Sniper link to ninth Maryland shooting

8.30am - By ANDREW BUNCOMBE


Police hunting the Washington serial sniper may have obtained a description of the gunman following his most recent attack - the shooting of an FBI terrorism analyst as she left a DIY store.


It also emerged that, in a very unusual step, the Pentagon has been asked to provide surveillance assistance to police.


Linda Franklin, the sniper's ninth murder victim, was pronounced dead at the scene after being hit by a single .223 calibre bullet as she was loading her car at the Home Depot store in Falls Church, northern Virginia, at 9.15pm on Monday night (2.15pm yesterday NZT).


Mrs Franklin, who has two grown-up children, had been shopping with her husband in preparation for a house move, due to take place at the end of the week. She was shot in the head.


Law enforcement sources said yesterday there was no indication that Mrs Franklin had been targeted because of her job as an analyst with the bureau's National Infrastructure Protection Centre, which assesses threats against major structures and internet systems.


Rather, it seems that Mrs Franklin fitted the pattern of the sniper choosing random victims as they went about unremarkable, every day tasks.


"It sounded like a shotgun. I've worked security - I know what guns sound like. It wasn't a pistol, it was a big gun," said one shopper, Raymond Massis, 42, who was at his car in the car-park at the Seven Corners Shopping Plaza, situated - as was the case with the other shooting locations - close to a series of major highways.


At the car park yesterday morning witnesses said that even as Mrs Franklin lay dying, people were bundling their newly-bought items into their cars before speeding off.


"You know until now I thought the biggest threat was from people driving too fast in the car-park," said Denise Pringle, who was selling pumpkins and plants from a trailer in another shopping plaza opposite the Home Depot.


"I drove passed Home Depot at around 9.05pm last night so I must have missed it by just a few minutes. Now he has brought it here. I don't know, maybe it's safer here now that he has struck. They just want to catch him quick."


Police were not revealing their hand last night but it seems they may have obtained more leads following this shooting than any of the previous ones.


Immediately after the shooting police set-up a massive drag-net along the major highways around Falls Church looking for a white Astro van, reportedly seen leaving the area. The state governor's office said the van was believed to have a Maryland registration plate.


While officers refused to comment on what witnesses were telling them, there were also reports that several people had given detectives a description of a suspect, said to be wearing a blue shirt and trousers.


"There was some additional information that we were able to get from last night's case and I am confident that that information is going to lead us to an arrest in the case," said Fairfax County Police Chief Tom Manger.


"We have been receiving quite a bit of information from witnesses," Manger said. "Information is always the key in solving cases like this."


In pursuit of further clues, a line of law enforcement officers were on their knees in the store car-park yesterday looking for evidence from the shooting. As they worked a tow truck hauled away the Mrs Franklin's car, a small red convertible with a black cloth top, for forensic tests.


But despite such highly visual efforts being made by police, with the serial sniper having claimed his ninth fatality, anxiety and concern here is reaching new levels as people grow increasingly aware of the random way in which the victims are being selected.


"The police are doing everything they can," said Mike Hoskins, 20, who was entering a store opposite Home Depot.

"Unfortunately it seems we have someone sick enough to go around killing people. It's disgusting, it's outrageous. You get worried when you go to the gas station."


Underlining the sense of frustration felt by some investigators, it was reported yesterday that the FBI had asked the Pentagon to provide surveillance and reconnaissance equipment to help in the investigation.


Civilian law enforcement officials would work with troops who would operate the equipment and point out targets. An order would have to be signed to allow the use of the equipment because of strict limitations on military involvement in domestic law enforcement, and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld would have to sign off on any such plan.

- INDEPENDENT

Further reading:
The Washington sniper

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