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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Sniper's chilling threat to children |
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| Fatimah |
| 10/22/02 at 18:40:33 |
| [slm] I wanted to share this news so those in the Maryland area are aware of the new threat to children. :( Tuesday, 22 October, 2002, 21:59 GMT 22:59 UK Sniper's chilling threat to children A frantic police search at the scene of Tuesday's killing Police in the US state of Maryland have issued a warning that children are under specific threat from a sniper who has killed nine people in the area. Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose read out part of a message the police believe was from the sniper. It read: "Your children are not safe anywhere or at anytime." Earlier on Tuesday, Conrad Johnson, a 35-year-old bus driver, was hit in the chest by a single bullet. He died hours later in hospital. The threat against children came as a postscript to a message from the sniper. Police have been in some kind of communication with the attacker since Monday, when they appealed through the media to a mystery caller to contact them. A message given to police was unclear, they said. The message was may have been linked to a note and a telephone number apparently left near the scene of the last confirmed sniper attack, at a restaurant in Ashland, Virginia, on Saturday night. The US media was on Tuesday full of speculation that the note contained several demands, including a demand for money - and the threat against children which the authorities have now confirmed. Having delivered his warning, Chief Moose then passed another message on to the sniper through the attendant media: "We have received a communication and we will be responding soon." Fear spreads Conrad Johnson was shot as he stood on the steps of his stationary vehicle in the Aspen Hill area of Montgomery County, on the outskirts of Washington. A series of shootings in the area over the past three weeks have been attributed to the sniper, spreading fear among local residents. The apparently random attacks have left nine people dead and another three wounded. Police said the shooting of the bus driver was being investigated as if it was related to the other shootings in the Washington area, but this had yet to be confirmed. Chief Moose said the incident was "very similar to with other situations we have been dealing with as a region". He reported no progress in the investigation. "We have no vehicle look-out or person look-out to share with you," Chief Moose said. He went on to urge people in the area to continue to be "cautious, vigilant and observant". 'Frantic search' Tuesday's shooting took place on a main road, Connecticut Avenue, about 25 kilometres (15 miles) north of the US capital just before 0600 local time (1000 GMT). The road was cordoned off by police, causing heavy traffic jams during rush hour, and surveillance helicopters circled overhead. BBC Washington correspondent Justin Webb says the police search is becoming increasingly frantic as, once again, the killer appears to have got away. The bus driver was taken to hospital in the town of Bethesda in a critical condition and later died there. The killer has often struck near main roads to make a getaway easier. The scene is close to those of the first six shootings. But the incident took place while it was still dark, much earlier in the day than any previous shootings. The bus was parked at the side of the road where it was being cleaned and its next route planned. The scene was a residential area rather than a commercial area, near woodland which would provide ideal cover for a sniper. |
| 10/22/02 at 18:45:31 |
| Fatimah |
Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board |