Possible sniper evidence being analyzed

Wednesday, October 9th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(ROCKVILLE, Maryland) -- Evidence retrieved from the site of the most recent sniper shooting in the Washington, D.C., area -- including a Tarot card inscribed with the message "Dear Policeman: I am God" -- has been taken to an FBI lab for analysis, law enforcement sources said Wednesday.

Results from the tests -- looking at DNA, fingerprinting, the origin of the card, handwriting and spelling -- will be of use to FBI profilers, sources said.

The Tarot card and a shell casing were found near a middle school in Bowie, Maryland, where a 13-year-old boy was shot Monday. It was the latest attack in weeklong shooting spree that has killed six people and wounded two.

Meanwhile, police in Prince George's County were conducting an aerial search of woods near two schools in Fort Washington, Maryland, on Wednesday after a witness reported seeing a man carrying a long, dark bag.

Police said they had interviewed a witness and, based on that, established a perimeter and were searching the area.

The bag's description is similar to what residents have said they have seen surveyors carry in the area, a Prince George's police spokeswoman said. The surveyors carry tripods in such bags, police said.

Sources said it is unclear whether the Tarot card is related to the shootings. The card represents death in the fortunetelling deck.

Authorities said the card could have been left by a prankster.

But Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose said Wednesday he was upset about the leak of the Tarot card information to reporters and said "it is inappropriate to comment on this card."

"There are a lot of things that have the potential to hurt the investigation," Moose said.

Moose also criticized statements from retired law enforcement personnel who are news analysts for TV networks and stations. Moose said it is insulting to hear commentary from "talking heads" who have not been briefed, seen evidence or talked to investigators.

The boy, who was shot after his aunt dropped him off at school, remains in critical but stable condition at Children's National Medical Center in Washington.

Authorities are trying to determine whether the shell casing found near the school can help them determine the type of weapon used in the shooting.

Forensics evidence, including ballistics tests on the bullets, have linked the eight shooting attacks that have occurred since last week. Authorities said each victim was hit once with a .223-caliber bullet fired from a rifle from a relatively long distance.

Montgomery County schools are closed Wednesday for a previously scheduled teacher workday. A heavy police presence monitored schools in Prince George's County.

Investigators -- about 100 from Montgomery County and 95 from other agencies -- are sifting through 1,600 tips and leads deemed credible. They continue to search for a suspicious white van seen by a witness near the scene of one of the shootings.

The shootings began October 2 when someone fired a shot through a window of a Michaels crafts store in Wheaton, but no one was hit.

Five people were shot and killed in Montgomery County during a 16-hour period from October 2 into Thursday morning. A sixth victim was shot dead Thursday night on a Washington street.

A seventh person was wounded Friday in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She was released Tuesday afternoon from Inova Fairfax Hospital, a spokeswoman said.

Authorities have not identified a suspect, but they said they hope a growing reward fund may help persuade anyone who knows anything about the killings to come forward.

Late Tuesday, the reward stood at nearly $240,000 for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the person responsible for the killings. The fund includes $100,000 from the state of Maryland, $50,000 from Montgomery County and $10,000 from a victims' rights foundation.

Donations also have been coming in from across the country, said Donna Bigler of the Montgomery County executive's office, which is managing the fund. The county has set up a telephone number for people to call to donate money using credit cards.

"We've had donations from a local law firm, a crime solvers' group in Wisconsin, a couple from Virginia and a businessman in California, giving from $100 to $50,000," Bigler said.

Investigators also are reconsidering a September 14 shooting outside a Silver Spring, Maryland liquor store, trying to determine whether the same culprit might be responsible. A man was wounded there but survived. Michael Bouchard, a special agent with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said the ballistics evidence from that crime scene was inconclusive.

Authorities also are looking into a fire at a Michaels crafts store near the middle school in Bowie. The crafts store burned down, and the case remains open. Several of the shootings have taken place near Michaels crafts stores.

The fear in Washington's suburbs has spread into the District of Columbia, with Capitol Police implementing "added precautionary measures" in response to the attacks.

A memo sent Monday to "all office emergency coordinators" on Capitol Hill urged people who work and visit the Hill to "exercise an abundance of caution," including "reducing outside activities to the extent possible."

The memo states "there is no indication that a threat is directed toward the Capitol or members of Congress."

The White House called the outbreak of violence "traumatic" and "scary."

Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening called the sniper a "coward," and he called on the suspect to "stop this insane killing."

"This is a person who is shooting elderly men, shooting women and now shooting little children," Glendening said at a Tuesday news conference with local and federal law enforcement agencies.

"It is extremely important that he understands that no one is looking up to him, that no one is thinking this is a great act that he's doing. We're all thinking that this is an act of absolute cowardice."

James Fox, a professor of criminal justice at Northeastern University, believes the killer is shooting people "for sport."

"This is an insignificant nobody that, through this killing spree, feels very much important," Fox said. "He feels that he's overpowering the whole community. He feels very good about the fact that he can outsmart the police."