# five people murdered in Montgomery Co. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 3, 2002, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690 "2002-10-03T15:41:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![booklover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@booklover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booklover)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690/1 "2002-10-03T15:41:18Z")
This is insane—apparently someone is just driving around and shooting people in different Montgomery County locations. Hope all the MoCo dopers are doing okay Stay inside, darnit! [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37433-2002Oct3.html](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37433-2002Oct3.html) ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690/2 "2002-10-03T16:25:11Z")
I work in Bethesda, and we were told not to leave the building for lunch or to go out during the afternoon until told otherwise. This is scary! ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690/3 "2002-10-03T16:30:04Z")
Yeah, we just got the email too. One big concern now is people leaving work to get their kids from school. They’ve canceled outdoor activities and recesses at the area schools, and officials are not allowing anyone to enter or leave the schools unless a parent calls ahead. ---
**Author:** ![Hugh\_Jass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4da419/32.png) [@Hugh\_Jass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hugh_Jass)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690/4 "2002-10-03T16:47:02Z")
That’s my old stomping grounds. Weird. I used to fill up my tank at that Mobil, and my mom lives in Leisure World. It’s scary when the violence hits so close to something familiar. ---
**Author:** ![Asylum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@Asylum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asylum)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690/5 "2002-10-03T16:54:40Z")
I almost had a fucking heart attack. My mother lives in Leisure World and sends out mail pretty much every day. I called her job and they said she was half-an-hour late. I started scouring the web and just about every news article only said that a women was killed at Leisure World. Finally an article said it was an hispanic woman, which my mother definitely is not. Thank God. I do feel bad for the woman who did die, as well as all the other victims and their families, but damn that was scary. ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690/6 "2002-10-03T16:57:07Z")
I predict the next one will happen either on Norbeck Road or on Georgia Avenue. Hope everyone else stays safe. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690/7 "2002-10-03T17:23:48Z")
They tried to keep us in for lunch but they finally relented and let us go. Not that that would have stopped me anyway. Does have a lot of the women freaked out around here though. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690/8 "2002-10-03T18:20:29Z")
I hope they catch those nuts, stay safe everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690/9 "2002-10-03T18:22:57Z")
We’ve been getting e-mail bulletins about the situation since this morning. No news on whether or not they’ve caught the guys yet. I usually go home in about an hour, and am feeling just a little bit nervous about leaving the office, even though I’m driving straight home. ---
**Author:** ![friggae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/45deac/32.png) [@friggae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friggae)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690/10 "2002-10-03T19:24:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hugh Jass \* > \*\*That’s my old stomping grounds. Weird. I used to fill up my tank at that Mobil, and my mom lives in Leisure World. > > It’s scary when the violence hits so close to something familiar. \*\* It’s also my old stomping grounds, and my dad still lives there. Definitely scary. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690/11 "2002-10-03T19:53:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by me: \* > \*\*I usually go home in about an hour, and am feeling just a little bit nervous about leaving the office, even though I’m driving straight home. \*\* Home now. I was stopped behind a school bus twice on the way; parents were waiting to get their kids off the bus, and quickly shepherded them indoors. Usually, the kids at the stop near my house hang around and play for awhile before they head home, but only a couple stayed out today, and there is no one in the little avenue under my window now–usually it’s full of kids at this time of the day. It’s very spooky. ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690/12 "2002-10-03T21:14:40Z")
The count is up to six now according to a co-worker. Number 6 was in Wheaton but he didn’t know a street. Anyone want to see if my prediction came true? It would be uncannily bizarre if this guy was also part of the blow gun drive bys from earlier this year. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690/13 "2002-10-03T21:21:09Z")
It’s not up to six. There were six _locations_ where shots were fired, but no one was killed at the first place. Why are you so sure of your prediction? ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2002, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690/14 "2002-10-03T22:08:02Z")
Was the 6th one near the 1st? I noticed that if you did a “connect-the-dots” you’d draw the the first four lines in a 5-pointed star. All he’d need to do is go back to the first location (or nearby) and complete the star. That’s where I would have been if I was a cop (but I suppose they’d have a better plan than that). By the way, I grew up in that area, from an old Rockville family. ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690/15 "2002-10-04T04:28:37Z")
Another friend told me about the sixth shot this evening. 5 fatalities, one wounding. I am not sure I was just curious if my intuition was at least remotely accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Merrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@Merrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merrin)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690/16 "2002-10-04T04:36:55Z")
Bloody hell, sounds scary, I hope everyone in the area stays safe. It’s this kinda thing that make me so pleased we have stricter gun laws in the UK (no flames please, I’m not trying to start an argument here about US gun laws). Be careful all, Merrin ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690/17 "2002-10-04T11:55:45Z")
Hell, I’m not afraid. I’m ready for death! ---
**Author:** ![Miltonyz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Miltonyz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miltonyz)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690/18 "2002-10-04T18:43:15Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s this kinda thing that make me so pleased we have stricter gun laws in the UK Yeah no doubt. They may have broken the law and killed five people, but I’m sure they wouldn’t do such a thing as try to attempt to obtain an illegal firearm. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690/19 "2002-10-04T22:31:20Z")
Considering it appears they used a high-powered assault rifle… Man, did you see the size of the bullets? Eeesh. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690/20 "2002-10-04T22:51:01Z")
5 or 6 murders (one in DC yesterday seems to fit the same pattern as the other 5) … the M.O. is the same in all of them … a skilled sharpshooter apparently using a sniper rifle … The picture begins to come into focus: the shooter may be a rogue government agent or military man trained in the use of firearms. Like the John Malkovich character in the Clint Eastwood film _In the Line of Fire_. Some of those guys are a little too tightly wound, you know, one day something just snaps … I am not foolin’ around, either. I’ve always worried about government-trained killers walking around. They’ll never be able to screen out 100% of the bad apples. Or predict which ones will snap, and when. The _In the Line of Fire_ scenario was just enough within the realm of possibility to make me uneasy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-people-murdered-in-montgomery-co/130690.md?page=2)