Snipers Terrorize Washington
http://www.elsegundousd.com/eshs/be2003/november/features/snipershoo...
Snipers Terrorize Washington
By: James Evans
Over the course of most of October, a sniper held the Washington, D.C. area under a veil of fear.
Two men were arrested in these shootings; John Allen Muhammad, age 41 and John Lee Malvo, age 17.
According to authorities the two men killed ten people and wounded three others in an apparently random
string of shootings. What terrified most Americans is the surprising success that these two men had. Three
weeks into the deadly shooting spree police had no clue who was doing the shootings. In fact, it was only
through dumb luck that the men were captured at all. Malvo was stopped by an officer near the scene of one
of the shootings. Local authorities connected him to a shooting in Alabama, where they discovered Malvo’s
fingerprint. The two men were arrested at a rest stop after a truck driver reported seeing their vehicle. If it
weren’t for this lucky string of events the suspects would most likely still be at large, and more could have
potentially been killed.
It is thought that Muhammad and Malvo chose their victims at random. They would pick out his victim, kill them
with a single shot, and then manage to escape a police dragnet. Police could discern almost no clues from each scene.
After the three weeks of the attacks the only thing police knew was that the shooter was using a .223 caliber rifle.
Police found a Bushmaster .223 rifle in Muhammad’s car. Muhammad served in the U.S. Army for ten years. He was
rated as an expert with an M-16, which is similar to Bushmaster. Because of his military training it is thought that
Muhammad was the shooter, while Malvo acted as the getaway driver. The suspects managed to make it past police
dragnets, which is an extremely difficult task.
Although it is not known what Muhammad’s motive was, there are many guesses as to what his motive could
have been. He could simply be an anti-American. This is supported by the fact that people near to his home in Tacoma,
Washington have said that he expressed sympathy for 9/11 terrorists. Another possible explanation is the motive that
drives almost all humans, money. Police found a note that local authorities assume was written by the sniper. Besides
threatening children, the sniper also demanded ten million dollars in exchange for ending the violence. He was, in effect,
holding the area around the capitol for ransom. The killer might have been doing it for a totally different reason, like the
feeling of being in control. Or maybe he is just crazy and likes to kill people.
The Jamaican born Malvo had been living with Muhammad. Muhammad had reportedly told friends that Malvo
was his son. Malvo is living in the United States illegally. The two men have also been linked with several other crimes in
Alabama, Washington state, and Louisiana.
It is hard to see what affect the shootings have had on local students. Senior Ricky Reaser said, ”Many
people are afraid to go outside. This one guy is ruining many people’s lives. We should be able to carry out our
business as usual.” There is a definite element of fear that comes along with attacks such as those near to the capitol.
Many people in that area feel a need to return to their everyday lives now that the suspects are in police custody. Most
students didn’t feel any connection to the distant shootings. An interesting result of the shooting spree was a loss of
faith in the police. Sophomore Chip Angeles says, “This shows how police have failed to do their job.” This anti-police
sentiment is an unexpected occurrence and does not seem to be shared by many students. The majority of student at
this school appeared to be concerned for the victims, but few felt a personal connection to the shootings.
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