Sniper Culture

Everyone wants to unmask the sniper. The serial shooter with a fierce aim and apparently random reasons for wreaking terror in suburban Washington. The mind's eye paints pictures of the perp that are as various as the victims themselves: A brooding loner. A foreign terrorist. A criminal kid.

False alerts about arrests earlier today heap frustration onto fear. So in the absence of an ID, we turn to sniper culture for clues. Tonight On Point, we set our sights on the high-priced, high-stakes pastime that transforms average civilians into law-enforcement and military-grade snipers.

Guests:

Matt Young, lead police reporter, Northern Virginia Journal, Alexandria, Virginia

Elaine Shannon, law enforcement reporter, TIME magazine

William Graves, owner and sniper trainer, GPS, LLC and HS Precision Sniper Program

Jack Beatty, On Point news anaylst and senior editor, The Atlantic Monthly