<Virginia slaying probed for link to sniper.

Well, let’s see what we can guess about this guy.

First, he’s narcissistic, probably with very elevated borderline and antisocial scales, too. Unable to see people as people, but as objects. (Sort of like folks who like to bomb. Antiseptic, impersonal, no one is REALLY responsible, no one is REALLY killed.)

Next, he has a disguised or hidden rifle and means of carrying it. The shot at the kid from out of the vehicle seems puzzling. He would have had to get out of a vehicle, carry a rifle some distance, stay out of sight while waiting and/or sighting, shoot with all the noise and commotion that goes with it, walk back to the vehicle, climb in with a rifle and leave.

A lot of links in that chain where he could be seen.

He’s firing only one shot. There are .223 pistols, many custom-made, and single shot is the rule for those. However, I've never heard of a semi-auto .223 pistol. The single-shot weapons don't eject the casing and they found a casing.

That’s a semi-automatic rifle. And the authorities say he is using a rilfle. They could well know, though a custom-made pistol would be using a section of rifle barrel and the action.

Wonder why he doesn’t shoot twice, though he may not have the time. He may not be comfortable out of the vehicle, and that may explain why there was a casing left behind. He’s smarter than that, so it was a mistake.

In that case he’s nervous and in a hurry. If so, he’ll make more mistakes as he gets more daring, takes more chances, and gets more nervous as a result.

There was no casing, apparently, left behind at the first few murders. Stayed in a vehicle. Or wasn’t a semi-automatic.

Doesn’t take too much skill to hit the torso of a human being at 150 yards with a .223 rifle and a ‘scope. A .223 with a reasonable powder charge has a very flat trajectory. If he were really good he could get a reliable head shot at that distance. He may well be a super-expert, but so far it would seem he wouldn’t have to be.

However, if he’s shooting from much over 150 or 200 yards he’s going to need to calculate windage or a way to estimate it accurately AND to be willing to trust it. That takes skill and practice. That guy should be easier to find, though there’s a lot of them. Most, though, aren’t that “current”. The military cranks ‘em out, but it takes time and money to stay “current”. Unless the guy is current military.

I don’t know how much high-powered, long-range rifles are used for hunting on the east coast. I think more of shotguns with slugs, but I don’t know.

Seems to be using a tumbling rather than disintegrating bullet. The “tumblers” would leave some ballistic information the disintegrating wouldn’t. And are a bit more reliable. The do make a mess of flesh and bone, especially if they hit bone. There isn’t a charitable gram in the damned things.

They are also somewhat easier to purchase for hunting. The disintegrating bullets can ruin a bit of the carcass, don’t make much sense. A person would be a bit more obvious purchasing them.

(I’m sure the Geneva Convention calls for full metal jackets. ((Remember the movie?)) Those tend to poke holes into and out of flesh, wounding more than killing. Tactically the shooters would rather have dead folks, but strategically the wounded people are more valuable than dead ones. You can see why the governments went for that one. Not sharpening bayonets after their manufacture is a bit tougher to understand.)

So, we have a narcissistic guy who is either recently discharged military or avid hunter or both, with a way to transport, hide and/or disguise a .223 rifle, an income which will support an inconspicuous vehicle, a drivers license and insurance (he doesn’t want to get pulled over for a minor offense), the rifle, and practice. If he works his job leaves him the times of the shootings off without being obvious.

He could be young, in high school, in which case there could be a couple of them working together. A shooter and a driver. However, the escalation into the field near the school would seem to be a one-person sort of thing.

You can be damned sure he’s not Muslim, or running around with a turban. I’d guess he’s Caucasian, as those hunters would be less obvious.

If he’s not a kid, I’d suspect he’s a semi-skilled, non-union construction worker. Kinda quiet, private person.

And, he’s escalating, taking more chances. Getting off on it. Should make a big mistake soon.

And I’m hardly ever right.

Arf