Washington DC Sniper Attacks

In Autumn 2002, a ruthless killer stalked suburbs of Washington DC, causing fear and chaos.
Victims included people of various races and ages, some fatally shot at random.
The killer vanished without a trace, leaving law enforcement baffled.
On October 2nd, at Glenmont Shopping Center, James Martin was killed by a sniper's bullet.
Shoppers and first responders found Martin unconscious and bleeding heavily.
Police discovered a high-powered rifle had been used, leaving a small entrance wound and large exit wound.
No bullet casings or evidence were found at the scene.
Sunny Buchanan was killed the next morning, his heart drained of blood and body mutilated.
Police initially thought it was a lawn mower accident, but soon realized it was a deliberate act of violence.
Buchanan's death was the beginning of the bloodiest morning in Montgomery County Police Department's history.- On October 3, 2002, in the Washington DC area, there were five brutal murders committed within 48 hours.
The first victim, Caroline Namo, was at a petrol station with her toddler when she saw a taxi driver with a gunshot wound.
Two men, Premkumar Wlea and James Martin, were shot dead in separate locations, each hit by a single bullet from a high-powered rifle.
Sara Ramos, a law student from El Salvador, was found dead outside a senior housing complex with a bullet that shattered her skull.
Lori Lewis Rivera, a woman cleaning her car at a petrol station, was the fifth victim.
Investigators found no links between the victims, who were of different ages, sexes, and races.
There were no secondary crimes, such as robbery, at any of the shooting scenes.
Autopsy results showed a consistent pattern of long-range rifle shots.
The FBI's ballistics lab analyzed the bullets and determined they came from a Bushmaster rifle.
Police initially believed the sniper was hiding in rooftops but later suspected a vehicle might be involved.
A witness reported seeing a white panel truck in the area of the Leisure World shooting.
Police searched for clues in the victims' bodies.
The first survivor of the sniper's bullets was Caroline Seawell, gunned down in Virginia while loading craft supplies into her minivan.
Calls to the tip line flooded in with over 100,000 leads.
The killer changed tactics and moved to Virginia, shooting 13-year-old Iron Brown in front of a school.
The community was on edge, with schools in lockdown and armed guards outside.
The sniper seemed to stay one step ahead of the authorities.
The pressure mounted for the police to stop the shootings.
The FBI brought in greater resources and offered a $200,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
Investigators found a tarot card at one of the shooting scenes, with the message "for you Mr. Police, call me God, do not release to the Press."
The media leaked the tarot card evidence, making the front page of the Washington Post.
The sniper's victims included a civil engineer, a man loading shelves, and a woman standing still.
A witness provided a good description of a possible suspect and the suspect's vehicle, a cream or white colored Chevy van.
A detective reviewed the surveillance tapes from the hardware store and saw a suspicious vehicle at the time of the shooting.- Dwyane "Dowy" appeared on a security videotape three minutes after a shooting, turning out to be a false suspect.
Investigators were back to square one, eliminating all possible suspects from surveillance tapes.
Detectives were sleep-deprived and frustrated, knowing they had to catch the sniper to end the shootings.
Barney Fory, a detective, had planned to retire but was now forced to stay on the case.
A lead came from an unexpected place: Tacoma, Washington.
A man named Robert Holmes called the tip line, believing his friend John Muhammad was involved in the shootings.
The sniper called the police, demanding $10 million and making specific demands.
The sniper left a note at a crime scene with the phrase "call me God."
A shooting in Montgomery, Alabama, was mentioned in the sniper's messages.
Jeff and Stephanie Hopper were shot and survived, leaving behind a note and a Ziploc bag with DNA.
The DNA didn't match anything in the FBI's database.
The sniper made contact with the police, telling them to follow his demands or more people would be killed.
A new victim, Conrad Johnson, was shot and killed.
The sniper left another message at the crime scene.
A magazine with a fingerprint was found at the Alabama crime scene.
Lee Boyd Malvo, a 17-year-old from Jamaica, was identified as a suspect based on a fingerprint match.
John Muhammad helped Malvo and his mother into the United States illegally.
Robert Holmes identified Malvo's voice and led the police to a tree stump used for target practice.
The police were looking for a blue Chevy Caprice with New Jersey tags and at least two individuals.
Whitney Donahue, a refrigerator repairman, spotted the suspects' vehicle and called the police.
The suspects were arrested, ending a 21-day reign of terror.
Many investigators believe the shootings were a twisted plot by John Muhammad to kill his ex-wife and get his children back.
John Allan Muhammad was sentenced to death, while Lee Boyd Malvo received a life sentence.