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Virginia shooting linked to sniper
ROCKVILLE, Maryland (CNN) -- Authorities said late Saturday that the shooting of a woman in a Virginia parking lot Friday was linked to at least four other sniper shootings in the Washington area. The 43-year-old woman, who had been loading purchases from a Michaels craft store in suburban Fredericksburg, was struck by a bullet that pierced her lower back, exited her chest and lodged in her Toyota minivan. She was in stable condition in a Fairfax hospital. The .223-caliber bullet was found in the trunk section of the vehicle, according to Maj. Howard Smith, of the Spotsylvania County, Virginia, sheriff's office. "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.," Smith said. Five people were shot and killed in Montgomery County, Maryland, during a 16-hour period from Wednesday night into Thursday morning. A sixth victim was shot on a Washington street Thursday night. Authorities said each victim was shot once and that the victims appeared to have been chosen at random. The crime scene in Virginia was the only one to produce a shell casing. CNN law enforcement analyst Mike Brooks said police would likely try to recover fingerprints from the bullet's shell. Local police and federal law enforcement agents were following hundreds of leads. No arrests have been made. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms investigators were confident the shootings were related to the others, Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan told CNN. The condition of the evidence in the two shootings made it difficult for investigators to identify the weapon, Duncan said. "They told us last night they might not be able to say for sure, [but] they feel that it's all related here in the county." Missing man clearedMontgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose said a man police questioned in connection with the case after he was reported missing by his wife did not appear to be involved. The man was never identified as a suspect. Earlier, authorities said the man owned a high-powered rifle that used the type of ammunition used in the shootings, and that the weapon was unaccounted for. About 30 different types of guns, mostly hunting and assault rifles, use .233 ammunition. Moose said Saturday the man had returned the gun to the store where he bought it, and it was sold to another customer. The man was being held on an unrelated auto theft warrant from Florida. Hundreds of tipsOne hundred police investigators assisted by 50 federal investigators were pursuing about 600 "credible tips" culled from more than 2,500 calls to a hotline, Moose said.
FBI agents were also preparing a psychological profile of the killer, and Maryland authorities asked the ATF for help from a geographical profiler, who will study the locations of the killings for clues. (Full story) The string of shootings began late Wednesday afternoon when someone fired a shot through a window at another Michaels crafts store, this one in Wheaton, Maryland, but hit no one. A spokesman said there was no indication the chain had been targeted.
Police continued searching for the white van, which the witness described as a six-wheeled boxy vehicle, its rear passenger side black bumper bent and two lines of dark purple or faded black block lettering on its front and sides.
The witness told police two people who "appeared to be males" were in the truck, Moose said. There is no indication more than one weapon was used in the shootings, and Moose said it was likely one of the men in the van was the sniper in all the killings. "My experience would say you got a driver, you got a shooter." Authorities have offered up to $50,000 for information leading to the killer's arrest and indictment. First funeral SundayFuneral services for one of the Montgomery County victims will be held Sunday, Duncan said. He praised the community's resolve in the face of the tragedies. "As we grieve, we must remember not to let our fear, not to let our anxiety, take over, but to continue to do those acts of kindness, those acts of goodness that make us so special," Duncan said. Although some residents in the neighborhoods where the shootings took place may be anxious, police urged people to pursue normal weekend activities. (Full story) Moose said police were working under the assumption that the suspect, or suspects, were still in the area, and were on alert. Moose said many residents were apprehensive, but they were going on with their lives.
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