Beltway Sniper Racial Profiling

EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS

While refusing to confirm reports that witnesses had seen the shooter get out of a van to fire and then get back in, police did release composite pictures of two white vans similar to the one already being sought in connection with the shootings, a Chevrolet Astro van or a Ford Econoline van.

The Post said some witnesses had caught a glimpse of the sniper and had provided at least partial license plate numbers.

Officials continued to insist they were not yet prepared to release a composite sketch.

Nonetheless, Fairfax County, Virginia, Police Chief Thomas Manger expressed confidence the sniper would be captured.

"There was some additional information we were able to get from last night's case and I am confident that ultimately that information is going to lead to an arrest in this case," Manger told a news briefing.

Authorities were frantically putting the finishing touches on a composite sketch of the Psycho Sniper - while moving in on 15 possible suspects ID'd through crucial clues from witnesses.

Other clues from the murder of a 47-year-old FBI analyst in the parking lot of a Virginia Home Depot - including a partial Maryland license-plate number and a report of a busted taillight on the suspect white van - prompted computerized cross-searches of government records.

The potential suspects were ID'd after authorities pored over vehicle registrations, gun and criminal records, and photos from drivers' licenses in Maryland.

A witness later told cops he saw the suspect get out of a van parked haphazardly near Route 50, lift a gun to his shoulder and shoot Franklin, then speed off.

Witnesses provided descriptions of a vehicle seen racing from the scene a white Chevrolet Astro van with a chrome rooftop ladder rack.

"There was some additional information we were able to get, and I am confident that information is going to lead us to an arrest," said Fairfax County Police Chief Tom Manger.

A construction worker told police about a run-in he had with two men in an Astro seconds after he heard a shot.

The worker, Robert Young, said the white van tried to turn into his lane and the man behind the wheel appeared "excessively irritated" to find his way blocked. He described the driver as a short, slight-built man who appeared to be Middle Eastern.

"I thought this fool was going to want to get out of the van and duke or something. But he didn't. He kept on going," Young said.

Another witness told police that soon after the shooting he saw a white Chevy Astro stuck in eastbound traffic on Route 50 - near the Home Depot parking lot - not far from where cops put up a roadblock.

The witness said the van went over the median, made a U-turn, and headed west toward the Beltway and other major roads leading out of the area. Probers also are reportedly looking into a possible link between the killer and Michael's, a crafts chain with stores close to many of the shootings.

RACIAL PROFILING-

The American Civil Liberties Union announced a $2.5 million media campaign aimed at the aggressive anti-terrorism policies of the Bush administration and Attorney General John D. Ashcroft the largest such effort in its 80-year history.

Dubbed the "Campaign to Defend the Constitution," it will include rallies, legislative lobbying and television ads on major networks in New York, Los Angeles, Washington and other markets, the group said.

The campaign, launched shortly before the Nov. 5 elections, appears to be the first concerted public relations effort by critics of the administration's anti-terrorism tactics. The small coalition of groups opposed to the government's anti-terror tactics has focused primarily on the courts.

"We perceive a real need to reach out to the American public and inspire discussion and debate on these issues," said Anthony D. Romero, ACLU executive director. "This campaign is really a response to the statements of John Ashcroft and the policies of John Ashcroft's Justice Department."

Civil liberties advocates and liberal critics have protested guidelines issued by Ashcroft after Sept. 11, 2001, that give authorities broad new powers to conduct surveillance in domestic terror probes. Critics have also objected to the investigations and detentions of foreign nationals that have occurred in almost complete secrecy.

Ashcroft and President Bush have defended the tactics as lawful and necessary to help prevent future terrorist attacks. "Our critics seem to think that business as usual . . . would keep America safe from terrorists," Ashcroft said in recent remarks. "History instructs us that caution and complacency are not defenses of freedom."

While they acknowledge that Ashcroft's policies have not met with major opposition, ACLU officials say they believe that, more than a year after the attacks on New York and Washington, the tide of public opinion is turning.

"We have to balance the need for safety with the need to protect our freedoms," Romero said.

One law-enforcement official said cops also are looking at a possible terrorism angle in the shooting spree.

He said the FBI has been reviewing intelligence from Afghanistan and elsewhere to see if anything turns up about snipers or sniper training that fits the profile of the sharpshooter.

Homeland Security czar Tom Ridge said there's "no evidence at this point" that the killer is a terrorist. But "you don't want to draw any premature conclusions."

Authorities also suggested they're keeping some clues under wraps.

Authorities last night were frantically putting the finishing touches on a composite sketch of the Psycho Sniper - while moving in on 15 possible suspects ID'd through crucial clues from witnesses.

One witness who saw the latest shooting unfold Monday night has provided key details for the sketch of a single suspect, described as an olive-skinned man, possibly Hispanic or Middle Eastern, a source said.

October 4, 2002
ROCKVILLE, Md. – Police in the Washington suburb where five people were gunned down in two days are looking for two "Hispanic" men in the fatal shootings, according to a police bulletin. Montgomery County Police have described only the gender, not the race, of the two suspects one a driver and the other the shooter.

Law enforcement agencies also described in detail the "white box truck" used by the snipers.

The six-wheeled vehicle resembles a commercial delivery truck, police say. The cab is smaller than, and separate from, the large box-shaped cargo area, which is completely enclosed. The rear passenger side of the bumper has been damaged. And there is block-lettering on the side and rear of the truck.

A Montgomery County Police spokesman confirmed the suspects in the sniper slayings as "Hispanic." But he cautioned that they could be another non-white race. "We do not count on them being two Hispanic males," said Officer Derek Baliles. "Appearances can be interpreted. We do not want to limit anything at all." "It's possible," he added, that the suspects could be Middle Eastern. He also cautioned that their eyewitness account of the suspects is not solid.

The reward for a tipster who helps catch the sniper is up to $500,000. Police established a tip line: 888-324-9800.

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