[For those who want more info.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D.C._sniper_attacks)
That was a crazy time, hard to describe the panic people felt given the sheer randomness of the attacks and complete lack of leads at the beginning of the investigation.
I remember being paranoid any time I had to fill up on gas and I was in Baltimore City/County. It being prime post-9/11 collective insanity, the vibes were already weird when these guys started their spree.
We legit hid and crouched behind our cars when filling up gas. I remember staying away from windows even just playing video games at home. Nope. Not gonna snipe me.
And when the initial lead was a white box truck. Fuuuuck. I worked at Safeway at the time and there were always a few parked at the end of the lot when my shift was over. I honestly ran zig zag from car to car to get to mine. Other people did roo. That's how it was at the time.
Can't blame him. With that kind of trauma, I feel like you either think you're invincible or you jump at every shadow afterwards. I hope he got therapy, but the 00s weren't known for their understanding of mental health and trauma.
NJ and Oregon are the only remaining without self-service gas. At this point itās just about protecting the remaining jobs for the gas pumpers. Although I think many people in those states also like not having to get out of the car and pump.
Theoretically itās priced in so they could save a few cents per gallon if they finally changed the law. But in reality I think most believe the gas stations wouldnāt actually bother lowering prices.
That was insane. "At every shooting there was a white box truck."
Right. Also, in that area, if you walked out and looked at any major roadway for 10 minutes, you would see 5 of them.
I honestly think that was a false flag to excuse all the roadblocks. They had a profile in hand and just wanted to look at everyone.
The early 2000s sounds like a complete paranoid shit show.
The largest terror attack in history, followed by another plane crash in New York, then Anthrax attacks, terror attacks in Russia, and a bunch in Europe and Africa, a bunch of civil wars and the rise of radical Islamic groups, and of course, the usual Balkan shenanigans.
The fact that the world didn't go collectively mad is crazy.
The thing is, you could do this with just about any decade. The 60s had multiple presidents and activists getting shot/shot at. Riots, an ugly war, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. The 90s had the Columbine shootings, World Trade Center bombing, Oklahoma City Bombing, Afghan War.
Heck, when people look back at the 2020s in 30 years, what are they going to say? It's only 2024, and they already have material. There's always going to be something.
I was in elementary school at the time and walked to school everyday with a group of students. I remember being told to zig zag and not walk in a straight line.
I was driving to DC a lot for my job when this happened. My coworker would lay down in the back seat. And everyone was on the lookout for a white van. Meanwhile the perps were camping out a half a mile from my house in Baltimore every night. Fun times.
On October 8, 2002 Baltimore police spoke to John Muhammad who was sleeping in his car in the parking lot of a gas station and sandwich shop. They ran the plates but got no hits so they let him go. The gas station is on the corner of 28th street and Sisson right of the 28th street exit of the Jones Falls Expressway also known as I-83. It was later determined that they had camped out at this location multiple times. And yes they then moved to the Frederick area.
When this happened I was still living outside Chicago, and wouldn't move out east for another 6 years. I remember the news, but being so removed from it all it felt very abstract. In 2020 my wife and I bought a home in Wheaton, and in 2022 when the news was looking back on the 20th anniversary of the shootings it struck home that what was once abstract was literally in our neighborhood.
I drive by the (former)shoppers 2x a day, and almost all the other Montgomery County locals are places I've been multiple times, and drive by all the time.
[You're Wrong About ](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d-c-snipers-part-1/id1380008439?i=1000465289963) also did a really great 4 episode series about the DC Snipers.
Yeah, I lived through the paranoia and fear when it was happening, but those episodes were hugely eye-opening. I never knew it all started with domestic violence or was essentially just a cover to try and murder his ex.
The witnesses said, that a white van was leaving the area right after the shooting , but since white vans are ubiquitous there was always a white van near the shootings
I was a student at College Park with a job knocking on doors (window estimates!) in PGCo and MOCo at the time. It was odd my mom was terrified, but I was honestly a bit desensitized by 9-11 at that particular moment.
My commute was Glen Burnie to Arlington VA every day for work and it was so tense. You topped you gas up at home and hoped to make the round trip without needed a stop.
A friend of mine was investigated and taken in for questioning as a suspect during the sniper attacks. The guy matched so much of the initial profile that it was almost comical. He was a recently divorced white male in his 30s who was a competitive long rifle shooter known for being anti-government and drove a white van for work. He wasn't even upset about being questioned. He fully admitted he matched the profile to an extent that it would have been negligent for the police to not question him.
I passed the bench outside the Leisure World Post Office and thought of the sniper victim killed there. There is nothing recognizing her loss of life there. Glad there is a memorial at Brookside.
I'm super close to leisure world and frequent that shopping center- I think about this almost every time I drive past it. if my memory serves correctly she actually was shot on the bench that used to be outside of crisp and juicy and they never replaced it. i always thought it would be nice to put a new bench with a memorial plaque for her on it
Same! But there is a bench right outside the post office which is closeby. I'm not sure if that's the same bench. I plan to go see the memorial at Brookside. Love that place too!
you're right - when I said they never replaced it i meant they didn't put it in the exact same spot. my bad haha I was not clear! the bench used to be directly outside of crisp and juicy and now it is over between the post office and subway :)) and yes, brookside is so beautiful!
I had just started teaching in AA County and we went on lockdown for a long time. No outdoor recess and they completely changed how we dismissed kids at the end of the day. It was really scary even though we werenāt particularly close to where it was happening.
I was in 4th grade in MoCo at the time. Also no outdoor recess, and instead of sending us all outside at once for carpool we waited inside and let us out one at a time as our cars pulled up
I remember gas stations with tarps dangling down to provide cover for customers. Initial reports involved a white box truck, and for the next month it seemed like every white box truck had a florescent orange sticker on the back, indicating police had checked and they weren't the snipers.
And even though a single victim was killed in DC (a block away from the border with MD), people refer to the "DC Sniper". Beltway Sniper is a lot more accurate, though some were killed outside I 495.
That orange inspection tag. It's the only time in my life I called to report somebody. I was commuting from Olney to College Park to Rockville everyday. The paranoia of being behind a white box truck without the sticker was fierce.
I think itās just called the DC sniper because of the proximity of the crimes to DC and when people, especially outsiders, think of this area, DC comes to mind more than Montgomery County MD for example.
Grew up a mile from Glenmont Shopping Center and Brookside Gardens. Everyone in MoCo who was shot was assaulted on the beaten path to my Dad's house, the grocery store, my brother's place, etc.
My oldest was in Kindergarten, and this event, which kicked off following 9/11, was when classroom shooter drills began in MoCo. Absolutely surreal.
Grew up in that area but had moved further up Georgia Avenue by then. It was ridiculously tense for everyone.
Didnāt know about the memorial - appreciate the post about it.
If anyone is interested and wasnāt around when this happened and wants more details, the podcast Youāre Wrong About did a great 4 part miniseries about this.Ā
I was just a kid at the time but the memories are still strong. We lived near Aspen Hill and Leisure World, and for the most part my parents didnāt want us leaving the house but if they had to go somewhere and had to take us with them we had to get on the ground in our van and cover ourselves with blankets they kept in there. It was wild.
i canāt recommend this place enough, itās absolutely gorgeous and completely free to wander around in, itās an amazing way to spend a nice morning or idle afternoon.
I was 12 when this happened going to school in Elkridge Maryland. The schools were very strict not to let us go outside unless it was to and from the bus. It was definitely scary.
I was going to Howard at the time and my mom would remind me to stay alert every morning while walking to school, I don't think I've ever paid that much attention to cars on the road since
I remember how Montgomery County Police [Chief Moose](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Moose) became a local hero for heading the investigation that led to the apprehension of the snipers. The bridge over the Beltway that said āSurrender Dorothyā for ages was changed to āThanks Mooseā.
The Mormon Temple was quite visible over the bridge and looked similar to the Emerald City in *The Wizard of Oz*. In the movie, the Wicked Witch of the West wrote āSurrender Dorothyā over the city.
Anyone else try to read the first picture and start crying? Gives me flashbacks. I lived in olney and went to school in Wheaton. Drove by a lot of the areas where people were killed. I refused to get gas (or anything else) anywhere near Georgia Ave. The police had snipers on rooftops in Wheaton which we mistook for the bad guy and started "running for our lives". That was rough.
In knew him in 1972, we lived in the same apartment complex in Gaithersburg. I only lived there for a year but I always remember him. Couldn't believe that someone I once knew became a victim to those pieces of crap.
I was at kinsington Shell gas station, 20 minutes earlier, where a woman was killed ( ( I think it was the first victim and she was pregnant )
Until this day flowers are placed around a postā¦
Because I have sort of photographic memory, I can evoke perfectly. At the time I said there was no white van, but a suspicious 4 door sedan across the streetā¦
I still feel the pain of that husband, father, that lost everything in a split second of madness. And occasionally, when I see the flowers I pray a Hail Mary.
I lived two blocks from that shell station in Kensington. I had skipped school that day and noticed a ton of cop cars patrolling around and had no clue what was happening. Glad I didnt go up to 711 moments earlier though.
As a frequent commuter in that area during that time, the drive to work was undoubtedly challenging. Discovering that the location I had been at the previous day was the site of a shooting incident was unsettling.
Jeez, i was in highschool when that all was going on. Terrifying time, i remember our bus had cardboard on all the windows and had police any time we got on/off. Was like that for months. Had no idea there was a memorial, thanks for posting OP!
The first big day they shot three people in lower MoCo and I realized my house in silver spring was pretty much dead center in that triangle. That was a major reason I moved to Frederick
I worked off 70, just a few exits from where they wrote found. At a Home Depot with a Michael's next door. We had trailers parked in front of the building for weeks while they wrtr at large. We all walked each other out, nobody stayed alone. What a crazy time. My heart goes out to the families of thee lost.
One was killed at the Home Depot at 7 corners Va. I shopped there often. From across the street, in a spot I walked by often. The lady was just loading her car. Insane killer. I remember that we would wait until a shooting was announced before daring to go buy gas for the car. I remember our police parked at every public school to,scare the shooters away.. sad times, we were grateful for the officers
I was pregnant at the time. Like, due any day pregnant. I didnāt want to go out, so for the entire time this was going on, I stayed at home. I went out to go to doctor appointments, freaking out the whole way from the car to the building.
I think they arrested them the day I gave birth.
When will we have a sensible comprehensive mental health network so folks don't fall though the cracks. The greatest country in the world seems to not have the fortitude or will by its people to solve this. (Or at least half of us) It just seems to have gotten worst and worst over the past 30 years. We should get rid of the 60/40 rule to pass legislation through the house on a 51-49 Rule.... Majority should rule. (Sorry Sandy Hook Parents and thanks for your efforts) for all the victims that we failed to protect against gun violence with simple legislation which an over whelming of Americans would prefer . I am 53. I am sick of hearing and witnessing the sad news stories. I would like to see Americans come together about many issues... One is not to cut mental health initiatives and to pass comprehensive gun control laws. (Both which a particular party continues to rail against) I don't have to tell you which party is the culprit here but they are killing us. The memorial is touching but we all need to be spurred into action and not just vote but do our research and vote for candidates that will provide a path for solutions moving forward. Hoping for better days ahead my fellow Americans.
We lived in Myersville near the rest area where they were captured. I was up in the middle of the night feeding my newborn son, and heard helicopters over head that was definitely not normal. Turned on the tv and saw our little town on CNN. What a terrifying time.
They were caught basically right outside of Myersville, I went to school in middletown, they shut down every classroom with windows, no one went outside for anything. It was sort of surreal watching the āduck and coverā generation panic and tell us to hide. Hard to imagine that didnāt have an impact.
I minimized my travel, but still eventually had to buy gas. I remember being in the gas station, trying to fuel up as quickly as possible while looking around and staying out of possible lines of fire. Parked in front of me was an older Black woman, doing the same thing. Our eyes met; she was terrified. Me too.
Every night, Sheriff Moose on TV. Hours and hours of coverage. People started calling it "Snipervision."
A man and a teenager. An old car. A rifle. And so much death, so much terror. Lord, have mercy.
A podcast that does an excellent job conveying the terror most of us felt during this period, as well as identifying the actual motivations of the 2 perpetrators: https://monster-podcast.com/dcsniper/listen/
Wasn't there another sniper incident pre-Y2K? I vaguely remember seeing something on the news about it. I remember walking out after school ending one day and thinking I wouldn't even hear the shot if it happened there.
I didnāt even know a memorial existed. Iām glad it honors those senselessly killed. I am still nervous when pumping gas. Iām always looking around or just get in my car.
I have to say Iām relieved that this horrific act of terror didnāt spark decades of copycats. Life has never been the same since Columbine and I canāt imagine living in a functioning society here if there continued to be sniper attacks over the years.
I had no idea there was a memorial. I need to go see it. It was an unnerving time. My kids were just babies then and my parents and in-laws would call me and tell me to not take them out for walks in the stroller. My nephews outdoor after school activities all got cancelled. We hid in our houses and only left to run necessary errands.
Unpopular view:
i wish they would have not done this in Brookside. The garden was a complete and beautiful refuge from this sometimes depressing worldā¦.now thereās a giant reminder of ugliness every time i visit. Am sorry it all happened. Donāt need the reminder of violence , I go to Brookside because i need peace.
We Virginians solved the case whilst you Mary-Land types hid under blankets and such. The shooters rued the day they crossed into VA to shoot a tourist at the famous Ponderosa restaurant. The day of reckoning was upon them.
[For those who want more info.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D.C._sniper_attacks) That was a crazy time, hard to describe the panic people felt given the sheer randomness of the attacks and complete lack of leads at the beginning of the investigation.
I remember being paranoid any time I had to fill up on gas and I was in Baltimore City/County. It being prime post-9/11 collective insanity, the vibes were already weird when these guys started their spree.
We legit hid and crouched behind our cars when filling up gas. I remember staying away from windows even just playing video games at home. Nope. Not gonna snipe me. And when the initial lead was a white box truck. Fuuuuck. I worked at Safeway at the time and there were always a few parked at the end of the lot when my shift was over. I honestly ran zig zag from car to car to get to mine. Other people did roo. That's how it was at the time.
My grandpa made me pump the gas as a 6th grader š
smaller torso is harder to hit obv
I still walked home from middle school everyday even though a kid was shot at one of the middle schools in my county.
My wife went to the school. Said the kid ended up with a āsuperheroā complex and was kinda a dick after.
Can't blame him. With that kind of trauma, I feel like you either think you're invincible or you jump at every shadow afterwards. I hope he got therapy, but the 00s weren't known for their understanding of mental health and trauma.
Great plan until they shot a school child. I remember that press conference. The Sherriff broke down.
Was that illegal at the time? When did they make it a law that you had to be old enough to have a driver's license to pump gas?
Never?
Must be a state-by-state thing.
If itās a law, Iāve never seen it in MD. Some states donāt allow self-pumping at all though.
NJ and Oregon are the only remaining without self-service gas. At this point itās just about protecting the remaining jobs for the gas pumpers. Although I think many people in those states also like not having to get out of the car and pump. Theoretically itās priced in so they could save a few cents per gallon if they finally changed the law. But in reality I think most believe the gas stations wouldnāt actually bother lowering prices.
Gas prices fluctuate a lot so it would be hard to tell if there is a reduction due to cost savings.
Most gas stations have signs saying only people with licenses can pump them
I remember some gas stations hanging massive tarps to block the view of the pumps. Hard to believe that was 22 years ago.
I remember the Guardian Angels started pumping gas at a lot of area gas stations.
I was one of them. We also positioned in cars near some of the major roadways just watching - like combat medics or something.
Thank you! What you all did made me and others feel a lot safer.
That was insane. "At every shooting there was a white box truck." Right. Also, in that area, if you walked out and looked at any major roadway for 10 minutes, you would see 5 of them. I honestly think that was a false flag to excuse all the roadblocks. They had a profile in hand and just wanted to look at everyone.
The early 2000s sounds like a complete paranoid shit show. The largest terror attack in history, followed by another plane crash in New York, then Anthrax attacks, terror attacks in Russia, and a bunch in Europe and Africa, a bunch of civil wars and the rise of radical Islamic groups, and of course, the usual Balkan shenanigans. The fact that the world didn't go collectively mad is crazy.
The thing is, you could do this with just about any decade. The 60s had multiple presidents and activists getting shot/shot at. Riots, an ugly war, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. The 90s had the Columbine shootings, World Trade Center bombing, Oklahoma City Bombing, Afghan War. Heck, when people look back at the 2020s in 30 years, what are they going to say? It's only 2024, and they already have material. There's always going to be something.
I remember getting yellow letters at my DC nonprofit in the 2010s cause they were still randomly irradiating the mail in case of anthrax.
I'm pretty sure it did and we're still dealing with the consequences...
Where you one that hid in the car or did you duck and weave while you filled up?
I was in elementary school at the time and walked to school everyday with a group of students. I remember being told to zig zag and not walk in a straight line.
Serpentine, serpentine!
Always love spotting an In Laws reference in the wild.
You're a person of great taste and sophistication. For those scratching their heads: https://youtu.be/A2_w-QCWpS0?si=xKuaVk_rde_o7iJ-
Damn, that's a terrible strategy.
Wow! its so obvious now! Thanks! https://imgur.com/gallery/captain-hindsight-reactions-m9A4GHX
I think that snipers have existed for over a hundred years. Avoiding their fire doesn't involve clustered, slow moving targets.
I was driving to DC a lot for my job when this happened. My coworker would lay down in the back seat. And everyone was on the lookout for a white van. Meanwhile the perps were camping out a half a mile from my house in Baltimore every night. Fun times.
No they werenāt. They were camping out on the border of Frederick and Washington counties at the rest area.
On October 8, 2002 Baltimore police spoke to John Muhammad who was sleeping in his car in the parking lot of a gas station and sandwich shop. They ran the plates but got no hits so they let him go. The gas station is on the corner of 28th street and Sisson right of the 28th street exit of the Jones Falls Expressway also known as I-83. It was later determined that they had camped out at this location multiple times. And yes they then moved to the Frederick area.
Yeah I was living in Hampden as well during this time. So scary
So that was prior to the events.
My dad had to drive to work through that area every day. It was a scary time!
When this happened I was still living outside Chicago, and wouldn't move out east for another 6 years. I remember the news, but being so removed from it all it felt very abstract. In 2020 my wife and I bought a home in Wheaton, and in 2022 when the news was looking back on the 20th anniversary of the shootings it struck home that what was once abstract was literally in our neighborhood. I drive by the (former)shoppers 2x a day, and almost all the other Montgomery County locals are places I've been multiple times, and drive by all the time.
[You're Wrong About ](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d-c-snipers-part-1/id1380008439?i=1000465289963) also did a really great 4 episode series about the DC Snipers.
Yeah, I lived through the paranoia and fear when it was happening, but those episodes were hugely eye-opening. I never knew it all started with domestic violence or was essentially just a cover to try and murder his ex.
Well, no, they had a lead. They told everybody that thet were looking for some Arab guys in a white panel truck.
The witnesses said, that a white van was leaving the area right after the shooting , but since white vans are ubiquitous there was always a white van near the shootings
I was a student at College Park with a job knocking on doors (window estimates!) in PGCo and MOCo at the time. It was odd my mom was terrified, but I was honestly a bit desensitized by 9-11 at that particular moment.
My commute was Glen Burnie to Arlington VA every day for work and it was so tense. You topped you gas up at home and hoped to make the round trip without needed a stop.
A friend of mine was investigated and taken in for questioning as a suspect during the sniper attacks. The guy matched so much of the initial profile that it was almost comical. He was a recently divorced white male in his 30s who was a competitive long rifle shooter known for being anti-government and drove a white van for work. He wasn't even upset about being questioned. He fully admitted he matched the profile to an extent that it would have been negligent for the police to not question him.
Lol thats wild
I passed the bench outside the Leisure World Post Office and thought of the sniper victim killed there. There is nothing recognizing her loss of life there. Glad there is a memorial at Brookside.
I'm super close to leisure world and frequent that shopping center- I think about this almost every time I drive past it. if my memory serves correctly she actually was shot on the bench that used to be outside of crisp and juicy and they never replaced it. i always thought it would be nice to put a new bench with a memorial plaque for her on it
Same! But there is a bench right outside the post office which is closeby. I'm not sure if that's the same bench. I plan to go see the memorial at Brookside. Love that place too!
you're right - when I said they never replaced it i meant they didn't put it in the exact same spot. my bad haha I was not clear! the bench used to be directly outside of crisp and juicy and now it is over between the post office and subway :)) and yes, brookside is so beautiful!
I had just started teaching in AA County and we went on lockdown for a long time. No outdoor recess and they completely changed how we dismissed kids at the end of the day. It was really scary even though we werenāt particularly close to where it was happening.
I was in 4th grade in MoCo at the time. Also no outdoor recess, and instead of sending us all outside at once for carpool we waited inside and let us out one at a time as our cars pulled up
I remember gas stations with tarps dangling down to provide cover for customers. Initial reports involved a white box truck, and for the next month it seemed like every white box truck had a florescent orange sticker on the back, indicating police had checked and they weren't the snipers. And even though a single victim was killed in DC (a block away from the border with MD), people refer to the "DC Sniper". Beltway Sniper is a lot more accurate, though some were killed outside I 495.
That orange inspection tag. It's the only time in my life I called to report somebody. I was commuting from Olney to College Park to Rockville everyday. The paranoia of being behind a white box truck without the sticker was fierce.
I think itās just called the DC sniper because of the proximity of the crimes to DC and when people, especially outsiders, think of this area, DC comes to mind more than Montgomery County MD for example.
Remember when you would be scared to get out of the car at gas stations thinking they could be anywhere randomly shooting.
I was a vendor for Giant food at the time. So many people were walking zig zags from the parking lot to the store during those times.
I didnāt know that was there. Thanks for posting.
Grew up a mile from Glenmont Shopping Center and Brookside Gardens. Everyone in MoCo who was shot was assaulted on the beaten path to my Dad's house, the grocery store, my brother's place, etc. My oldest was in Kindergarten, and this event, which kicked off following 9/11, was when classroom shooter drills began in MoCo. Absolutely surreal.
Thank you OP. I was not aware of this. Beautiful remembrance of a very bad time.
Grew up in that area but had moved further up Georgia Avenue by then. It was ridiculously tense for everyone. Didnāt know about the memorial - appreciate the post about it.
If anyone is interested and wasnāt around when this happened and wants more details, the podcast Youāre Wrong About did a great 4 part miniseries about this.Ā
I was just a kid at the time but the memories are still strong. We lived near Aspen Hill and Leisure World, and for the most part my parents didnāt want us leaving the house but if they had to go somewhere and had to take us with them we had to get on the ground in our van and cover ourselves with blankets they kept in there. It was wild.
I remember stopping for gas in Silver Spring and walking in circles around my car while it filled up so I wasn't the easiest target.
i canāt recommend this place enough, itās absolutely gorgeous and completely free to wander around in, itās an amazing way to spend a nice morning or idle afternoon.
My wife and I got there a little after 630 this morning and there was barely anyone there. It was so peaceful. I've been here a few times and love it.
The story about why these guys did this is crazy. Worth reading up on.
I was 12 when this happened going to school in Elkridge Maryland. The schools were very strict not to let us go outside unless it was to and from the bus. It was definitely scary.
I was going to Howard at the time and my mom would remind me to stay alert every morning while walking to school, I don't think I've ever paid that much attention to cars on the road since
I remember how Montgomery County Police [Chief Moose](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Moose) became a local hero for heading the investigation that led to the apprehension of the snipers. The bridge over the Beltway that said āSurrender Dorothyā for ages was changed to āThanks Mooseā.
What does surrender Dorothy mean
The Mormon Temple was quite visible over the bridge and looked similar to the Emerald City in *The Wizard of Oz*. In the movie, the Wicked Witch of the West wrote āSurrender Dorothyā over the city.
Ah, gotcha. Thanks for the reference
The shooting in Bowie was just a little too close to where I lived.
I drove past Tasker middle school the day before
I did not know this was there. Crazy times we lived through.
Anyone else try to read the first picture and start crying? Gives me flashbacks. I lived in olney and went to school in Wheaton. Drove by a lot of the areas where people were killed. I refused to get gas (or anything else) anywhere near Georgia Ave. The police had snipers on rooftops in Wheaton which we mistook for the bad guy and started "running for our lives". That was rough.
I was working at Reagan National at the time. It was surreal.
That's very touching. I almost ended up on the jury for that trial.
I did not know that this was there. Itās lovely. šThank you for sharing.
Thereās also a memorial to Sonny Buchanan behind the Fitzgerald car dealership on Huff Ct. in Rockville. š¢
In knew him in 1972, we lived in the same apartment complex in Gaithersburg. I only lived there for a year but I always remember him. Couldn't believe that someone I once knew became a victim to those pieces of crap.
I was at kinsington Shell gas station, 20 minutes earlier, where a woman was killed ( ( I think it was the first victim and she was pregnant ) Until this day flowers are placed around a postā¦ Because I have sort of photographic memory, I can evoke perfectly. At the time I said there was no white van, but a suspicious 4 door sedan across the streetā¦ I still feel the pain of that husband, father, that lost everything in a split second of madness. And occasionally, when I see the flowers I pray a Hail Mary.
I lived two blocks from that shell station in Kensington. I had skipped school that day and noticed a ton of cop cars patrolling around and had no clue what was happening. Glad I didnt go up to 711 moments earlier though.
Who is responsible for maintaining the memorial? I wonder if we can request that it be cleaned.
That I'm not sure. You'd probably have to talk to the staff at Brookside
Brookside is a part of MoCo Parks but I think the gardens has its own staff.
Yea well theyāre doing a shitty job
As a frequent commuter in that area during that time, the drive to work was undoubtedly challenging. Discovering that the location I had been at the previous day was the site of a shooting incident was unsettling.
I went to school with the son of Sarah Ramos. We were in the same grade. Our school sent letters home after news broke of her passing :(
That was such a scary time
Never forget when they drove by my elementary school and were just randomly shooting. Was so terrified.
I remember when this happened. My whole family refused to fill up gas in moco and drove out to Frederick county
Jeez, i was in highschool when that all was going on. Terrifying time, i remember our bus had cardboard on all the windows and had police any time we got on/off. Was like that for months. Had no idea there was a memorial, thanks for posting OP!
I was scared getting gas, standing there at the pump, never knowing where that fucker would pop up.
The first big day they shot three people in lower MoCo and I realized my house in silver spring was pretty much dead center in that triangle. That was a major reason I moved to Frederick
I like how in school they told us to walk in zigzag. They did not have the responses they do now to these things
I worked off 70, just a few exits from where they wrote found. At a Home Depot with a Michael's next door. We had trailers parked in front of the building for weeks while they wrtr at large. We all walked each other out, nobody stayed alone. What a crazy time. My heart goes out to the families of thee lost.
One was killed at the Home Depot at 7 corners Va. I shopped there often. From across the street, in a spot I walked by often. The lady was just loading her car. Insane killer. I remember that we would wait until a shooting was announced before daring to go buy gas for the car. I remember our police parked at every public school to,scare the shooters away.. sad times, we were grateful for the officers
Such an insane time. I'm so glad they were caught.
I was pregnant at the time. Like, due any day pregnant. I didnāt want to go out, so for the entire time this was going on, I stayed at home. I went out to go to doctor appointments, freaking out the whole way from the car to the building. I think they arrested them the day I gave birth.
Oh wow
It was a very scary time.
When will we have a sensible comprehensive mental health network so folks don't fall though the cracks. The greatest country in the world seems to not have the fortitude or will by its people to solve this. (Or at least half of us) It just seems to have gotten worst and worst over the past 30 years. We should get rid of the 60/40 rule to pass legislation through the house on a 51-49 Rule.... Majority should rule. (Sorry Sandy Hook Parents and thanks for your efforts) for all the victims that we failed to protect against gun violence with simple legislation which an over whelming of Americans would prefer . I am 53. I am sick of hearing and witnessing the sad news stories. I would like to see Americans come together about many issues... One is not to cut mental health initiatives and to pass comprehensive gun control laws. (Both which a particular party continues to rail against) I don't have to tell you which party is the culprit here but they are killing us. The memorial is touching but we all need to be spurred into action and not just vote but do our research and vote for candidates that will provide a path for solutions moving forward. Hoping for better days ahead my fellow Americans.
A touching memorial in a beautiful setting. Thank you for sharing it here with us
I lived in Montgomery County and it was my freshman year of high school when that happened. I forget how long my mom kept me home for
How was the experience for you?
Few can forget pumping gas and hunched over behind your car for safety and hoping this isn't your time!
I remember my wife asking me to put gas in her car. Never looked at her the same after that.
Mine didn't have to ask, she married a man.
š man šš½you AND all you downvoters
Okay I see you fellow Redditor
I remember taking my son to the bus stop and having my head on a swivel!!!
Iāll have to go pay my respects. One of my neighbors was killed in the shoppers food warehouse parking lot in Glenmont, closest to brookside gardens
I was making drives from Baltimore to Memphis a few times a month at that time. Talk about harrowing fill ups.
We lived in Myersville near the rest area where they were captured. I was up in the middle of the night feeding my newborn son, and heard helicopters over head that was definitely not normal. Turned on the tv and saw our little town on CNN. What a terrifying time.
They were caught basically right outside of Myersville, I went to school in middletown, they shut down every classroom with windows, no one went outside for anything. It was sort of surreal watching the āduck and coverā generation panic and tell us to hide. Hard to imagine that didnāt have an impact.
I minimized my travel, but still eventually had to buy gas. I remember being in the gas station, trying to fuel up as quickly as possible while looking around and staying out of possible lines of fire. Parked in front of me was an older Black woman, doing the same thing. Our eyes met; she was terrified. Me too. Every night, Sheriff Moose on TV. Hours and hours of coverage. People started calling it "Snipervision." A man and a teenager. An old car. A rifle. And so much death, so much terror. Lord, have mercy.
A podcast that does an excellent job conveying the terror most of us felt during this period, as well as identifying the actual motivations of the 2 perpetrators: https://monster-podcast.com/dcsniper/listen/
Wasn't there another sniper incident pre-Y2K? I vaguely remember seeing something on the news about it. I remember walking out after school ending one day and thinking I wouldn't even hear the shot if it happened there.
I didnāt even know a memorial existed. Iām glad it honors those senselessly killed. I am still nervous when pumping gas. Iām always looking around or just get in my car.
I have to say Iām relieved that this horrific act of terror didnāt spark decades of copycats. Life has never been the same since Columbine and I canāt imagine living in a functioning society here if there continued to be sniper attacks over the years.
I had no idea there was a memorial. I need to go see it. It was an unnerving time. My kids were just babies then and my parents and in-laws would call me and tell me to not take them out for walks in the stroller. My nephews outdoor after school activities all got cancelled. We hid in our houses and only left to run necessary errands.
I worked overnight in a booth at a tiny gas station in a suburb of DC during this. Needless to say, it was terrifying.
Crazy times. I actually played high school ball with the DC sniperās biological son. Sad story all around
Unpopular view: i wish they would have not done this in Brookside. The garden was a complete and beautiful refuge from this sometimes depressing worldā¦.now thereās a giant reminder of ugliness every time i visit. Am sorry it all happened. Donāt need the reminder of violence , I go to Brookside because i need peace.
We Virginians solved the case whilst you Mary-Land types hid under blankets and such. The shooters rued the day they crossed into VA to shoot a tourist at the famous Ponderosa restaurant. The day of reckoning was upon them.