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Copyright 2002 CanWest Interactive, a division of CanWest Global Communications Corp. All Rights Reserved The Vancouver Province October 11, 2002 Friday Final Edition
SECTION: News; Pg. A4 LENGTH: 351 words HEADLINE: Shooter 'an accomplished marksman' SOURCE: The Daily Telegraph DATELINE: WASHINGTON BODY: WASHINGTON -- The suburban sniper stalking the outskirts of Washington is an experienced and accomplished marksman, possibly with military training. "This guy is extremely proficient," said one former U.S. Special Forces officer, who fought in Vietnam. "He has a high kill rate -- 10 shots, nine hits and seven fatalities -- and is hitting his targets in the central chest or head region. "He is infiltrating an area unnoticed, lying in wait, firing a single shot each time and then exfiltrating before anyone knows what is going on. That takes a lot of skill. I have no idea what is driving him to do this but he certainly knows what he is doing." Police have identified the sniper's weapon as a high-powered rifle that fires the .223-calibre round, which is widely used in the U.S. Army and throughout NATO countries. The round was originally developed as an experimental military cartridge for the Armalite AR-15 which later became the U.S. Army's M-16. It travels at more than 914 metres per second and is designed to disintegrate on impact to ensure maximum injury. In two of the attacks outside Washington, there have been sightings of a white van speeding away with two men inside. The shots have been fired from a range of about 137 metres. Police in the Washington area have warned that the sniper is probably concealing his weapon so it can be easily transported. There is a well-developed civilian sniping subculture among gun enthusiasts in the U.S. Gunnery Sgt. Carlos Hathcock, a U.S. Marine who grew up hunting squirrels in Arkansas and claimed 93 confirmed kills in the Vietnam War, is a cult figure. Interest in sniping was heightened recently by the film Enemy at the Gates, about the legendary sniper duel at Stalingrad between Lt. Zaitsev and Major Konig. When Ed Kugler, another revered Vietnam sniper, was asked recently what it was like to kill, he replied: "Like scoring a touchdown but, after you've done it a couple of times, I didn't have any emotion. "I can't explain why I didn't have any remorse, because I still don't. It was like shooting a target." GRAPHIC: Photo: The Associated Press; A .223 calibre bullet shown with bolt action rifle similar to the one believed used by the sniper. LOAD-DATE: October 11, 2002 --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^==^============================================================= This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^==^============================================================= |
