US sniper claims seventh victim

The death toll from the Washington sniper rose to seven as ballistics evidence linked the killer to a man gunned down at a Virginia petrol station.

Dean Meyers, 53, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, was killed by a single shot on Wednesday night, moments after filling his car’s tank. Six other people have been killed and two wounded since the attacks began on October 2.

Prince William County Police Chief Charlie Deane said the results of an autopsy on Meyers and ballistic evidence had linked the cases. He pleaded for the killer to give up: “There’s enough damage been done,” he said.

Police earlier said they were searching for a white mini-van seen leaving the petrol station in the area, but Deane said the van’s occupants had a reasonable explanation of their actions. He refused to say whether there were surveillance cameras at the station in Manassas, but said some cameras were in the area.

“It’s a difficult case but we are developing more information as the minutes go by,” Deane said.

Manassas is about 35 miles south west of the Maryland suburbs where most of the attacks happened. The shooting is the second in Virginia – a woman was wounded by the sniper last Friday in Fredericksburg, 30 miles south of Manassas.

Police walked shoulder to shoulder through a drizzling rain, looking for evidence near the petrol station. Deane did not say whether they had found anything, but said there had been no communication from the killer.

A tarot “death” card with the taunting words: “Dear policeman, I am God,” was found near a shell casing outside a school in Bowie, Maryland, where a 13-year-old boy was critically wounded by the sniper on Monday. Authorities have refused to discuss the card or any other evidence.

Investigators say the sniper, or snipers, fired from a distance with a high-powered hunting or military-style rifle. Like Meyers, all the victims were felled by a single bullet.

The killings have heightened fear across the densely populated suburban area around Washington, with schools keeping children inside and residents watching over their shoulders.

More than 80,000 people are expected at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, for Sunday’s football game between the Washington Redskins and the New Orleans Saints. The stadium is less than 10 miles from where the boy was wounded.

“It raises a tremendous amount of concern,” Washington player Dan Wilkinson said. “I’m worried about one person at the gas station. Eighty-thousand fans, that’s heaven for this lunatic.”

Police refused to disclose security details for the game. Fans’ bags are searched before entering the stadium.