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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Sniper's motive remains a mystery | Sniper's motive remains a mystery |
| (19 minutes later) | |
| By Adam Brookes BBC News, Washington Washington sniper John Muhammad is due to be executed on Tuesday | By Adam Brookes BBC News, Washington Washington sniper John Muhammad is due to be executed on Tuesday |
| It was on 3 October 2002 that Washington DC and the surrounding suburbs in Virginia and Maryland realised that something terrible was under way. | It was on 3 October 2002 that Washington DC and the surrounding suburbs in Virginia and Maryland realised that something terrible was under way. |
| That morning, in the space of just over two hours, four people were shot dead, all with a single round fired from a distance, sniper style. | That morning, in the space of just over two hours, four people were shot dead, all with a single round fired from a distance, sniper style. |
| The random nature of the shootings stunned the city. | The random nature of the shootings stunned the city. |
| A man died while mowing grass at a busy roadside. A part-time taxi driver was killed while filling up his car at a petrol station. | A man died while mowing grass at a busy roadside. A part-time taxi driver was killed while filling up his car at a petrol station. |
| A woman died while cleaning out her van, another as she sat on a bench. | A woman died while cleaning out her van, another as she sat on a bench. |
| And in a horrible coda to the day, at 2115 local time (0215 GMT), there was one more killing, in a parking lot in Virginia. | And in a horrible coda to the day, at 2115 local time (0215 GMT), there was one more killing, in a parking lot in Virginia. |
| Panic | Panic |
| The next day the shootings continued - with no rhyme or reason to them. | The next day the shootings continued - with no rhyme or reason to them. |
| A massive police operation got under way. | A massive police operation got under way. |
| The killer was being called the "Washington sniper". | The killer was being called the "Washington sniper". |
| And three days later, a 13-year-old boy, Iran Brown, was shot outside his school. | And three days later, a 13-year-old boy, Iran Brown, was shot outside his school. |
| Police searched all over when the sniper killings began (file pic: 2002) | Police searched all over when the sniper killings began (file pic: 2002) |
| He survived. But his case brought the policemen in charge of the manhunt, Chief Charles Moose, to tears in front of the cameras. | He survived. But his case brought the policemen in charge of the manhunt, Chief Charles Moose, to tears in front of the cameras. |
| "Shooting a kid," he said, "it's getting to be really, really personal now." | "Shooting a kid," he said, "it's getting to be really, really personal now." |
| The shootings continued. | The shootings continued. |
| Washington, and the surrounding suburbs in Maryland and Virginia, were close to panic. People crouched on the forecourts of petrol stations. Children ran in zigzags to their school buses. | Washington, and the surrounding suburbs in Maryland and Virginia, were close to panic. People crouched on the forecourts of petrol stations. Children ran in zigzags to their school buses. |
| Armed police in helicopters hunted for a white van, which eyewitnesses suggested might be linked to the shootings. | Armed police in helicopters hunted for a white van, which eyewitnesses suggested might be linked to the shootings. |
| Then, on 9 October, Dean Meyers was shot in Virginia, as he filled up his car at a petrol station. | Then, on 9 October, Dean Meyers was shot in Virginia, as he filled up his car at a petrol station. |
| Bob Meyers' brother Dean was killed by the Washington sniper | Bob Meyers' brother Dean was killed by the Washington sniper |
| In their hometown of Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania, Dean's brother, Bob, told BBC News he had been a quiet, gentle man who never married. | In their hometown of Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania, Dean's brother, Bob, told BBC News he had been a quiet, gentle man who never married. |
| He was a civil engineer, and a Vietnam veteran. | He was a civil engineer, and a Vietnam veteran. |
| "My nephew and his wife came to the door at maybe five in the morning," said Bob. "The message was they got Dean. It was like a ton of bricks." | "My nephew and his wife came to the door at maybe five in the morning," said Bob. "The message was they got Dean. It was like a ton of bricks." |
| Bob had suggested to his brother he leave Washington for his safety. | Bob had suggested to his brother he leave Washington for his safety. |
| "He was so confident it wouldn't happen to him. We were expecting him up that weekend... but he never made it." | "He was so confident it wouldn't happen to him. We were expecting him up that weekend... but he never made it." |
| Bob reflected on the irony of Dean surviving a combat wound in Vietnam, but not surviving the Washington sniper. | Bob reflected on the irony of Dean surviving a combat wound in Vietnam, but not surviving the Washington sniper. |
| There was no white van. It was a blue Chevrolet Caprice. It was found on 24 October at a truck stop in Maryland. | There was no white van. It was a blue Chevrolet Caprice. It was found on 24 October at a truck stop in Maryland. |
| Inside was troubled ex-soldier John Allan Muhammad, 41, and a 17-year-old boy, Lee Malvo. | Inside was troubled ex-soldier John Allan Muhammad, 41, and a 17-year-old boy, Lee Malvo. |
| And a .223 calibre Bushmaster rifle with telescopic sight. | And a .223 calibre Bushmaster rifle with telescopic sight. |
| 'No remorse' | 'No remorse' |
| Muhammad had modified the car so he or Malvo could crawl from the back seat into the boot. | Muhammad had modified the car so he or Malvo could crawl from the back seat into the boot. |
| A small hole cut in the bodywork allowed the muzzle of the rifle to protrude just a little, rendering them all but invisible as they pulled the trigger. | A small hole cut in the bodywork allowed the muzzle of the rifle to protrude just a little, rendering them all but invisible as they pulled the trigger. |
| Together, they had shot 13 people - 10 of whom died. | Together, they had shot 13 people - 10 of whom died. |
| A year later Muhammad went on trial for the murder of Mr Meyers. The trial showed Muhammad to be intelligent and articulate but vengeful and infuriated by his own failures and his estrangement from his children. | A year later Muhammad went on trial for the murder of Mr Meyers. The trial showed Muhammad to be intelligent and articulate but vengeful and infuriated by his own failures and his estrangement from his children. |
| The prosecutor, Paul Ebert, told BBC News Muhammad had been uncommunicative ever since his trial. | The prosecutor, Paul Ebert, told BBC News Muhammad had been uncommunicative ever since his trial. |
| Washington residents recall sense of fear while sniper was on the loose | Washington residents recall sense of fear while sniper was on the loose |
| He declined even to make the macabre choice offered him between the electric chair and lethal injection as his preferred means of execution. | He declined even to make the macabre choice offered him between the electric chair and lethal injection as his preferred means of execution. |
| If the execution goes ahead, he will receive lethal injection. | If the execution goes ahead, he will receive lethal injection. |
| "He showed no remorse at all that I've been able to see," said Mr Ebert, "from his arrest through the court proceedings. And I've had no reports at all of remorse in prison." | "He showed no remorse at all that I've been able to see," said Mr Ebert, "from his arrest through the court proceedings. And I've had no reports at all of remorse in prison." |
| "I'm certain he would be back to killing people again if he had the opportunity." | "I'm certain he would be back to killing people again if he had the opportunity." |
| His former wife, Mildred, told BBC News while he had been a soldier serving in Saudi Arabia, before the first Gulf War, his personality had undergone a powerful change. | His former wife, Mildred, told BBC News while he had been a soldier serving in Saudi Arabia, before the first Gulf War, his personality had undergone a powerful change. |
| "When he returned from Saudi Arabia he was confused, puzzled, unsure of himself or his ability to do anything," she said. "And he was absolutely quiet." | "When he returned from Saudi Arabia he was confused, puzzled, unsure of himself or his ability to do anything," she said. "And he was absolutely quiet." |
| Mildred added she believed her ex-husband had intended to kill her as punishment for the break-up of their marriage and his estrangement from their children. | Mildred added she believed her ex-husband had intended to kill her as punishment for the break-up of their marriage and his estrangement from their children. |
| The other shootings, Mildred believes, were intended to disguise her murder, to make it appear random. | The other shootings, Mildred believes, were intended to disguise her murder, to make it appear random. |
| A memorial honours the snipers' victims in Wheaton, Virginia. | A memorial honours the snipers' victims in Wheaton, Virginia. |
| She said she had once heard John talk of the ability of an individual to terrorise a city. | She said she had once heard John talk of the ability of an individual to terrorise a city. |
| "We were watching a movie, and he said, 'I could take a small city, terrorise it, they would think it was a group of people, but it would only be me'. | "We were watching a movie, and he said, 'I could take a small city, terrorise it, they would think it was a group of people, but it would only be me'. |
| "And I asked him, 'Why would you do that?' And he changed the subject." | "And I asked him, 'Why would you do that?' And he changed the subject." |
| Muhammad was sentenced to death in Virginia for the murder of Mr Meyers. The Supreme Court has turned down his appeal. Only the governor of Virginia could grant last-minute clemency. | Muhammad was sentenced to death in Virginia for the murder of Mr Meyers. The Supreme Court has turned down his appeal. Only the governor of Virginia could grant last-minute clemency. |
| Malvo, was sentenced to life in prison. Their relationship is still little understood. Malvo has shown remorse. Muhammad's state of mind remains a mystery. | Malvo, was sentenced to life in prison. Their relationship is still little understood. Malvo has shown remorse. Muhammad's state of mind remains a mystery. |
| HOW MUHAMMAD AND MALVO MURDERED THEIR VICTIMS Killers targeted shopping malls, schools and petrol stationsModified blue Chevrolet Caprice used as cover and firing pointPair used high-power sniper rifle and scopeVictims were killed by single shot fired from distance |