The Beltway Sniper Attacks
Snipers: John Allen Muhammad & Lee Boyd Malvo
The shooters were very skilled and killed each of their victims from some distance with a singe
bullet.
Victims: 10 killed, 3 wounded
The victims were not related and were all seemingly random targets.
Their ages ranged from 13 to 72 years old.
The shootings took place in public places like: restaurants, grocery store parking lots, gas
stations, public benches, etc.
Towards the end of the killings, the snipers began leaving Tarot Death cards with messages such
as: “Call me God,” “For you mr. Police,” and “Do not release to the press.” Even later, the shooters left
handwritten notes at the crime scenes demanding large amounts of money.
What: A three-week shooting rampage that killed 10 civilians and seriously
injured 3 others. Most of the shootings occurred at public places like gas stations and shopping
centers. The snipers had picked their destinations in advance and had mapped out routes to
quickly navigate from area to area.
Where: In and around Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia
When: Three weeks during October of 2002 (October 2nd- October 24th)
Why: Both men had very different motives.
John Allen Muhammad: Investigators theorized that Muhammad wanted to murder his wife.
Killing a large group of individuals would allow Muhammad to murder his wife and it would seem as if
she was simply another victim. Additionally, the court suggested that Muhammad was motivated to kill
as an act of terror. (Found guilty, received death sentence, executed 10/10/09)
Lee Boyd Malvo: Investigators claimed that Malvo’s motive was to overthrow the government
and implement Jihad. Supposedly, Malvo would kidnap many children, extort money from the
government, and then train the children to terrorize U.S. citizens and “shut things down.” (Found guilty,
received life imprisonment without parole)
Public Reaction to the Shootings :
The media, on both national and local levels, covered the shootings extensively. Unfortunately,
the media had reported that the men were driving a white van. In actuality, the men were in a blue
caprice and were actually spotted and stopped by police prior to being arrested because they were not
in a “white van.”
Many people, especially those living near the sites of the shootings, were extremely scared.
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Some schools shut down
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Police were placed inside others.
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People changed their behavior at gas stations and shopping centers so they would
be harder targets for the snipers.
Security levels were heightened at various government buildings (White House, Supreme Court,
Capitol Building, etc.). Keep in mind that these attacks occurred only one year after 9/11.
Additionally, tourist areas, such as the numerous malls and memorial sites in Washington, D.C.,
operated with elevated security protocols.
The shootings brought discussions on gun rights and control to the public.
On Television…
Fox devoted an entire episode of America’s Most Wanted to covering the shooters. The men
were still active and Fox hoped that the show would aid investigators in arresting the criminals.
News stations arrived at the scenes of the shootings and extensively covered the attacks on live
television.
Arrest: on October 24th, 2002 a civilian who spotted the suspects car at an interstate rest stop tipped of
police. The police responded quickly and found the suspects sleeping in their car. The police blocked
the exits and successfully arrested both suspects without anyone becoming injured.