Original subtitles

[ heavy breathing ]

[ siren wailing ]

Freeze!

Freeze!

- There he is! - There!

Where are you, boy? Come on, son.

[ panting ]

I said freeze!

[ horn honks ]

Radio announcer: And a good morning.

And our top stories around the world today:

Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly continues his talks in Korea,

this time with North Korean officials.

This is the first mission to the country by a senior American official

since the Clinton Administration.

Checking business news,

a rally by the stock market may boost investor confidence.

But are more criminal charges in the works for Enron executives?

In local News, Montgomery County Police

are investigating a shooting last night in a Wheaton Shopping Pl--

[ alarm clock beeping ]

- [ groans ] - [ alarm stops ]

Come on, Sandy. We got to go.

I'm up. I'm up.

So what time did you come to bed last night?

I don't know, 2:00 or so.

You need to get more sleep, Charles.

We had a murder last night in Wheaton.

I told Jacobs to check in.

A little domestic dispute?

We don't know.

Radio announcer: How will that affect our weather?

More on your forecast after our look at Thursday morning traffic.

Female DJ: A lot of traffic out there on the highways,

especially if you're trying to make your way on the outer loop,

leaving I-95 College Park headed towards Silver Spring.

The Beltway out of Oxon Hill is gridlocked,

with everyone leaving Oxon Hill for the Wilson Bridge.

Did Lieutenant Jacobs have something that he needed to tell you

at 2:00 in the morning that he couldn't have told you at 8:00?

I've got to drop you off at the airport,

stop by the headquarters, go to Officer Murphy's funeral,

get back to the airport for my flight.

You know, I might miss Jacobs altogether.

Female DJ: ...G Street Bridge.

A lot of slow traffic left, however, on the 95 and 395

between Springfield and Industry.

If you're on your way to work, you'll need a lot of extra time and patience this morning.

That's the shape of things at the moment, Jim. Back to you.

Thanks, Christine. In the Middle East...

I mean, do you realize that since we moved here,

you haven't-- you haven't lost

one officer in the line of duty?

Yeah, that's one thing I don't miss about Portland.

Yeah.

Radio announcer: The almanac says the record high in Montgomery County

for October 3rd was way back in 1954.

So how hot did it get?

[ lawn mower humming ]

- Hi, Chief. - [ phone rings ]

Good morning, sir. I'll call you back.

I typed up the notes for your talk.

I put a couple of Post-its where it reads a little awkwardly.

Don't worry, Sylvia. My vernacular endears me to people.

- Yeah. Paulson. - [ exhales loudly ]

- Moose: Paulson. - Yes, sir?

You want to talk about the sergeant's exam?

Oh, no. It can wait, Chief. I mean--

I got five minutes. Come into the second room.

[ gunshot ]

A man's got to know his limitations.

I'm not saying don't take the test,

- I'm saying give yourself-- - [ door knocks ]

Chief, we have a problem.

- Good morning, Mayor Duncan. - Good morning.

[ '20s jazz music plays ]

- Doug: You're going to miss the bus. - What?

You're going to miss the bus.

Mmm, that's okay. I'll just ride my bike.

- Ride fast. - Mel, come here.

Boy: Yeah, I'd only miss home room maybe-- it's not a big deal.

- Boy: All right. - Kiss.

- [ phone ringing ] - Sandwich?

Phone?

- Come on, Jackie. - Phone!

- It's here. It's here. - Duncan: Goodbye.

- Thank you. - Boy: See you later.

Moose: Are you in front of a TV?

Is it on? Do you see it?

TV reporter: And witnesses are saying they heard one shot.

- That's one report from either a rifle or a handgun. - Yeah, I see it.

A shooting last night, a second one earlier this morning.

I'm at the third. I don't know what's going on.

- TV: ...declared dead by paramedics at the scene. - I'll meet you downtown.

But his name has not been released. Again, if you are just joining us,

there has been a shooting at a local Rockville Mobil station.

Yeah, this Doug Duncan. I need to talk to the governor.

[ police siren blaring ]

- Three witnesses heard a shot. - [ helicopter whirring ]

It was a single shot.

One says he saw a white box truck fleeing the scene--

white male driver.

The guy was just filling his taxi.

Okay, here's what happens.

Every cop on the street wears a vest. Mandatory.

I want autopsies on the bodies,

Wheaton, White Flint, Aspen Hill-- done this morning.

I want an officer to hand deliver the slugs

from the ME to the ballistics lab.

I want results from the ballistics lab, today!

Chief, we got another one.

Post office in Silver Springs.

- That's three! - Four! Four, you count last night.

Damn it!

Wheaton, White Flint, Aspen Hill, Southern Spring.

- What time, Foster? - What?

The Silver Spring shooting? What time?

I don't know-- five minutes ago.

That'll be 8:37.

- And our guy here? - 8:12.

25 minutes.

Look!

We need the state police chopper up over the interstate now.

We need an all-points out for the box truck.

- Chief? - He's using the Beltway.

[ rap music playing ]

Put it on the AM, John.

Radio: The super sale will be on for two days.

So you don't want to miss out.

Hit the other button.

Cockpit voice recorder was recovered yesterday--

Change it again.

If you just joined us, there's been a series of shootings.

We're not sure if they're related or not at this point.

[ siren wailing ]

Stop chewing your face, son.

Radio: Police are still processing the crime scenes.

And we expect a press conference...

Reporter: We're outside Montgomery County Police Headquarters

in Rockville Maryland, just moments outside Washington DC,

awaiting some news on the sniper murders.

County executive Doug Duncan, and Chief Charles Moose

are set to make a statement in a few moments.

We're getting 150 state troopers to fill in the blanks, 200 tomorrow.

Governor Glendening has committed emergency funds, so don't worry about the OT.

- I wasn't going to. - What are we looking at, hate crimes?

- The guy's a world-class misanthrope if they are. - What do you mean?

He shoots men and women, minority and white-- hates everybody.

Charles, we're not talking about terrorism.

I don't want to cry "terrorist" if this is just some asshole with a scope.

On the other hand, a little panic

might make people cautious. It might save some lives.

There's no such thing as a little panic, Doug. Not anymore.

[ reporters yelling ]

- The chief looks nervous. - Can you blame him? The nation's watching.

Nothing like this has ever happened in Montgomery County.

Our homicide rate just increased

by 25% in one day.

Moose: To the people in the DC metropolitan area,

be advised, be alert, be vigilant.

There's been no consistency

in the people that have been targeted.

We are not able

to assure anyone of their safety at this time.

Chief, are you exploring connections to terrorism?

Sir, we are a large suburban community

adjacent to our nation's capital.

We're not going to rule out any avenue at this time.

Chief, are we dealing with a professional of some kind? A trained sniper?

Moose: We do have someone that so far has been

very accurate at what they're attempting to do.

Thank you.

Children, supper!

TV reporter: This murder spree began yesterday evening in Maryland,

and continued today with four more shooting deaths.

Police have a launched a statewide manhunt.

Last night the victim was a 55-year-old man

shot dead at a local market.

8:00 this morning, a second man was shot while mowing a lawn.

A short time later, a cab driver was killed

why filling his taxi at a Rockville gas station.

Then a woman sitting at a post office,

and then a second woman shot down while cleaning her car.

Police are urging the public to remain vigilant and alert.

There seems to be only one correlation in these shootings--

every victim was doing the things each one of us does every day.

- Good evening. - Hey.

- How ya'll doing? - Good, good, good.

I was wondering if we could get a locker.

Would that be family membership?

- Sure. You got month-to-month? - Mm-hmm.

- Okay, that'll work. - This your boy?

Yes.

What's your name, baby?

You can tell her.

My name's John, ma'am. Just like my father.

Ohh. Where's your island accent?

- His mother's Jamaican. - Oh.

My blood's all red, white and blue.

[ laughs ]

Why don't you come on over here? I'll take your picture.

Come on. Stand right there.

Come on, baby, smile for the camera.

- You don't mind? - Most definitely.

Now why don't you give me one of them smiles?

Okay, well, let me run some names by you.

Do you remember seeing the box truck before or after Chief Moose announced it?

The chief won't be giving interviews.

All questions can be addressed through our public information office.

We'll know better within an hour.

Thank you.

My office is getting calls. Scared people asking questions I can't answer.

- What do they want to know? - They want to know how to be safe,

asking about instituting curfews.

They've killed at night, they've killed during the day.

We can't ask a million people to hide indoors.

- We have to define this, Charles. - Chief, I've got Sandy.

- I have to give it a name. - There is no name for it. Sandy?

Hey, baby. I'm back. I'm home.

- You okay? - Yeah, yeah. Look, I'll be there as soon as I can.

All right.

Chief-- Special Agent Tremain from the FBI, Baltimore field office.

Chief, if we open the door to the feds,

they are going to ask us to step out.

Don't worry, Jacobs, I reached out for the Bureau.

Female reporter: This suburban Beltway community normally offers safe haven

from the crime and violence of the District.

But since the last shot rang out at 9:58 this morning,

Montgomery County police have announced neither leads nor suspects

in this series of random murders.

There are more questions tonight than there are answers.

Paralysis has set in across this quiet suburban county.

Citizens are behind locked doors

wondering if the horror has ended as abruptly as it started,

wondering if this is all over,

if it's safe to walk the street,

buy gas, or go shopping.

Male reporter: Has some sleeper cell awakened

in the shadow of our nation's capital?

Authorities will neither confirm nor deny

that the shootings are terrorist related.

Terror--

Field reporter: You said one shot, Chief.

Are we dealing with a professional of some kind, a trained sniper?

We do have...

someone that...

so far has been very accurate at what they're attempting to do.

TV reporter: The specter of terrorism looms large

in the mind of Americans and it cannot be ignored.

This is Connie Kingston, reporting live

from Rockville, Maryland, a city under siege.

[ gunshot ]

[ woman screams ]

Moose: Chief Ramsey had a shooting in the District last night.

If it's connected, that's six.

Six people in 24 hours.

DC Metro turned the bullet fragments over to us this morning.

The fragments you've recovered so far

have all been 223s.

It's a common bullet, several companies make it,

several weapons fire it.

We can't trace it?

You haven't found any shell casings.

We assumed he was collecting them.

Or he's using a bolt-action rifle

and ejecting the shell casings later.

Or, he's firing from inside his vehicle.

The shooting in DC does match the MO:

long range, one shot, no casings.

DC Metro has a witness

who saw a burgundy-colored Chevy Caprice

leaving the scene, African-American driver.

I don't think so. Spree killers skew white.

Our profile says he's late 20s, early 30s,

educated, divorced--

That matches yesterday's description:

white box truck, white driver--

We're putting together a geographic profile.

- Most likely he lives near where he kills. - He or they?

If this is a serial killer-- okay, that's one thing.

But the press has chained this to Anthrax and 9-11.

Long-range assassination is a page out of Al Qaeda's playbook.

Yeah, but what if it's not Osama Bin Laden?

What if it's Timothy McVeigh?

We're looking into militia groups up and down the Seaboard.

We're referencing that against weapons purchases...

- Wait a minute. - ...referencing that--

referencing that against any members with weapons training.

Lieutenant?

This guy, these guys, whatever the hell they are,

they haven't targeted government institutions or employees, right?

They haven't made any demands.

Nobody's claimed any responsibility.

So, if this is terrorism, what's the point?

What's the message?

Fear.

[ helicopter whirring ]

- Man: Okay, listen, like I said... - Woman: Honey...

[ horn blares ]

- Boy: Don't worry, Mom. - Man: You stay inside.

- You missed the bus. - Yeah, I'll just ride my bike.

No, you've got all your gear. I'll drive you.

- But I-- - I don't want you to miss home room.

I'll call you. Come on, guys, I'm driving. Come on.

Come on, you. Come on, come on.

Push it! Push it!

Push! Get if off of you!

Push! Drive, drive, drive. Drive it.

Drive it! Get it off of you!

Get it off of you! Look at me, John.

John, look at me.

John, John.

Allah Akbar. Bring it.

Bring it. Come on! Come on!

Allah Akbar. Bring it.

Bring it. Get it off. Get it off of you!

- Yeah! - [ grunts ]

Good job!

[ laughs ] That's what I'm talking about.

John, that's what I'm talking about.

[ laughs ]

Allah Akbar. Allah Akbar.

Woman: If something should happen and God forbid a child gets hurt,

I couldn't live with myself. I couldn't live with myself knowing

that we might have done something and did not.

We have done something. The schools are under lockdown.

It's like living in a bunker eight hours a day.

Kids are safer in school than out.

- Your kids, too? - Yes, my kids too, absolutely.

How do we make an informed decision about the schools,

without something concrete from law enforcement?

- Chief is giving us everything he can. - Which ain't much.

I propose we shut 'em down, close the schools until this is over.

And tell the kids what? Give up? Hide under your beds?

I'd rather see them scared than dead.

No one wants our children hurt.

It would only be as long as takes to catch the bastard.

And how long will that be?

We don't know.

- We if we don't catch him? - I guess we'll be looking for a new police chief.

Female reporter: And the Sheriff's Department

has verified that Montgomery County schools

remained under a code blue lockdown status today.

Male reporter: And there's talk of opening military bases

so local school children can carry on with sporting events.

Barring the apprehension of a suspect,

they plan on keeping their children in this Halloween.

They just want to take a chance.

We will release a composite image

of a white box truck

seen fleeing one of the crime scenes.

A white male was seen driving this vehicle.

Female reporter: That was Chief Charles Moose

speaking to reporters earlier today on some recent developments in the DC--

We want you to start wearing a vest.

You gonna put vests on a million people in Montgomery?

- No. - Then you're not putting one on me.

I want to assign a security detail in case--

- in case-- - I'm telling people to go on with their lives.

Doug, the feds have intel--

I'm going out in public. My family's out there.

Al Qaeda's trained snipers to hit US government officials.

You're the highest elected officer in the county.

- They're killing civilians. - Now. You're a rung up the ladder.

- So are you. - I carry a gun. I'm surrounded by people carrying guns.

I'm talking about two cops in street clothes.

Tremain: Rapid Start collects the tips,

tracks who's working the lead, where it goes.

Most of the operators here are trainees

but we have experienced agents overseeing them.

Did you take any flak opening the door to the feds?

The murders in the District go federal. You would have come in anyway.

- We don't know DC's connected yet. - We do-- we just can't say it.

Sniper tip line. Please state your name.

Don't talk. Just listen.

I want to talk to the policeman.

Woman: I need to you state your name, sir, before I take your information.

My name? No, no. You don't get that.

I-I do...

I have something for you.

You're looking for the wrong people.

I can't take any information unless you state your name first.

- You're not listening. - Please, just start with your name, okay?

Okay, call me God.

Man: We've got a possible.

George Lenehen.

He's one of the sniper school rejects

that Fort Bragg spat out of their computer.

What's he done since the army?

He's tied to a militia group-- Brother's of the Cross.

- Rifle? - Purchased a Bushmaster in 2001, semi-auto.

It shoots .223s.

He was cited yesterday for speeding outside of Thornburg, Virginia.

That's Spotsylvania County.

He's in the neighborhood.

[ alarm beeps ]

[ alarm beeps ]

[ gunshot ]

Oh, oh! She's hit.

Oh my God.

I need help! Somebody!

Chief, shooting in Fredericksburg.

That's 20 minutes from Thornburg on I-95.

That's 20 minutes from Rockville.

Jacobs! You're going for a ride.

Go! Go! Go!

- Look at the goosebumps on her. - Look how cold that water is.

Oh, Miss Tina, She looks good, doesn't me?

- Yeah, the way she grabbed hold of that dorsal fin. - Nice.

- This way, ma'am, come on. - Woman: What's going on?

- Go on down that way. - Right, right.

Tina hasn't been this wet since the spring break show.

[ laughs ]

You remember that one. [ laughs ]

Go, go, go. Downstairs, hurry!

Let's go. Let's go.

[ helicopter whirring ]

TV reporter: We interrupt this program

to bring you a fast-breaking live exclusive

on the DC sniper case.

Our news team has learned federal law enforcement has converged on a hotel--

- What the hell? - It's not one of ours.

Newscaster: What you are seeing now

is a live feed from our aerial camera.

Go! Make your breach! Now!

[ gun cocks ]

TV reporter: There is a significant amount of police activity...

On the ground! On the ground!

George Lenehen, this is the FBI!

Come out with your hands up!

[ glass shatters ]

Get down! Get down!

[ George screams ]

TV reporter: And yes, yes. It looks like they have him.

The suspect has been apprehended.

We are holding the man on a warrant

unrelated to the crimes we've been discussing.

We have yet to make any connection

between this man and the shootings.

Moose: If, and when we do,

we will provide you with that information.

For now, we have to stay vigilant.

Check.

Moose: Live your lives,

but be aware.

Don't let your anxiety control you.

Go to work.

Go to school.

Your children are safe at their schools.

TV reporter: That was Chief Moose now confirming

that they do have a suspect in custody.

He said the man was being held on a warrant...

Checkmate. You didn't see that, did you?

You've got to see it, John. You've got to see that.

You've got to focus. Free your mind.

Free your mind.

I told you this 10 times already.

I returned that gun months ago.

Jacobs: Yeah, I guess a Bushmaster would be too much gun

for a skinhead redneck like yourself.

I can handle any weapon you name.

You're a regular shithead.

- Have we've found it? - No.

He could have dumped the rifle in the Potomac.

- Lenehen: I guess that's what they told you, huh? - Why would he do that?

He didn't know we were coming.

We haven't had a shooting since we apprehended him.

Yeah.

[ exhales ] Quiet weekend.

Jacobs: You can think about it for a bit longer,

then we'll come right back in here

and you can tell me where you set the gun.

[ phone rings ]

- Hello? - It's me.

Hey, you. Get any sleep last night?

Mmm, yeah, yeah. I'm good.

Coming home tonight?

You'll be in bed before I do.

I'll wait up.

Charles, keep calling,

- even it's just to say you can't make it home. - I will.

And tell your troops to do the same thing.

They need to call home even if it's just to say "I can't talk."

Charles.

Charles?

I'm sorry, Sandy. I can't talk.

- [ chopper whirring ] - [ crowd screaming ]

[ siren blaring ]

The boy's aunt was just dropping him off.

A few people heard the shot, no one saw the shooter.

13. He was 13 years old.

What the hell kind of sick bastard shoots a kid?

Is he alive?

They took him to Children's Hospital.

TV reporter: Here's what we know so far--

police have closed down Route 197,

which fronts the school.

Traffic is crawling throughout the area. It's total chaos here.

We've got parents trying to get into the area to get their kids home safe and sound.

Police won't comment on any connection

to the string of sniper shootings as yet,

but the MO looks to be the same: one shot, fired at a distance.

We may not have Bin Laden or Timothy McVeigh.

No, maybe David Berkowitz.

"Dear Mr. Policeman, call me God.

Do not release to the press."

Stone: Get a fingerprint off that shell casing.

Tremain: I doubt he'd plant clues and forget to wipe them clean.

It's the first time he's got out of his vehicle.

Why do you suppose?

I said they were safe.

I said the schools were safe.

Hasbro: He went outside his comfort range with the boy.

He went out of range on October 4th, too, Hasbro.

But I redesigned the profile for Virginia,

and then he comes back.

I don't know what variables are defining his kill zone.

It becomes more accurate the more samples it gets.

How many more "samples" you want?

TV narrator: October in the DC Metro area

is supposed to be a time for the outdoors.

The heat of the summer has melted away.

But this season a state of siege has paralyzed the community.

Its citizens are staying in, afraid to venture out.

Student sporting events have been rescheduled or canceled altogether.

High school teams are practicing in their gyms,

uncertain when activities will resume,

uncertain when their lives will return to normal.

Man: Well, what makes this not just an American story but an international story,

somebody like this could hold London to hostage,

or Rome, or Paris, or Berlin.

British reporter: The random shootings are especially shocking here in England,

where strict gun control limits gun ownership

to a small minority of the population, usually farmers.

But gun-related violence is on the rise here

and there is much empathy for those in the DC area.

Female on radio: I'm from San Diego, and even though we're all the way

on the other coast, we're nervous around here too.

I have two kids and I don't even want to leave the house anymore.

Man on radio: I live in Phoenix, Arizona, and I'm afraid to buy gas.

Radio host: Calls are coming in from not only the East Coast but the West Coast,

the southern states, the Pacific Northwest...

Woman: We had the Towers and then the Anthrax and now this.

And you wonder, is there a line they won't cross?

I.D., ma'am?

Mildred Muhammad. Okay.

I'll get you to pull ahead, I'll radio in for them.

Moose: The red dots represent the victims.

- Red, orange, yellow, and green should be where he lives. - Tremain: Correct, Chief.

Cable cops say he lives in the vicinity of his crimes.

And then he leaves it, hits Virginia.

- You say the schools are safe-- - Then he proves us wrong.

We're defining his kill zone.

Our victims have all been innocent.

They have been blameless and defenseless.

But today...

a line was crossed.

Today it got down to the children.

And whether it was the person we were looking for or someone else,

someone so cruel,

so mean-spirited...

to shoot a child...

they've given our community a level of fear that we're not used to.

Now come on...

that's crossing the line.

Our children don't deserve this.

I guess it's getting to be really, really personal now.

So parents, please engage your children tonight...

[ helicopter whirring ]

be there for them, tell them that they're safe.

They're going to need that.

They've got to hear that from you.

And tell them that we're going to carry on.

We will carry on.

Because that's what we do in this country.

That is what we do.

TV reporter: That, of course, was Chief Charles Moose

of the Montgomery County Police Department

speaking earlier today, emotional,

clearly upset over the shooting of a 13-year-old boy in suburban Maryland.

Law enforcement officials in--

I'm supposed to be all facts and evidence.

I go out there, I shed a tear...

he sees that.

He s--

he sees he got to me...

he goes out and he does it again.

[ helicopter passing ]

Detective Paulson,

I have sources in Prince George say that the sniper left a calling card.

You enjoying this?

Bad news is good news and good news is bad for business.

Message was on a tarot card,

the Death card.

Mmm. What did it say?

Are there any more cards?

Happy hunting.

TV reporter: As we last reported, the child shot yesterday in Maryland

at the Benjamin Tasker Middle School

was undergoing surgery at Children's Hospital.

- Hey, you up? - Huh?

...after several hours of intense work by the County's top surgeons.

But there has been no information as to his status.

We will continue to track this story

and bring you updates as we get them.

Female reporter: And if you've just joined us,

there's been a very unsettling update on the sniper case.

A calling card was left with the haunting message,

"Hello, Mr. Policeman, I am God."

- Oh, no. - Sources say that the message

then went on to warn the police not release the card or its contents to the press.

- The card, the tarot Death card... - What have they done?

represents the sniper's first attempt to communicate with...

[ train horn blares ]

Dispatch: 2 George 4. 2 George 4.

Policeman: 2 George 4.

Dispatch: 2 George 4, confirm that you're contacting

Chevy Chase Village...

Dispatch: Chevy Chase Village, you can squawk him on 2.

- You all right, sir? - Uh-- sorry, Officer, yeah. I'm okay.

May I see your license and registration, please?

Oh, sure.

Been up all night.

Rode down from Jersey to see my wife.

Took a wrong turn about 3:00 a.m.

I just needed 40 winks.

[ gasps ]

- Where does she live, sir, your wife? - Clinton.

All right.

[ helicopter whirring ]

Dispatch: ...2-1-zebra.

Registration current. Registered to John Allen Williams.

Bang!

[ laughs ] Get in, sniper.

[ laughing ]

Female reporter: The tragedies continue to mount in Maryland and Virginia.

The sniper or snipers have taken the life of yet another victim.

This is the ninth shooting and seventh murder since October 2nd.

Police collected evidence at a Manassas, Virginia, Sunoco station

where the man was shot down while filling his tank,

but have come away with no leads to follow.

This is the third shooting at a gas station.

Meanwhile, developments continue to come in on Monday's shooting

at Benjamin Tasker Middle School.

The tarot card, the Death card,

which have been left by the sniper,

is said to have included a warning to police.

Task force sources say the message explicitly told law enforcement

not to release the card to media outlets.

You'll have to blame the press before the sniper blames us.

He's the only constant the community has.

He's the face of this investigation.

The face of the investigation can't go off half-cocked.

He has every right to give them hell.

It's an issue of trust.

You can do this, Chief.

- You have a passionate history. - I'll see you all down there.

You attack the press today,

tomorrow all the stories are going to be about your temper

and your problems in Portland.

Did you talk to the county heads about running the dragnet?

Charles, let me do this--

- Is everyone on board? - Let me do this conference.

Is everyone on board?

County, state, and federal.

You know it has to come from me.

I'm the policeman.

As far as I know, the people in my community

have asked the police department to work this case.

So I beg of the media, let us do our job.

If the community wants you to do it

they will call today and we will have a vote.

And if it's decided that Channel 9

or The Washington Post is going to investigate this case,

so be it.

You need to fill your air time and write your columns,

so you make up news where there is none.

Each one of you is so hell-bent on beating the competition

that you make public information

that could, at best, jeopardize the investigation,

or at worst...

jeopardize lives.

Okay, we are set.

Muhammad: Sit tight.

Malvo: Got it.

All right, look, traffic's clear, all clear.

Muhammad: Take your time.

Free your mind.

- Free your mind,John. - Malvo: Free my mind.

- Say it again. - Malvo: Free my mind.

- Say it again. - Malvo: Free my mind.

- Allah Akbar. - [ gunshot ]

[ screaming ]

[ sirens wailing ]

[ horn blares ]

P.A.: We are conducting a police investigation.

If you are driving a white van or white truck...

Reporter: There's a dragnet going on up an down the Beltway here.

They've got all the off-ramps and the on-ramps closed off

and they are checking all white box trucks...

Policeman: Open up the back end.

...white vans. There is a report here that it might be a light-colored Chevy Astro.

Well, today, they're taking no chances whatsoever.

They're stopping any vehicle that even closely resembles that description

and they're, of course, asking for all the identifying paperwork

for anybody in that vehicle.

I repeat, you want to stay clear of the Beltway.

The traffic here is at a complete standstill

as state and local authorities are searching

vehicle-to-vehicle in pursuit of, of course, of these killers or killer.

And as I repeat, there are now 10 victims in a week's time.

Give me the map, John.

Moose: We had another shooting death on the 9th in Manassas.

Another today in Fredericksburg.

We locked down the interstate, we backed up traffic

for 50 miles.

As of this moment

we've come up empty-handed.

Stone: Well, what if-- what if we're talking about more than here?

Tremain: Snipers work in two-man teams,

a spotter and a shooter. We've covered that.

That's not what I'm saying. Multiple teams.

Maryland has one cell, one in Virginia.

But you're not answering the dragnet question.

How the hell do they get away?

Multiple teams, multiple vehicles.

Jacobs: So we could be wrong on the truck?

Maybe it's a white van or maybe one of the other vehicles.

We don't really know.

Reporter: With each passing day and with each murder,

the sniper or snipers become bolder and more ruthless,

but law enforcement is also upping the stakes.

A tally shows that 390 FBI agents,

155 ATF agents,

and other government agencies have now joined the task force,

which has also reached out to the Pentagon

requesting access to a military surveillance plane

with high-tech equipment capable of tracking gunfire on the ground.

Female reporter: In an interview, Senator McCain offered

supportive words for those terrorized by the recent spree

of sniper murders. He was less supportive of Chief Charles Moose, saying,

"I've come to the conclusion that we need to have somebody in charge."

He went on to say that with over 1,000 federal agents already on the task force

the person to be in charge, the person to look to--

We've learned that back in Portland,

Moose was criticized when protests outside his home

over the closure of the city park turned violent.

As a patrolman, Moose was disciplined four times for outbursts.

He was ordered to attend anger-management classes to stem his rage.

Despite these incidents, County Executive Doug Duncan

hired the chief back in 1999.

Female reporter: The latest sniper victim was a 53-year-old man,

Kenneth Bridges. Police are said to to be working on a second composite sketch

of a white van witnesses saw leaving the scene of this most recent shooting.

Police are also going through hours of business surveillance cameras

to find something, anything that might lead to a break in the case.

The serial sniper has left eight dead and two wounded.

The most recent victims were shot at gas stations

while filling their cars going about their daily lives.

[ car alarm blaring ]

[ police siren blaring ]

[ helicopter whirring ]

[ police radio chatter ]

Man: Did you see his vehicle? How about a license number?

Man: What does the guy look like?

Was it the white van that we've been--

I saw the sniper, man. I saw the whole thing go down.

It was Chevy Astro I saw him driving.

Light colored, like beig-ish.

- I got a good look at the driver. - You said you cut him off?

I cut him off, yeah, yeah, and-- and he just glared at me, man,

pissed off, he was in a hurry and now I--

Wait, what did he look like?

He was Arab-looking. Like one of the hijackers.

Like one of the 9-11 hijackers?

Uh-huh, yeah.

We've come full circle.

Has the witness identified the type of vehicle driven?

Sir, I cannot go into any details

specific to what the witness did or did not see.

Man: Did he see the vehicle?

When I have more information I will release it.

[ overlapping questions ]

I would like nothing more

than to provide you

with a name, an address and a phone number.

Are you withholding more information since the tarot card leak?

We withhold what would interfere with the investigation.

Or are you just learning less?

[ helicopter whirring ]

There's no gear by the door-- don't you have practice today?

No, the... soccer team has the gym today.

We have the weight room.

I'll be outside with the bodyguards.

Come on, guys. You're going to be late.

Are you going to another funeral today, Dad?

Yeah, honey, yeah, I am.

Come here. Have a good day, huh?

Are we all going out for dinner tonight?

Is that still the plan?

Malvo: I am God. I am in control.

I am God. I am in control.

You're very welcome. Rockville City Police--

your call is being recorded.

Good morning. Don't say anything just listen.

We are the people causing the killings in your area.

Look on the tarot card.

- It says, "Call me God. Do not release to press." - Sir? Sir?

- Sir, you have to call-- - We have called you three times before

trying to set up negotiations.

- We have gotten no response. - Sir--

- People have died. - Sir, anything to do with that

is Montgomery County Police Hotline.

Rockville is not investigating the crime.

Would you like the phone number?

What did he say?

What?

I couldn't really see his eyes, but--

but his jaw was like, sharp, you know?

Angled. Yeah.

And he had a beard.

Yeah. Yeah, like that.

And real, real, like heavy, heavy eyebrows,

you know what I mean?

Chief? Foster.

Fairfax County just finished with the mall security tapes.

Now this is just seconds before the shot was heard.

And... bang.

He was inside. He was inside the whole time.

Yeah, I'm going to do a tap dance on this asshole Fred Astaire would be proud of.

Yeah, that-- that looks like him a lot.

That's him. That's him, man.

Muhammad: For you, Mr. Police.

Call me God.

Do not release to the press.

We have tried to contact you...

to start negotiations.

But the incompetence of your forces--

- What? - Incompetence.

I-N-C-O-M...

P-I-T-E-N-C-E.

Muhammad: These people took our call for a hoax or a joke.

Your failure to respond has cost you five lives.

If you're trying to catch us is now more important,

then prepare your body bags.

[ siren blares ]

The Ponderosa victim's not dead.

He's gut shot, but he's stable.

- What did the letter say? - Don't know yet, it just cleared processing.

"If stopping the killing is more important than catching us now,

then you will accept our demand which are non-negotiable."

"Us, our." There's at least two of them.

We will contact you at 6:00 a.m.

Son of a bitch.

- Had to process the note, Lieutenant. - Son of a bitch!

We open at the scene, we compromise prints, fiber evidence--

I know how to work a crime scene, you arrogant prick!

It happened. It's over. Move on.

They have demands.

They're asking that 10 million be placed in a bank account.

They want to start withdrawing money from ATMs on a stolen card.

And what do we do with that?

That's how we catch 'em. We start a dialogue with them now.

It looks like we cold have started a dialogue days ago.

They say they've contacted the Montgomery police,

the FBI task force, the priest in Ashland--

That priest in Ashland?

Ponderosa was in Ashland.

Yeah, I can run with that.

There's a postscript.

- Reporters: Chief! Chief! - Can we just ask you a few questions?

Woman: What is the current status of the victim in Ashland?

Do you plan to press charges against the false witness?

I want to read a statement

to the person who left a letter in Ashland.

We've received your instructions.

Please phone again at the number you left.

We want to talk to you.

Father Sullivan: Not endured for our salvation,

his glorious resurrection and ascension into heaven.

- And ready to greet him... - [ phone rings ]

Hello?

- You're late. - I apologize.

Have you transferred the money?

We're working on it, but we're going to need more time.

You don't have more time.

To the person who just called,

the transaction you requested

is not possible electronically.

Please call us

at the same number you used before.

[ phone rings ]

Hello?

They got the trace.

[ siren wailing ]

- Down on the ground, now! - Hands up!

- [ speaking Spanish ] - Get down!

- Father Sullivan? - Bill.

Lieutenant Jacobs, Montgomery County.

Have you received any strange phone calls in the last couple of days?

A man called me. It was difficult to understand him,

but I thought he said he was--

- God. - Yeah, I thought it was a prank.

What else did he say?

He said to look into a liquor store shooting

- in Montgomery. - County?

No. Alabama.

Chief-- Detective Brooks in Alabama.

Detective, Chief Moose.

Detective: I checked what you said, Chief, and yeah, we had

a robbery homicide on the 21st of September.

Two women were shot, one fatal,

but it don't sound like your guy.

Tell us why?

Brooks: There were two perpetrators, both men were African-American.

What were they driving?

They fled the scene in a late-modeled Chevy Caprice.

Chief?

You recover anything at the scene?

We got a partial print off a gun magazine.

Yeah, we ran it, but our system's only statewide.

You all want to take a look?

[ gun cocks ]

- Yeah, that's right. - How are you doing, Elaine?

Elaine: Hi.

[ beep ]

- Get down. - Oh my God.

The print belongs to Lee Boyd Malvo.

He's a kid, 17, Jamaican by birth.

Held by the INS on immigration charges,

last known address puts him at a homeless shelter in Washington state.

[ phone rings ]

Jacobs.

Chief, we have another shooting.

- Where? - Aspen Hill.

They left another note.

[ Muhammad's voice ] "For you, Mr. Police. Call me God."

"Can you hear us now?

Do not play these childish games.

Your incompetence has cost you

another life."

They repeat the same threat

they made in the Ponderosa letter.

We should release it.

We owe it to the community.

We release, it rewards them, incites them.

- They haven't acted on it yet. - They've acted on it, of course they've acted on it.

On the 7th, they acted on it.

We can't incite them to do something they've already done.

Put it out?

It's your call.

Reporter: President Bush addressed the nation's fear and anxiety.

Bush: I'm sick, sick to my stomach...

to think that there is a...

cold-blooded killer at home,

taking innocent life.

Uh, I weep for those who have lost there loved ones.

I have said before that public safety is the priority.

We will not withhold information

that might endanger the citizens of this community.

There was a postscript

attached to letter left at the Ponderosa...

which I will now read.

"Your children...

are not safe

anywhere...

at anytime."

Goddamn it.

[ dialogue overlapping ]

I don't know. Just keep them in the backyard and...

don't let them ride their bikes on the street, okay?

Yeah, yeah-yeah.

I love you too, baby.

I call you later? Bye.

[ cell phone rings ]

Yeah?

Say that again?

What the hell's in Washington state?

I remember the boy. He had a gentle manner.

Does this have something to do with his INS hearing?

Or does this have something to do with John Muhammad?

We might be looking at a two-man team.

I met John and John at the Y.

We used to work out together.

His kid was nice, quiet.

He didn't say squat without John's permission.

I personally found it refreshing, you know?

A kid today showing his old man some real respect.

John claimed Malvo was his son or stepson.

It depended on who he was talking to.

But that boy, he never acted like a son.

He followed John like a zealot. Took orders like a soldier.

John Allen Williams,

also known as John Allen Muhammad.

Two years ago he was splitting with his second wife,

kidnapped his kids, took them to Antigua.

We think that's where he met Malvo.

The boy followed him back to the States.

- Followed him clear across the country. - And back again.

John called the kid "sniper" like a nickname.

I mean, he was teaching him how to shoot and I thought...

I mean, he taught the kid how to do everything:

how to work out, how to eat right...

The guy's a serial loser--

two failed marriages, two failed businesses we know about.

The only time he's distinguished himself was in the army.

What did he do?

Qualified as an expert on the rifle range.

He had these crazy ideas

like, talked about blowing up oil tankers on the highway,

killing cops that showed up at the scene,

blowing up the churches during the cops' funerals.

Sick stuff. Crazy, right?

We got a hit.

Yeah, we got a-- it's a Chevy Caprice. The color's blue.

Sweet Mary,

that car's been red-flagged in the area one, two, three, four...

no less than 10 times.

Okay.

Okay, we've got to cast a wide net but we've got to do it quiet.

We need every county, state and fed cop looking for this car.

The team in Washington, where are they headed next?

After the shelter, they stayed with a friend

from Muhammad's Gulf War company.

- Where? - Tacoma.

Reporter: With an update on the sniper story,

from our sister station in Tacoma, Washington--

here is John Demeeta.

Demeeta: Authorities will neither deny nor confirm

that this recent activity here in Tacoma

has some connection to the rash of murders on the other side of the country.

Local FBI locked down this Tacoma home

and have proceeded to perform a grid search of the yard with metal detectors

as though they're looking for bullet fragments.

Firefighters are also working to remove a pockmarked tree trunk

which looks as if it might have been used for target practice.

Chief, if the press has Tacoma, they have the names, too.

Screw the names. If the snipers see this, they're in old Mexico.

Reporter: The FBI will load this trunk along with woodpile

and rock debris, and will ship it back to their lab in Maryland...

Could you tell my son I'm out at the car?

- I have a toothache. - Oh, sure, baby. I'll do that for you.

Thank you. I appreciate it.

[ engine revs ]

[ engine turns off ]

Reporter: Earlier today, metal detectors were used to sweep the yard

at this Tacoma, Washington address.

Sources close to the sniper investigation

have stated that there is something-- a suspect, a witness--

something that links these two seemingly unrelated locations.

John, John, it's okay. He's just outside.

Your daddy went to sit in the car.

Beatrice Jaffe?

Uh, Yes?

We're looking for information on a John Allen Muhammad.

- He's the ex of one my clients. - Mildred Muhammad.

Yes, that's right.

Did he find her?

- Chief? - I know why he came here.

- [ kids screaming ] - John, John.

- Watch your sisters. - All right.

- I got to run to the store. - [ screaming ]

- [ John growling ] - [ girls screaming ]

[ screaming continues ]

[ siren wailing ]

- [ John growling ] - [ girls screaming ]

Play nice, babies.

[ sirens approaching ]

[ helicopter whirring ]

Did they get there in time?

Yeah, house is secured, wife and kids are safe.

Oh my God.

You know, I told Sandy about the Wheaton shooting when all this started.

She asked me,

was it a domestic dispute?

Is this just some guy gone round the bend

because his wife got custody?

Maybe that's how it started.

Why did he keep going?

Why didn't he stop?

It's hard when you're made to feel you're the Almighty.

[ speaking Japanese ]

John Allen Williams is said to be traveling

with his stepson John Lee Malvo...

[ speaking Spanish ]

We go out with the make and model now,

they're going to dump that car.

You put the car out, it's easier for a citizen to spot.

The tip line might get us there faster.

Wouldn't we have to worry about

a citizen taking the law into his own hands?

Reporter: They are traveling in

not a white box truck, not a white van,

but a blue 1990 Chevrolet Caprice.

We do now.

Dad?

Yeah.

What do we do now?

Oh, let's just--

let's just close our eyes for a while.

Moose: A federal arrest warrant has been issued

for John Allen Muhammad,

also known as John Allen Williams.

Muhammad should be considered armed and dangerous.

He may be in the company of a juvenile.

Do not approach them. Call 9-1-1.

[ children's choir softly sings ]

Man on radio: ...the one with the wild hair.

Why don't you call somebody else, all right?

All right, let's get back to our top story.

The sniper car's finally been ID'd

by the Montgomery Police Department.

It's a blue Chevy Caprice, New Jersey tags,

that'd be "NDA-21Z."

Nora-David-Alpha-2-1-Z.

If you see it out there, sure would appreciate it

if you called 9-1-1, and let them know.

With your help, we can a put stop to this madness

that's been terrorizing the area for the last few weeks.

Again, any of you eagle eyes spot this car,

would you please call 9-1-1 right away?

[ phone rings ]

Yeah?

It's happening.

[ gun cocks ]

All: Out of the car! Get out of the car! Let's go!

[ phone rings ]

Duncan.

Moose: No shots fired.

We found them in their car, asleep.

- Did they get the weapon? - Yeah.

ATF will have ballistics this afternoon.

That's great, Charles. Get some sleep.

- Okay. - Talk to you this afternoon.

I'll talk to you then.

[ sighs ]

[ fax humming ]

Congratulations.

They matched your rifle.

Today you graduate to capital murder, John.

What a waste.

[ door locks ]

Jacobs: Hey, John...

the death penalty is not a question anymore.

You hot?

You want a soda?

You pathetic piece of shit.

- [ door unlatches ] - [ alarm beeping ]

- Damn! - I'll hold it.

- Get out of there! - Get him down!

Malvo: Get off me! Get off me!

[ metal rattles ]

Get him off me! [ screams ]

Malvo: Okay! Okay, okay!

Okay! Okay! Okay.

I wanted to express to you

who have lost loved ones that...

a case like this,

a case of this nature...

there is no protocol.

- [ weeping ] - No textbooks to follow.

We did everything...

everything we could.

It wasn't enough for...

the one's you lost.

And I'm sorry.

I'm really sorry.

Chief Moose, my brother was the last.

He was the last victim.

Don't you blame yourself.

We don't blame you.

Uh-huh, yeah.

Okay.

Fine.

They're no-shows. They forfeit.

Boy: Aw, come on.

What's the problem?

People are still scared.

[ phone ringing ]

Hello?

Yes.

Yeah, thank you.

What?

They say he's going to be all right--

the boy they shot.

He's going to be okay.

[ sighs ]

So, what do you guys want to do?

Whatever you want to do. You guys want to play?

Let's split the team. Let's play ourselves.

- [ whistle blows ] - Come on!

[ cheering, screaming ]

- [ whistle blows ] - [ cheering ]

[ theme music playing ]