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

Book Cover
Average Rating
Publisher
Pocket Books
Publication Date
[2003]
Language
English

Description

In October 2002, a nation still recovering from the 9/11 attacks found itself under siege once more -- by an unseen, unknown, and seemingly unstoppable enemy. For 23 days, the area around Washington, D.C., was the hunting ground for a pair of serial snipers who struck at random, killing from afar, only to vanish time and time again. With each attack, they raised the stakes, taunting the authorities to try to stop them -- until their luck ran out. Here, from veteran reporter Angie Cannon and the staff of U.S. News & World Report, comes the complete story of one of the most heinous crimes in American history -- a chronicle of the harrowing days in October that took ten innocent lives and wounded three others; the means and methods used by law enforcement -- and their mistakes; the suspects' backgrounds and possible motives; and the fear that gripped a region of five million people and the effect these shocking acts of terror continue to have on American society.

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ISBN
9780743476959

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Booklist Review

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

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Booklist Reviews

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

Copyright 2003 Booklist Reviews
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