By Stephen Levy – The Hoya Georgetown University (U-WIRE)
Five shootings at military bases in Northern Virginia in the past three weeks now have been linked to the same shooter, leading to concern that the suspect may be targeting the U.S. Marine Corps. The shootings have produced no damage or injuries, however.
The FBI linked the five incidents, confirming that all the bullets recovered from the crime scenes came from the same gun. The FBI said the shooter might hold a personal grudge against the Marine Corps, or even be a marine, according to The Washington Post.
The incidents are under investigation, but officials said that there have been no attempts to kill or injure any residents of the base, and the incidents are being considered acts of vandalism. The FBI has called on the shooter to contact them, offering to discuss the grievances of the shooter and try to resolve them.
The first incident occurred on the night of Oct. 16, when the shooter fired at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Va. Later that week on the morning of Oct. 19, shots were fired at the Pentagon, hitting a window and the wall of a part of the Pentagon under renovation.
On the morning of Oct. 28. the shooter fired at a vacant Marine Corps recruiting station in Chantilly, Va. The next morning, shots were again fired at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. All of the shots have been fired at night or early in the morning. No injuries have been reported.
The shootings occurred within a week of the Marine Corps Marathon, the largest marathon in D.C. with 21,856 runners — many of who, including the winner, serve in the armed forces.
While the event was not cancelled or delayed, the Marines increased security, according to The Washington Post.
