Police hunt 'skilled shooter' after five killed

Police were today hunting a “skilled shooter” after five people were killed one by one in less than 16 hours in the Washington suburbs.

While cautioning that the murders were not definitely linked, officers said it was a strong possibility. Each of the victims appeared to have been killed with a single bullet.

“We do have someone that so far has been very accurate in what they are attempting to do,” Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose said.

The victims were killed in the suburbs north of the US capital between 6 pm local time on Wednesday and 10 am local time yesterday. One was shot as he mowed a lawn, another while cleaning her car at a petrol station, and a third outside a post office.

Security around the county was stepped up.

Investigators said they had found no sign the victims were related or that they had any conflicts with anyone. None appeared to have been robbed.

Police also said race did not appear to be a motive, noting the victims included two white men, a white woman, a Hispanic woman and a man from India.

“We are across the board in genders and ethnic backgrounds,” police spokeswoman Nancy Demme said. The victims were aged 25 to 55.

Nearly 150 state troopers and federal authorities, including the FBI and the Secret Service, were involved in the case.

Police said they had no eyewitnesses, although one person reported seeing a white van with two occupants speed away from one of the shootings.

The murders happened in one of the wealthiest counties in America, with a median household income of about €71,500.

Police urged residents to stay calm. Moose said he would not impose a curfew.

But schools in Frederick County, Maryland, were locked down, and Washington schools cancelled outdoor activities. Many shops were nearly deserted.

“It’s scary,” Lillian Ansell, 79, said after she showed up for her appointment at a beauty salon.

Parents picking up their children had to show ID and give the names of their child and their child’s teacher.

Ceciliea Desousa picked up her nine and 10-year-old daughters from an elementary school near one of the murder scenes.

“It took five years off my life,” she said of the shootings.

The first person killed was James Martin, 55, who was shot in the car park of a grocery shop on Wednesday evening.

The next four victims died yesterday morning:

James “Sonny” Buchanan, 39, was killed while cutting the grass at a car dealership. Half-an-hour later, taxi driver Prenkumar Walekar, 54, was shot as he filled up with petrol.

Another 30 minutes later, Sarah Ramos, 34, was gunned down at a post office near a retirement community. Lori Ann Lewis-Rivera, 25, was killed at about 10 am at a petrol station. Mechanics said they heard shots but did not see who killed the woman as she vacuumed her van.

A single shot was apparently fired at each location, but it was unclear whether they were fired from a vehicle or at what range.