Sniper hunt suffers witness setback

The hunt for the serial sniper stalking Washington suffered a setback today when a witness to the latest attack was labelled “not credible” by police.

Investigators said they had discounted claims by a man that he had seen the gunman shouldering a Kalashnikov as he shot dead FBI analyst Linda Franklin in northern Virginia on Monday night.

His description of a cream-coloured van with a malfunctioning brake light, which was issued to the public after the shooting, was also retracted.

The man admitted he was inside a nearby shop at the time of the attack and had not seen it happen, investigators said.

“We continue to follow up on leads from other witnesses that we have at the scene,” said Fairfax County police chief Tom Manger.

The setback leaves investigators with no description of the attacker and no weapon type two weeks into one of the biggest manhunts in US history.

Hundreds of local and state police have joined FBI agents in the search for the killer, who has killed nine people and wounded two since October 2.

The Pentagon has authorised the use of army surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to help the hunt.

FBI officials said they plan to question al Qaida prisoners at Guantanamo Bay about the sniper.

No links have been found so far to connect Osama bin Laden’s network to the gunman and the shootings do not fit the pattern of an organised terrorist group, officials said.

But they said it was sensible to follow all lines of investigation at this point in the search.

Reported sightings of the sniper have included descriptions of an Hispanic or Middle Eastern man in a white van, or two men in a van.

But Mr Manger said: “A suspect description was not put out by the police and should not be seen as reliable information.”

Police also said that the bullets fired at the victims could come from at least 30 different types of gun, and that the weapon used could be disguised with accessories that change its appearance.

The sniper’s only apparent communication with investigators has been a tarot death card inscribed: “Dear Policeman, I am God.”

The latest attack was the most brazen yet by the sniper, who was just 30ft away from mother-of-two Mrs Franklin when he struck.

Previous victims were all shot from a distance of several hundred metres.

Washington police have issued recommendations for ways to avoid becoming the sniper’s next victim.

Tips include telling pedestrians to walk in zigzags and advising motorists putting petrol in their cars to crouch and keep their body hidden behind the vehicle.