Security Tightens Up after Another Sniper Attack

Officials in the Washington, D.C. area are working tirelessly to protect residents and students in the wake of another sniper attack. The sniper shot an eleventh victim - a 47-year-old woman outside of a Home Depot in Falls Church, Virginia - on Monday night.

School officials in Fairfax County, Virginia are buckling down on security measures, as much energy has been focused on ensuring the safety of their students. Police are standing guard at many area schools, and teachers are helping out by supervising the students' arrivals and departures. In addition to these measures, more parents are walking their children to school. One father said his involvement assisting school patrol has helped his daughter not to worry when going to class.

The extra security comes at a price for the students. Many pupils in Virginia have begun a second week during which they'll have no outdoor activities or field trips. Many of the playing fields surrounding schools have fallen silent until the shootings do.

SPECIAL REPORT • Interactive: The death penalty • Interactive: Police close in • Interactive: Suspects' trail • Story: D.C. area victims

In neighboring Maryland, the governor plans to respond to the shootings in part by banning outdoor recreational gunfire until the sniper shootings end. In doing so, he hopes to prevent residents' confusion over the shots they hear from hunters and those sounds that could be linked to the sniper.

And on the governmental front, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has approved the use of military equipment in the hunt for the sniper. Surveillance and reconnaissance equipment may now be used in the investigation. Rumsfeld's decision came at the request of federal law enforcement.

A number of witnesses at Monday's fatal shooting were able to give authorities a description of a suspicious person in the area as well as some license plate information on a suspicious vehicle. Investigators hope the information will finally help them catch the sniper, who has been targeting people for two weeks.

Authorities have posted a $500,000 reward for information that could lead to the sniper's arrest and conviction.