23 days of terror: the compelling true story of the hunt and capture of the beltway snipers

Journalist Cannon offers a tension-laden, detailed account of the 23 days in the fall of 2002 when the Washington, D.C., area was terrorized by random sniper killings, which heightened the nation's fear and dread in the wake of 9/11. What started as a police investigation by the Montgomery County police department would eventually include more than 600 ATF agents as well as the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and U.S. Marshals Service, and the Pentagon. Cannon details the shootings, including personal profiles of the 13 victims, the mounting investigation, and the complicated process of managing the media, reassuring the public, and finding the killers. She also profiles the accused snipers--John Allen Muhammad, a 42-year-old Gulf War veteran, and 17-year-old Lee Boyd Malvo--as their personal frustration and disillusionment lead to a killing spree. Tensions heighten after the shooting of a 13-year-old student compounds fears that no one is safe. Investigators field thousands of tips as area residents lock themselves in, avoid outdoor activities, adopt a zigzag walk, and stay away from gas stations before police zero in on the killers and end their reign of terror. A gripping, harrowing account. --Vanessa Bush

Journalist Cannon offers a tension-laden, detailed account of the 23 days in the fall of 2002 when the Washington, D.C., area was terrorized by random sniper killings, which heightened the nation's fear and dread in the wake of 9/11. What started as a police investigation by the Montgomery County police department would eventually include more than 600 ATF agents as well as the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and U.S. Marshals Service, and the Pentagon. Cannon details the shootings, including personal profiles of the 13 victims, the mounting investigation, and the complicated process of managing the media, reassuring the public, and finding the killers. She also profiles the accused snipers--John Allen Muhammad, a 42-year-old Gulf War veteran, and 17-year-old Lee Boyd Malvo--as their personal frustration and disillusionment lead to a killing spree. Tensions heighten after the shooting of a 13-year-old student compounds fears that no one is safe. Investigators field thousands of tips as area residents lock themselves in, avoid outdoor activities, adopt a zigzag walk, and stay away from gas stations before police zero in on the killers and end their reign of terror. A gripping, harrowing account. ((Reviewed March 1, 2003)) Copyright 2003 Booklist Reviews