US police investigating a sniper who has shot 12 people in the past month said tonight they had received a message warning: “Your children are not safe anywhere at any time.”

THE latest three attacks linked to the elusive Washington area sniper were carried out near major highways that would have allowed the killer to come and go quickly.

FIVE people were fatally shot one by one in public places within 16 hours of each other in Washington’s suburbs, and authorities said Thursday there was a strong possibility the killings were related.