Several people saw the sniper

FOR the first time since the Washington-area sniper slayings began, more than one witness saw a man fire and flee in a white van, but police said yesterday that none of the witnesses got a good enough look to yield a sketch.

“There are a couple of people who believe they saw a man shoot, unfortunately distance and darkness and perhaps adrenaline have made them unable to give a clear composite that we can disseminate,” said Montgomery Co. police captain Nancy Demme.

Capt Demme said one witness told police the shooter used an AK-74 rifle to kill 47-year-old FBI analyst Linda Franklin on Monday night outside a Falls Church, Virginia, Home Depot store: “The witness firmly believes this is the weapon, but we have to keep in mind that weapons are inter-

changable, like vehicles.”

Investigators said the latest shooting has yielded the most detailed clues yet in the search for the killer, including licence plate information and a description of a man seen leaving the scene in a white, Chevy Astro van with a burned-out or broken left tail light.

With police unable to release more specific information, Capt Demme gave a “how-to” list of tips for potential witnesses in case the sniper strikes again. Among them: commit to memory what you see, carry around a pen to make notes and, if necessary, write down descriptions and details on your hand. She also warned witnesses not to “contaminate” their remembrances by talking to other people or reporters.

Robert Young, a Washington construction worker, was among witnesses to Monday night’s shooting who returned to the shopping centre yesterday to talk with police. He said he heard a muffled gunshot and saw a white van.

Mr Young said as he backed his truck out of his parking spot, a white Astro van with two men inside tried to turn into his lane. He said the driver appeared very agitated to find his way blocked and instead drove by a neighbouring restaurant and out of sight.

Mr Young described the driver as a short man of slight build who appeared to be Middle Eastern.

“I got a good look at the guy,” he said.

The driver “seemed to be excessively irritated because he couldn't pull into my lane,” he said. “I thought this fool was going to want to get out of the van and duke or something. But he didn't. He kept on going.”

Law enforcement sources said there was no indication the sniper targeted Ms Franklin, 47, because of her job with the FBI's Cyber-Crimes Division, created last year to focus on computer crimes as well as intellectual property cases. In Maryland, Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose, the head of the investigation, emphasised that Ms Franklin was not working on the sniper case.

Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge said investigators are hesitant to rule out the possibility that the slayings are the work of a terrorist because there is no hard evidence about motive. Each victim was cut down with a single bullet fired from a distance by a high-powered rifle. All were going about everyday tasks. n a continuing appeal for help, Chief Moose released a composite image of a white Astro with a ladder rack that witnesses saw after Friday’s slaying of a man at a gas station near Fredericksburg, Virginia. He also released a similar image of a Ford Econovan.