Sniper's letter demands $20m

The Washington sniper blamed for nine deaths - and possibly a tenth - has left a note reportedly demanding $US10 million ($20.7 million) and telling increasingly desperate police the attacks are "about more than violence".

Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose said police were waiting to hear from the killer, who left the note at the scene of a weekend shooting, saying, "Your children are not safe anywhere, at any time".

In a public message to the killer, Mr Moose said: "You indicated that this is about more than violence. We are waiting to hear from you."

The latest victim was a bus driver about to set out on his morning route in suburban Montgomery County, Maryland.

He may be the 10th victim. Since October 2, the sniper has killed nine people and injured three.

Mr Moose indicated the authorities had been in repeated contact with the sniper, and he urged the gunman to keep talking to investigators.

"It is important that we do this without anyone else getting hurt," he said.

"We have researched the options you stated and found that it is not possible electronically to comply in the manner that you requested.

"However, we remain open and ready to talk to you about the options you have mentioned."

He said the sniper was seeking a toll-free telephone number to talk to authorities, and offered to set up a private post office box "or another secure method".

The Washington Post, quoting unidentified sources, said the sniper demanded a $US10 million payment in a letter at least three pages long.

The angry letter was found tacked to a tree in Ashland, Virginia, behind a restaurant where a 37-year-old man was shot in the stomach and critically injured at the weekend.

It complained of six failed attempts to reach police, listing calls "ignored" by operators answering phones at the command centre in Rockville, the Montgomery County police station and the FBI.

Because of this, the letter said, "five people had to die".

It warned investigators that if they were more concerned with stopping the killings than making an arrest, they should follow the orders precisely, or else there would be "body bags".

One official said a man believed to be the attacker failed in at least three attempts to talk to police.

One call did get through, but an FBI trainee who answered the phone did not realise what it was and cut the conversation short.

"The individual taking the call did not understand the importance of what was happening," the official said.

"She pretty much blew him off."

The Post said one official described the caller as "extremely angry" and said he used phrases such as "Just shut up and listen," "Hear me out," "I am God," and "I'm in charge".

Mr Moose yesterday revealed that a response was received to an appeal he made on Monday urging a caller who might be the sniper to phone again.

"We have received a communication. We will be responding soon," the police chief said.

Police opened a cryptic and public dialogue with a person authorities believe might be the sniper after the Ashland letter was found.

All the attacks, which have ranged through Washington's suburbs, and as far south as the outskirts of Richmond, Virginia, have caused death or critical injury from a single shot fired at some distance, usually from the cover of trees.

The shooting of bus driver Conrad Johnson, 35, around 6am local time (11pm NZT) on Tuesday, shattered the morning rush-hour routine of the US capital.

Major roads were closed for hours as authorities checked vehicles, especially those driven by men.

The shooting spree has paralysed the region. Schools have cancelled sports events and other outdoor activities and kept hundreds of thousands of students indoors during school hours.

Business has been slowed by public reluctance to venture from home. Most of the shootings have been at shopping areas or petrol stations.

- AGENCIES

Further reading:
The Washington sniper

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