The
FBI has conducted ballistics tests that have recently linked 2 shootings that occurred in Northern Virginia over the past week and a half -- there may be a third shooting linked to the same gun. The shootings have all targeted military establishments, specifically the Marine Corp. All shots seemed to have been fired from the direction of a nearby highway and have occurred in early morning or late at night. .
The
first shooting occurred in the early morning hours of Sunday October 17 at the National Museum of the Marine Corp in Triangle, VA. The bullet holes were found by a
cleaning crew in the upper-level windows of the museum which can be seen from Interstate 95 near the Quantico Marine Base.
The
second shooting occurred on October 19th at approximately 5AM at the Pentagon. Officers had reported audible shots fired in the vicinity of the
Pentagon's south parking lot, which faces I-395 south. At least
6 shots were fired at the Pentagon, hitting windows and facade. The Pentagon is about 30 miles north of the National Museum of the Marine Corp.
The
third, most recent shooting occurred overnight between Monday October 25th and Tuesday October 26th at the Marine Corps Recruiting Station in Chantilly, VA. The bullet holes were found Tuesday morning by
Marines who work at the station. The recruiting station is about 23 miles from the Pentagon and about 33 miles from the museum.
If you are native to the NOVA-DC metro area, this may sound all too familiar. Back in October of 2002,
John Allen Muhammad, with the help of minor
Lee Boyd Malvo,
terrorized the DC-MD-VA area by targeting and shooting random people with a sniper gun along the Capital Beltway. Ten people were fatally shot and three people were injured as a result of their selfish rampage. Muhammad was executed in 2009 by lethal injection and Malvo is now serving his first of six consecutive life sentences.
Thankfully, this recent shooting 'rampage' has begun differently, with
no reported injuries or fatalities. Right now they may be seen as just acts of vandalism however, the FBI is not releasing any further information about the potential weapon used or the caliber of the ammunition in efforts to preserve the on going investigation. They have not yet confirmed if the third shooting is related to the first two or if these are serial shootings.
If you are in the area, keep an eye out for any suspicious vehicles or persons. After all, the last sniper shooting rampage was stopped as a result of the tips given by alert and concerned citizens! Contact Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-8477 or a local police department with any information.
Sign up for your local crime alerts at
SpotCrime or
MyLocalCrime. Keep up with community watch efforts and stay alert. Report any suspicious activity to your local police department. Stay safe!
Comments