Saturday, October 12, 2002
In suburban Washington, D.C., there's a new kind of terror afoot, one that has no name, no face and no known motive.
Going into the weekend, eight people had been killed and two seriously wounded by a sniper -- or snipers. The nation's capital, which had learned to live with the official security measures put into effect after last Sept. 11 is now attempting to adjust to this new, ugly and far more casual reality.
People are developing their own security practices, consistent with the advice given by experts: Keep moving, be aware of your surroundings, don't stand out.
But these victims weren't doing anything to make themselves stand out when they were gunned down.
Going about their business
Four were killed in suburban gas stations while fueling or vacuuming their cars. Two were shot -- one killed, one wounded -- while loading purchases into their cars in store parking lots. Another was mowing grass; another waiting for a ride to work; another simply standing on a street corner. And a 13-year-old boy was critically wounded walking into his middle school.
The victims have no common thread of race, sex or age. So far as is known, none knew any of the others, and none saw their attacker -- and if they had, there is nothing to indicate that they would have recognized him.
Over the years, police have become sophisticated in drawing up profiles of killers such as these. That in itself offers little comfort, since the most chillng thing it tells them is that a sociopath such as this doesn't stop until he is caught.