# The Next Terrorist Attack **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 4, 2002, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836 "2002-10-04T14:58:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836/1 "2002-10-04T14:58:21Z")
Has anybody else had the thought that the sniper killings in Montgomery County may have been a dry run of the next attack? A proof of concept? Imagine if twenty terrorists had high powered rifles and training. They would love to use the freedom of guns in this country against us. Am I nuts? Am I scare-mongering? I really don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2002, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836/2 "2002-10-04T15:20:18Z")
Hm, possible, but anyone with even a little experience with guns can hit an immobile unarmed target. Experience terrorists should be able to hit about half a dozen targets in each area and get away from the scene of the crime, depending on the weapon they’re using, of course. I’m thinking a couple of teens are the most likely suspects. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836/3 "2002-10-05T03:52:01Z")
Teens aren’t likely to be skilled marksmen as these gunmen are said to be, even gang members. I can’t help but think it’s organized crime, but that would imply a connection between the victims, which would create a conspiracy theory. It could be a crazy ex-soldier who has finally lost it. If it were foreign Islamist terrorists, then judging from the evidence we have seen so far they would be willing to “martyr” themselves, which they haven’t. I can’t imagine it’s terrorism unless it is domestic, along the lines of McVeigh or Kaczynskie(spelling?). I think it is probably: a. Someone who has completely lost it b. Domestic terrorists ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836/4 "2002-10-05T03:52:03Z")
Teens aren’t likely to be skilled marksmen as these gunmen are said to be, even gang members. I can’t help but think it’s organized crime, but that would imply a connection between the victims, which would create a conspiracy theory. It could be a crazy ex-soldier who has finally lost it. If it were foreign Islamist terrorists, then judging from the evidence we have seen so far they would be willing to “martyr” themselves, which they haven’t. I can’t imagine it’s terrorism unless it is domestic, along the lines of McVeigh or Kaczynskie(spelling?). I think it is probably: a. Someone who has completely lost it b. Domestic terrorists ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836/5 "2002-10-05T03:57:34Z")
Sorry for the double post. I had some posting problems. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836/6 "2002-10-05T19:22:41Z")
It’s probably an ex-army sniper (or maybe a police sharpshooter) who snapped. I doubt that it’s foreign terrorism, and I’d imagine that domestic terrorists would be sniping Fed’s or military people or GW Bush or someone like that. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836/7 "2002-10-05T22:57:16Z")
Nah. I can’t see it being a terrorist. Too slow, too little terror. Even if 20 or 100 were out crawling around, too ineffecient IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Daoloth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Daoloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daoloth)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836/8 "2002-10-05T23:18:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DeadlyAccurate \* > \*\*Hm, possible, but anyone with even a little experience with guns can hit an immobile unarmed target. Experience terrorists should be able to hit about half a dozen targets in each area and get away from the scene of the crime, depending on the weapon they’re using, of course. > \*\* Er, the shooter _has_ killed half a dozen targets, without missing, all head or chest shots, and gotten away from the crime so far. This person obviously has arms training. Terrorist? Doubt it. Teen? Doubt that, too. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2002, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836/9 "2002-10-05T23:19:41Z")
Recently, a man was just sentenced to a very long sentence in the D.C. metro area. Back in December 2001 he had just gotten a rifle, was mad about something, and told his buddies he was going to shoot the first person he saw. His victim just happened to be a preacher(?) who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maybe this could be a similar situation. I can’t remember the shooter’s or the victim’s name, but it was reported in the Washington Post this past week. ---
**Author:** ![jacksen9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@jacksen9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacksen9)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2002, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836/10 "2002-10-06T00:37:28Z")
What about the guy they never caught that was killing doctors… Robert Murdoch, wasn’t it? This seems like something he would be capable of doing. ---
**Author:** ![TVGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/82dd89/32.png) [@TVGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2002, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836/11 "2002-10-06T15:30:01Z")
Terrorism? It’s an interesting thought, actually. It’s a thought, however, that I doubt most of us would have had prior to 11 SEP 01. We typically think of terrorism in terms of inflicting a high degree of fear with a single attack. What if that’s not the only way to do it? What if there were several cells operating with full legal, completely benign weapons, but had spent a lot of time at the shooting range? As we know, right here in Portland, OR we just had the arrest of three suspected Al-Qaida wannabees - they were first tagged when a local sherrif caught them doing shooting practice with various weapons at a rural rock quarry. So, what if a group of terrorists decided that the best way to inflict terror, bring a city to a halt, etc. was to send out 8 or 10 good marksmen with decent rifles to randomly shoot people as they went about their daily chores? If it suddenly became 20, 30 or 50 people in a few days, people would be locking themselves in their basements. Personally, I think we simply have a cracked-in-the-head nutjob doing this back east, but the terrorism thing is an interesting concept. ---
**Author:** ![EmbarrassingDad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/embarrassingdad/32/5441_2.png) [@EmbarrassingDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmbarrassingDad)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2002, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836/12 "2002-10-06T15:43:28Z")
The first thing I thought was terrorism… but then again… nahhhh… > [@](#): > > Teens aren’t likely to be skilled marksmen as these gunmen are said to be, even gang members. > [@](#): > > This person obviously has arms training. At the age of 9 I could put a group of 5 within 1 inch at a hundred yards. This was a Remington model 7 bolt action hunting rifle with a 3x9 wide angle scope on a bench rest. (.223, the same used here). Columbine comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Cooper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@Agent\_Cooper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Cooper)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2002, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836/13 "2002-10-06T15:57:00Z")
im voting for an ex-military whiteboy gone over the edge ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836/14 "2002-10-10T01:19:11Z")
> [@](#): > > At the age of 9 I could put a group of 5 within 1 inch at a hundred yards. This was a Remington model 7 bolt action hunting rifle with a 3x9 wide angle scope on a bench rest. (.223, the same used here). This killer has far more skill than what is required for a hunting rifle. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836/15 "2002-10-10T01:30:25Z")
**The Great Zamboni** - What exactly is “more skill than what is required for a hunting rifle?” The odds are _greatly_ in favor of him actually using a hunting rifle. It’s _very easy_ to hit a torso sized object from 200 yards with a scope and a bench rest. I could teach my girlfriend to do it in less than an hour, and she’s only fired a gun once. I don’t think you have any idea what you are talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Bandanaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ab097/32.png) [@Bandanaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bandanaman)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836/16 "2002-10-10T01:30:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Agent Cooper \* > \*\*im voting for an ex-military whiteboy gone over the edge \*\* Naw, you’re confusing him with his father. And what does Dubya have to do with the OP anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Asylum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@Asylum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asylum)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836/17 "2002-10-10T01:55:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bandanaman \* > \*\* > > Naw, you’re confusing him with his father. And what does Dubya have to do with the OP anyway? \*\* Nice pointless, partisan hijack. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836/18 "2002-10-10T11:53:09Z")
Islamic terrorists prefer to make a statement with their acts. driving around in a van, picking off random targets every couple of days with a rifle isn’t particularly “glorifying”. Plus, Islamic terrorists tend to claim their “victories”. Terrorism is about making a statement to purther a political cause. This is a prolonged spree killer. Someone with training gone over the edge of reason. If there are more shootings, there will be more clues left at the scene of the crime. ---
**Author:** ![GRANOLA\_CHEWER](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e0b2c6/32.png) [@GRANOLA\_CHEWER](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GRANOLA_CHEWER)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836/19 "2002-10-10T13:02:20Z")
I was thinking it was a “trained” sniper. Now I’m not so sure. I would think someone with training would be able to make all headshots. This sniper has 2 no kills and if you believe the new reports a miss so far. So maybe it is just some everyday demented joe with a high-powered rifle and scope. I know without any training at all I was able to hit a torso sized object with ease last time I went to a range. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836/20 "2002-10-11T01:18:16Z")
Nitpick: isn’t a “prolonged spree killer” the same thing as a serial killer? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-next-terrorist-attack/130836.md?page=2)