Breaking: Shooter on the loose, still aiming at Marine Corps

“Shots Fired at Marine Corps National Museum

Published October 29, 2010

FoxNews.com

DEVELOPING: More shots were fired overnight at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Va., according to Prince William County Police.

The shooting incident apparently occurred just hours after the FBI linked Tuesday night's shooting at a Marine recruiting center in Chantilly, Va., with two similar cases in the commonwealth -- including an earlier incident at the museum.

Staff came into work Friday morning and found new bullet holes, a public information officer at the museum told Fox News.

No artifacts were damaged and no one was hurt, the officer said

Prince William County Police Department and the Quantico Marine Corps base military police and the FBI are investigating the incident.

The muesum will be closed at least until 1:00PM ET.”

"Shooter may be Marine, FBI says

Authorities said Friday that they think the shooter who has fired on three government buildings in the Washington area in recent days -- and may have shot, for a second time, at the National Museum of the Marine Corps overnight -- might be a U.S. Marine with a grievance against the Corps.

The shooter was urged to contact authorities during a Friday news conference at FBI offices downtown. "We'd like to know what his grievance is and how we can try to resolve it," said John Perren, acting assistant director for the FBI's Washington field office. "We'd like to hear his side of the story."

Authorities were investigating shots that were fired overnight at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Prince William County. While not confirming that the latest shots were connected to the three previous ones, FBI officials said they are investigating as though they were.

This is the second time the facility has been targeted this month. The building was closed when an unknown number of shots were fired at it, according to Sgt. Kim Chinn, a Prince William police spokeswoman. No one was injured.

Museum employees arrived Friday about 6 a.m. to find several new bullet holes in a glass window in the same area where previous holes were found, said museum spokeswoman Gwenn Adams. The shots were fired from the direction of Interstate 95, and authorities said it was possible the gunman fired from a vehicle.

"We understand he may feel a great deal of stress in his life at this moment," Perren said. "However, relieving his stress by shooting at buildings puts others at risk. Acting out this way can eventually lead to disastrous and tragic consequences that we all wish to avoid."

The new investigation comes a day after authorities, citing ballistics testing, announced that the same gun was used to fire shots at the museum Oct. 17, the Pentagon Oct. 19 and a vacant Marine Corps recruiting station in Chantilly this week."