judyjetson

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 10:14 am EditMoveDeleteIP
According to the article, during the conversation he supposedly repeated himself several times saying "I am God", so they were able to understand SOME, just not all, of the conversation. Plus the article states that the 3 page letter they found was written in 'poorly worded, broken English'. Tell tale sign of someone who is not familiar with the English language. As far as being familiar with the area, it doesn't take much to buy a street map and know your way around pretty well.

I don't know, but I think they might be on to something with the 'foreign' theory. Either that, or like Who said, maybe he's faking
the accent/ignorance, but then again, maybe not.

At this point, no one KNOWS anything. It's all speculation, but at this stage, I'm keeping an open mind and am not ruling anything or anybody out.

Mack

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 10:21 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Right on Twiggyish. My friends in Maryland are hoping he/she/they get caught in Virginia. We have no problems in this state with executions. Sounds gross but if ever there was a case for the death penalty this is it.

Jo_5329

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 10:30 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I just got done reading and article from Fox News.Com that the New York Post has seen or been leaked the letter from the Pondarosa shooting.

Can't these people within the LE community keep their dang yaps SHUT!

"This message was a three-page letter tacked to a tree behind the Ponderosa steak house that the victim was leaving, the paper reported.

The letter demanded money and warned that the attacks would resume unless police met a specified deadline, the New York Post and New York Daily News added."

Sources told the New York Post that the money demand led them to believe that terrorists were not involved. ABC News reported that the deadline had passed by the time the FBI opened the letter.

The letter also contained threats against schoolchildren, which prompted Richmond-area schools to shut down Monday and Tuesday, the New York Post, Los Angeles Times and Richmond Times-Dispatch said.


I have the utmost respect for Law Enforcement people and understand the hard job they have, but keeping their mouths shut was one thing they NEVER could do right!

This just burns me up --- I hope the heck this doesn't ruin any dialog they've had with the shooter.

Jo

Max

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 11:18 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Conversely, whatever happened to so-called journalists keeping their yaps shut when they KNOW law enforcement is trying to keep stuff like this quiet? I seem to remember a time when journalists would COOPERATE with investigations in favor of catching the bad guys instead of getting the first scoop on some detail. UGH!

The media really makes me mad. It's hard to tell what is a true fact and what is supposition anymore. They make so many leaps and guesses that the facts often get lost.

Oh, and on the subject of the "broken english" in the note? What if this guy is doing it on purpose to make people THINK he's "non-white" or whatever? All the media coverage keeps trying to make assumptions about who/what this guy is, maybe he's just playing off that.

I don't know. Anything is possible right now, I suppose, including that the police are "leaking" things on purpose that aren't necessarily true in hopes of flushing the guy out. Nothing a serial killer hates more than having the media say they did stuff they didn't do.

Only time will tell. I just pray it doesn't take too much more time for them to catch the creep. Then we'll get the true story and folks will be able to go back to "normal" lives.

Jo_5329

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 11:27 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Max - I know exactly what you're talking about. When I was working for a PD in another town, my now sister-in-law was the reporter that handled the police beat. She was a trusted reporter because when they said "no, you don't print this yet", she didn't frelling print it!

A lot of times she would get information before hand and write up her story and sit on it until the detectives said okay.

Maybe that's why I'm so mad about all the leaks, and blaming it on the LE people not trusting reporters, or just want to blab ... and/or ... reporters going back on their word and blabbing stuff they may have agreed to keep quiet.

Anyway - my SIL does not like the "tv" media, never has, never will. She's in the print meida herself.

Jo
<--who should be working instead of this!

Yankee_In_Ca

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 12:15 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
To all of you guys talking yesterday about the Son of Sam thing on Fox News, read this.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62023-2002Oct21.html

Silksmoke

Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 12:43 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Chief Moose has just called another impromptu press conference. It's going to start in about 10-15 mins. Earlier today he said the next press conference would be at noon tomorrow.

Wonder what's happened, perhaps another message to the sniper?