Editing D.C. sniper attacks (section)

==Conclusions of investigations==
{{further|John Allen Muhammad|Lee Boyd Malvo}}

===Logistics and tactics===
[[File:DC Snipers' Chevy Caprice - A look inside the sniper murder car.webm|thumb|Video of ATF agents demonstrating the snipers' usage of their vehicle]]
The attacks were carried out with a stolen [[Bushmaster XM-15]] [[Semi-automatic rifle|semi-automatic]] .223 caliber [[rifle]] equipped with a [[Bushnell Corporation|Bushnell]] [[holographic weapon sight]] effective at ranges of up to {{convert|300.|m|sigfig=1|abbr=off|sp=us}}, which was found in the vehicle.<ref name="EOTech">{{cite web|title=Holographic Weapon Sights FAQ|url=http://www.eotechinc.com/hws-service-and-support/faq|website=EOTech|access-date=November 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161127191407/http://www.eotechinc.com/hws-service-and-support/faq|archive-date=November 27, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=StoreAgree>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8763-2004Sep9.html|title=Gunmaker, Store Agree To Payout in Sniper Case|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=September 10, 2004|first1=Tom|last1=Jackman|access-date=August 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170916010000/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8763-2004Sep9.html|archive-date=September 16, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The trunk of the Chevrolet Caprice was modified to serve as a "rolling sniper's nest".  The back seat was modified to allow a person access to the trunk. Once inside, the sniper could lie prone and take shots through a small hole created for that purpose near the license plate.<ref name=SnipersFBI>{{cite web|url=https://www.fbi.gov/page2/oct07/snipers102207.html|title=A Byte Out of History: The Beltway Snipers, Part 1|website=FBI|date=October 22, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161218040554/https://www2.fbi.gov/page2/oct07/snipers102207.html|archive-date=December 18, 2016}}</ref>

===Motive===
Investigators and the prosecution suggested during pre-trial motions that Muhammad intended to kill his second ex-wife [[Mildred Muhammad|Mildred]], who he felt had estranged him from his children. According to this hypothesis, the other shootings were intended to cover up the motive for the crime. Muhammad believed that the police would not focus on an estranged ex-husband as a suspect if Mildred appeared to be a random victim of a serial killer. During the attacks, Muhammad frequented the neighborhood where she lived, and some of the incidents occurred nearby. Additionally, he had earlier made threats against her. Mildred herself said that she was his intended target, claiming that when the police first approached her, one officer said, "Ms. Muhammad, didn't you know you were the target?"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://truecrimedaily.com/2016/02/01/cwd-special-investigation-d-c-snipers-wife-speaks-out/|title=Exclusive: Ex-wife, daughters of 'D.C. Sniper' speak out|access-date=July 28, 2020|archive-date=July 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728050916/https://truecrimedaily.com/2016/02/01/cwd-special-investigation-d-c-snipers-wife-speaks-out/|url-status=live}}</ref> However, Judge [[LeRoy F. Millette Jr.]] prevented prosecutors from presenting that theory during the trial, saying that a link had not been firmly established.

While imprisoned, Malvo wrote a number of erratic diatribes about what he termed "jihad" against the United States. "I have been accused on my mission. Allah knows I'm gonna suffer now," he wrote.  Because his rants and drawings featured not only such figures as [[Osama bin Laden]] and [[Saddam Hussein]], but also characters from the film series ''[[The Matrix]]'', these musings were dismissed as immaterial.<ref name=baltsun>{{cite news |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.malvo04dec04,0,3960951.story |title=Malvo sketches depicted 'jihad' |newspaper=Baltimore Sun |date=December 4, 2003 |access-date=August 16, 2009 |first1=Andrea F. |last1=Siegel |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070711215404/http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.malvo04dec04%2C0%2C3960951.story |archive-date=July 11, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  Some investigators reportedly said they had all but eliminated terrorist ties or political ideologies as a motive.<ref>Horwitz, Ruane ''Sniper: Inside the Hunt for the Killers Who Terrorized the Nation'' Random House {{ISBN|0-345-47662-X}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2003/LAW/11/19/sprj.dcsp.muhammad.trial/index.html |title= Muhammad told ex-wife, "I will kill you," she says |publisher=CNN |date=November 19, 2003|access-date=August 16, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20041127041821/http://edition.cnn.com/2003/LAW/11/19/sprj.dcsp.muhammad.trial/index.html |archive-date = November 27, 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/ussniperkillings/Sniper-accused-wanted-to-kill.2374462.jp |title=Sniper accused "wanted to kill wife" |website=The Scotsman |location=Edinburgh, Scotland |date=November 1, 2002 |access-date=August 16, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090110020030/http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/ussniperkillings/Sniper-accused-wanted-to-kill.2374462.jp |archive-date=January 10, 2009 |url-status=live  }}</ref> Nonetheless, in at least one of the ensuing murder trials, a Virginia court found Muhammad guilty of killing "pursuant to the direction or order" of [[terrorism]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/23/national/23sniper.html | work=The New York Times | title=Virginia Justices Set Death Sentence in Washington Sniper Case | first=Adam | last=Liptak | date=April 23, 2005 | access-date=March 27, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090424202031/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/23/national/23sniper.html | archive-date=April 24, 2009 | url-status=live | df=mdy-all }}</ref>

At the 2006 trial of Muhammad, Malvo testified that the aim of the killing spree was to kidnap children for the purpose of extorting money from the government and to "set up a camp to train children how to terrorize cities,"<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/24/us/24malvo.html | work=The New York Times | title=Sniper Accomplice Says Mentor Had Extortion and Terror Plan | date=May 24, 2006 | access-date=March 27, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090424202029/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/24/us/24malvo.html| archive-date=April 24, 2009| url-status= live}}</ref> with the ultimate goal being to "shut things down" across the United States.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/31/us/31sniper.html | work=The New York Times | title=Washington-Area Sniper Convicted of 6 More Killings | first=Ian | last=Urbina | date=May 31, 2006 | access-date=March 27, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090424202035/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/31/us/31sniper.html | archive-date=April 24, 2009 | url-status=live | df=mdy-all }}</ref> Malvo also stated that Muhammad was driven by his hatred for white people, and his belief that "the white man is the devil". His plan was to kill six white people per day for thirty days, and he told Malvo he wanted him to shoot pregnant white women.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1519411/The-snipers-plan-kill-six-whites-a-day-for-30-days.html | title=The sniper's plan: Kill six whites a day for 30 days | date=May 25, 2006 | access-date=March 4, 2023 | archive-date=February 20, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230220100927/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1519411/The-snipers-plan-kill-six-whites-a-day-for-30-days.html | url-status=live }}</ref>