The problem with the story of the hideous shooting spree in Maryland hitting around the same time as “Red Dragon” is that I read the news story and start looking at it with Hannibal Lecter analysis. Five shootings within a fourteen hour period. “Doesn’t that seem desperately random, Clarice?” echoes in my head.
And I find myself looking at the time involved. James D. Martin, shot in the parking lot of a grocery store at 6:04 PM, followed twelve hours later by four shootings between 7:41 am and 9:58 am in various random locations.
Why twelve hours? Why such a long wait?
There’s various explanations. An assortment of possibilities.
But me…if I’m the police…I’m treating it like one homicide. I’m focusing all my attention on the murder of Martin. Follow: Someone wants to kill him. I don’t know who, but it’s someone who knew Martin and tailed him from his government job when he left for the day. The shooter waited outside the grocery store when Martin went it to pick up some groceries. When Martin emerged, he shot him. He left the scene. He figures he got away with it. But then he starts to worry, to get nervous. He spends the whole night sleepless, convinced a trail will lead directly to him. So he gets an idea. First thing next morning, he drives around and shoots four innocent, unconnected people. Now it’s not a single murder. Now it’s a pattern. A deranged serial killer. Maybe even terrorism. Now his tracks are covered because the police aren’t looking for one murderer who had it out for James Martin. They’re looking for a random serial killer.
Desperately random.
Food for thought.
PAD
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