Shooting Spree in Maryland

[Mrs. Fish]

Reward Offered For Arrest of Killing Spree Suspect; Five Dead

Victims Apparently Randomly Targeted

Five people are dead and police are searching for a gunman or gunmen that they believe are behind the apparent shooting spree. The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Secret Service and Maryland State Police are assisting in the investigation. The shootings started Wednesday evening and continued into Thursday morning. Police said the victims appear to be chosen at random as they went about their daily chores.

"We do feel like we have a skilled shooter and that does heighten our concern," said Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose. He said there's no indication any of the five people killed are in any way related, or had any conflict with anyone.

Authorities were attempting to determine whether the shootings late Wednesday and early Thursday were related. "There's a strong possibility that they are all connected," police spokeswoman Joyce Utter said, noting the location and timing of the shootings.


Police said they are looking for two men in a white Isuzu SUV, a box truck with black lettering on it with damage to the tailgate.

Montgomery County police spokeswoman Capt. Nancy Demme told reporters that there is "an ongoing crime [spree] that we have not experienced before."

The first person killed was a 55-year-old man who was shot in the parking lot of a Wheaton Shoppers Food Warehouse grocery store about 6 p.m. Wednesday, Demme said.

A man operating a lawnmower was killed about 7:45 a.m. Thursday in the White Flint area, and another man was shot at 8:15 a.m. while pumping gas at a Mobil station in the Aspen Hill area. He died at the scene.

About a half-hour later, a woman died at a post office next to the Leisure World retirement community in Silver Spring. The woman was shot in the head, according to a spokesman for the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Department.

In the fifth shooting, a woman was shot and killed at 10 a.m. at a Shell gas station in Kensington. Mechanics at the gas station said they heard the shots but didn't see the person or persons who killed the woman, who was vaccuuming her van.

Schools in D.C., Montgomery County, Prince George's County and Frederick County locked their doors and children were kept inside as a precaution. No field trips were allowed and students were prohibited from leaving school grounds during lunch. Police said no threats were made to any school.

Morning kindergarten students were held at the schools and afternoon kindergarten was been canceled.

A county police command center was established in Aspen Hill.

The Baltimore division of the FBI is offering its "full resources" to authorities in Montgomery County. FBI spokesman Barry Maddox said there are about 200 agents in the Baltimore division with responsibility for Maryland and Delaware.

Maryland Gov. Parris N. Glendening issued a statement Thursday afternoon directing the Maryland State Police to "use every tool we have at our disposal to make sure these vicious criminals are caught and brought to justice."

THIS INDIVIDUAL HAS GOT TO BE ONE CRAZY MOTHER FU****.....THIS TYPE OF NEWS ****ES ME OFF TO THE SHOOTING STARS.....

MY PRAYERS AND CONDOLENCES GO OUT TO THE FAMILY OF THE VICTIMS...

PLEASE BE SAFE EVERYONE.

[Mike Tx]

Don't they have some serious gun control laws in Maryland? How could this happen?

Watch the gun banners blame it on neighboring states 'lax' gun laws.

[Mrs. Fish]

I used to live in Montgomery County, Maryland. Now, Leisure World Center is only 10 mintues from where I used to live, which is Silver Spring. The way I remember the area is a safe and good place to live. Things devestating like that just don't happen in that area. This news really astonished me and the killer or the killers are still on the loose!

Now, anything I feel suspicious about, I report to the local authorties. They might be annoyed for calls that come up to be nothing, but I feel that if I see something suspicious or out of the norm, I am obligated to report it...because s/he MIGHT be up to no good and that one phone may save an innocent life...

When will all this madness stop....

[ghost]

quote:

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Things devestating like that just don't happen in that area.

---

No, they never do.
This isn't directed at anyone but it drives me nuts when people say something like that... Or the "It could never happen here" mentality. Like, that is someone else's problem, not the good people of Suburb X's. It bothers me because stuff like this happens ALL over, but it's only when it hits Suburb X that everyone's panties get all bunched up.
Maybe I'm just in a ****y mood. Sorry.

It is a horrible story, and I'm very sorry for the victims. I hope they catch these guys quick.

[edgar]

It has been a strange day around here today. It seems that these guys have a rifle, 1 shot to each victim no on has seen anything other than a white step van leaving at a high rate of speed. who knows if it had anything to do with the incident at all but that seems to be all there is to go on at the moment (or at least as far as the public is aware). One of the incidents actually happened across the street from a police station and some of the officers heard the shot and responded and the previuos poster is right about nothing happening at Leisure World, its a retirement community. And yes Mike MD does have "tough" gun control laws.

[ 10-03-2002, 10:49 PM: Message edited by: edgar ]

[JRT6]

I wonder if the gun used had the "smart gun" technology that Maryland is trying to impose.

Last I heard the shootings were related.

[Mike Tx]

Anyone see the symbol formed by placing all the shooting locations on a map? I'm not implying anything, but some say it forms an upside down cross pointed at DC.

[CinaC]

Sure, and that kid blowing up the mailboxes was trying to create a smiley face. Was there some point to your posts, or were you just using the murder of five people to bitch about gun control laws again?*

JR: the "smart technology" (the built-in gun locks) aren't mandatory until Jan 1, 2003. I need to get my Glock 23 before that.

**

I used to live in PG County ... spent a lot of time in Montgomery County. This seems real familiar, but mostly because that nut Palzynski -- or whatever it was -- was bouncing around my neck of the woods a couple years ago. Yuck.



I hope they catch the ****ers.

*I mean, I agree with you about them, I just don't think this is the place.

[Mrs. Fish]

Ghost,

Read between the lines honey when I stated that things devastating like this doesn't happen in this area...

I don't know why you are upset but don't bring it here on the forums...I would be more then happy to listen to you if you want to talk about your life issues but don't seeminly attack me or others on this forum.

Let's hope that this chao in Maryland does not continue.

[ferret]

nothing like that every happens here... umm well no one ever goes around blowing up mail boxes around here, but wait they did... who do you think my parents had open the mailbox for the next two weeks. wheather it was suppose to happen or normally does happen is beyond the point, sitting back and reflecting on what a nice community you live in really doesn't get the person or person responsible cought.
This is not an issue that could have been changed by gun control laws, we all have to face the fact that if someone REALLY wants to kill someone, unless the go around verbally, or some how makes the public or the target aware it's very difficult to stop a murder before it happens.(can't say this from expirance i was just assumeing) people need to focus on solveing the problem first. hope some witnesses come forward or the guy makes a mistake. Grieve and think "what a nice community this was before all this happened," after he/she/they have been caught.

personally i want to know more of the details, caliber of weapon, distance of shot, location of impact. shooting as much as i do, people are big targets at up to about 150 yards, and with a good scope people can be big targets out to 400 yards. what the media calls a percision marksman, may not be anything more than a amature shooter. I just really hope five is where it will stop. (opinion) i think that judgeing from what happened it probably won't happen agian for about a week at least in the same town, people will be paying to much attention to whats going on around them fore the time being, that doesn't mean that they couldn't switch towns, you never really know. the last thing anyone needs is a nut running around shooting people with a m92a2 barret

Ferret

Afterthought: it takes a real dishonorable person to kill in cold blood and not let the victim see them.

[ferret]

just wanted to state that the beginning of my post IS NOT ment to be an attack on anyone who posted in this thread. it is rather a statement agianst the idea of thinking that idea and my personal opinion about it. the views expressed in that topic do not nessacaily represent the views of officer.com, it parent or subsitary companies, or other members of this forum, its simple an opinion of the author of this post.

[Artie]

The person/s who committed these crimes is/are nothing more than coward/s. To attack defenceless people, like this, from a distance can only be described as deplorable. Without sounding obvious, the sooner this matter is resolved, the better. My condolences to the families of these unfortunates.

[ 10-04-2002, 11:25 AM: Message edited by: Artie ]

[CinaC]

I saw a blurb on CNN when I got home. The type of weapon is believed to be a rifle with a scope. I didn't get a good enough look at the weapon (I don't know if they recovered the actual rifle, or if they were showing one of the same type) but it looked to be a bolt-action.

[ghost]

quote:

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I don't know why you are upset but don't bring it here on the forums...I would be more then happy to listen to you if you want to talk about your life issues but don't seeminly attack me or others on this forum.

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Hence why I said This isn't directed at anyone. I am just generally frustrated when people say something like "It doesn't happen here" because it DOES happen everywhere and it just seems like people don't care as much when it happens somewhere else. Whatever. I've been known to be wrong before.

However, please don't tell me what I can and can not bring to the forum. If the admin or mods say leave it off, fine. But don't patronize me like that. I'm certain you've brought stuff to the forums that have to do with your "life issues" and no one has told you to stuff it. Don't tell me to. In addition, the forum is meant to exchange ideas and opinions- this was an example of my opinion. It was not an attack on anyone on the forum- just an expression of ideas: without which the forum would be pretty dead.

If there is anything else, feel free to PM me.

[CinaC]

Let's all just hug and make up.