Sniper shootings have chilling effect

One of the biggest -- and most bizarre -- news stories since last year's terrorist attacks continues to unfold in the Washington, D.C., area, where an elusive sniper shoots an unsuspecting victim almost daily. The count is up to 14 incidents resulting in 10 deaths and three critically wounded victims. One shot went through a store window but didn't hit anyone.

What is so puzzling about the shootings is what appears to be their randomness. If the sniper has a pattern or plan -- other than staying pretty much in one geographic area, it certainly isn't apparent to a watchful nation that is growing increasingly concerned and frightened.

As unsettling as the sniper shootings are in the middle of the nation, consider the emotions and fears of people who live in and around our nation's capital. With millions of people living and working there, the odds of being the sniper's next victim are slim. But there is something personal and unsettling about the potential for being targeted -- for no apparent reason.

The investigation into this long string of shootings is testing the limits of law-enforcement agencies to apprehend the killer. The fact that it is taking so long is having the effect of eroding confidence in the various police agencies, including the FBI.

Not that the police aren't pouring every resource imaginable into the hunt. Sophisticated equipment, profilers and experts of every stripe are as determined to put an end to the shootings as the public is ready for the killings to cease. But this sniper appears to have a way of doing his dastardly business in public -- and, possibly, in plain view -- without getting caught.

We now know that the investigation has been waylaid somewhat by the overactive imaginations of some so-called witnesses. Apparently, these individuals were eager to become a part of the story by providing what turns out to be false information about the sniper and his vehicle. Charges are pending against some of these misinformers. They should be severely penalized for their actions.

The latest twist was the announcement that the sniper wanted to communicate with his pursuers, leaving a note at one crime scene setting up a telephone call. When the call was made, police said it was garbled and asked the killer to call again.

Under other circumstances, the handling of the case so far might be called bumbling and much too open to public scrutiny. Now investigators have cut off some of the media access that tended to inflate rumors and generate more speculation than fact. While the public certainly needs to be informed about what is going on, it serves no purpose for police to respond to questions to which there are no answers at this time.

As this story continues, a sense of personal danger grows, even in parts of the country far from Washington. Let's hope that the police are getting close to putting an end to this madness.