With the
two arrests made yesterday morning at a Frederick, Maryland,
roadside stop, we believe the area sniper killings have
been stopped.
For three
weeks, the people along the Maryland/Washington, D.C./Virginia
corridor have lived in fear, and I am personally appreciative
of the fierce determination on their parts--parents
and children alike--not to panic and to assist the efforts
of law enforcement in whatever way they could to solve
the case. We discovered that we lived in a town of courageous
and patient people.
With the
killings behind us, I would first like to remember those
who died and who were so grievously wounded. On behalf
of every man and woman in the FBI, I would like to express
my deepest sympathy to the families of the victims.
We feel and share your loss profoundly.
I would also
like to thank all law enforcement agencies and other
specialists, both across the country and here in our
area, for their dedication to the investigation. It
was, in so many ways, an unprecedented, large-scale
effort by local, state and federal agencies working
toward a single goal. The unusual elements of the case
brought particular challenges, but those challenges
were overcome, and police and members of the sniper
task force were able to do the job they do so well.
Much remains
to be done in pending legal and forensic arenas, but
we are confident today that the killing is over and
justice will be served.
