Sniper hunt: Police release picture of lorry
Police today issued an image of a white lorry believed to have been used by the serial sniper terrorising Washington.
The box truck has a dented rear bumper and a roll-up back door, although no details are known about its licence plate or the large lettering on its side.
Investigators created the picture following interviews with witnesses who spotted the vehicle close to the scene of some of the shootings.
It is different from an Chevrolet Astro-type van seen after yesterday’s attack at a petrol station in Virginia, which killed father-of-six Kenneth Bridges.
The sniper has struck 10 times since October 2, murdering eight people and injuring two in metropolitan Washington.
The five million residents of the area have been advised to remain at home if possible, to avoid becoming a target.
Friday night American football games in local high schools, which normally attract thousands of spectators, were canceled along with other outdoor activities as panic spread across the area.
Many of those who ventured out walked in zigzags to make it hard for the attacker to take a shot.
Four of the victims have been shot at a petrol station.
Drivers in the area now crouch down while filling up their cars in an attempt to stop the attacker getting them in his sights.
The sheriff’s office received nearly 2,000 telephone calls with potential tips following yesterday’s attacks, mostly related to a white van seen leaving the area of the shooting.
Mr Bridges, 53, of Philadelphia, a co-founder of a marketing distribution company, was in the area business trip when he was shot once in the back.
“Ken was a loving husband, father of six children and an outstanding citizen of the Philadelphia community,” said his friend, Gary Shepherd.
“While no family should have to endure this type of tragedy, the Bridges family hopes that this killer is brought to justice as quickly as possible.”
Sheriff Ronald Knight said a police officer was only 50 meters from Mr Bridges when he was shot, and would probably have been in view of the killer.
“Obviously we are dealing with an individual that is extremely violent and does not care,” he said.
Investigators said the attacker apparently picked victims at random and fired from a distance with a high-powered hunting or military-style rifle.
The youngest victim, a 13-year-old boy who was shot as his aunt dropped him off at school on Monday, remains in a critical but stable condition.
Investigators found a tarot card inscribed with the message: “Dear Policeman: I am God” beside a spent bullet casing about 150 yards from where the boy was shot.
There are no known witnesses of the sniper, who shot all his victims in public places.
Police are trawling through video surveillance tapes from the shooting scenes to look for similarities.
