The "Beltway Sniper" Case - Five
Comments
Page Five of Six
Should the Investigation Be Taken Over by the FBI ?
Don't pay attention to the babbling commentators who seem to be fixated on this point.
First of all, in a critical case like this, it doesn't matter who has the title of "In Charge" - I'm sure that everything that can be done is being done.
If the FBI has an idea on how to proceed, they are free to pursue it. There are more than 500 FBI agents working right now. Do you think there would suddenly be more if the FBI announced it was taking over . . ? And . . . I strongly suspect that the FBI is already in charge. But they don't want to this to be known because the sniper appears to have some sort of desire to communicate with Chief Moose - who has now become the Task Force's "front man."
It is best to leave a "friendly face" as the potential point of contact - much preferable to some new, cold, bureaucratic FBI Special Agent in Charge.
Is the Shooter Military or Law Enforcement Trained?
He could be but formal marksmanship training is not required. A few boxes of ammo on the shooting range could prepare someone to use a rifle with basic competence. If the shooter is using a telescopic sight, it is quite easy to strike an unsuspecting person 100 yards or so distant.
Is This the Work of Two (or more) People -
Perhaps Terrorists?
I don't think so. I believe this is more likely the work of a single"maniac" type shooter who has is personal "reasons" for what he is doing.
He simply has to do what he is doing; he really doesn't have a choice.
This is just my opinion, not a conclusion. The assertions by some commentators that the shootings must be the work of two or more people are not justified.
Yes, if you were planning a military sniping operation, you would utilize more than one person. But the evidence so far is consistent with a criminal - not military - operation.
There could be two or more people but the fact is that all the shootings could be done by one person, acting alone.
Is the Shooter a Highly Skilled Shooter?
Perhaps but it is important to realize that just because he shot some victims in the head, that does not mean he was AIMING for the head - and the head shots could have been "missed" center-of-mass (chest) shots.
The shot into the Michael's Art Store window was, I believe, likely to be a missed shot. He was probably aiming at a person.
Long range shots are more difficult than short range shots. I've heard much chatter about the range for some of his shots but unless we know the actual distance of each shot fired, it is difficult to make a judgment on his level of skill with a firearm.
Is the Shooter a Master Criminal Type or Just Lucky?
The sniper is more than your average dumb criminal or average drooling maniac but . . . it does not require a "master criminal" to find a place to shoot, fire a shot, and drive away.
From what I know, his success does require some competence as well as a some darn good luck.
How Is It Possible That the Police Can't Catch The Sniper?
You have to realize that in the real world, most crimes are never solved.
Most people have been heavily influenced by their limited view of law enforcement and "crime solving" into believing that all crimes are solvable.
On TV and in the movies, all crimes are solved; generally in 30 or 60 minutes. Even the excellent forensic files type shows never feature cases which end with an unsolved crime.
If a crime is committed and there are no witnesses, no physical evidence is left at the scene, and there is no connection between the victim and the criminal; it is highly unlikely that the crime would be solved. That is the reality of crime and crime solving.
Isn't There an Absurdly High Number of "Former FBI Profilers" ?
Yes there is