Sniper Investigation Heats Up

A person pumping gas into this car at the Sunoco gas station in Manassas, Virginia, was shot and killled Wednesday night.

Police are investigating possible links between a shooting at a Virginia gas station and a string of others in the Washington, D.C. area. A man was shot and killed Wednesday night as he pumped gas at a Sunoco station in the suburb of Manassas.

The killing comes after a possible clue surfaced that may help authorities in their search for a sniper already connected to eight other shootings. A Tarot card - which normally is used for fortune telling - was reportedly discovered near a shell casing in Bowie, Maryland. It contained a message that read, "Dear Policeman: I am God."

Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose expressed anger that the information about the Tarot card was leaked to reporters. He said that commenting about the card was inappropriate, and that there "are a lot of things that have the potential to hurt the investigation." Moose also said that he had been advised to keep the discovery secret.

Law enforcement sources said that the card had been taken to an FBI lab where it will be analyzed. Sources added that FBI profilers could use results from the tests, including fingerprints, DNA, handwriting, and spelling.

It was found near a middle school where the eighth victim of the sniper, a 13-year-old boy, was critically wounded.

SPECIAL REPORT • Interactive: The death penalty • Interactive: Police close in • Interactive: Suspects' trail • Story: D.C. area victims RELATED • Man killed at suburban D.C. gas station  • Chief in sniper case wears emotions on his sleeve  • Hunting the hunter: Profiling the sniper  • CNN Access: Profiler: Sniper case publicity a balancing act  • TIME.com: Five things about the sniper

That incident re-energized debate on the safety of schools. Fears of school shootings, terrorist threats, and now sniper attacks have combined to put school officials on high alert. Many of them say that tragedy has made schools safer than ever, citing the employment of increased radio communication, advanced door technology, and continual drills that prepare administrators and teachers for crisis situations.

Efforts are being focused on programs to help troubled students as well. Officials are developing mentoring programs - as well as after-school programs - that link students up to responsible adults.

Though a recent survey of school-based police officers found that most did not feel their schools were prepared for events such as terrorist attacks, school officials were more worried over occurrences that are not as rare. One security expert said that tornadoes and fires topped the list of concerns.

Other officials say that the real danger comes from the threat of everyday violence like bullying, gangs, or weapons brought to school. But according to the Education Department, the number of those incidents has been consistently declining over the last five years.