A Gulf War veteran described as "100 per cent soldier" was arrested along with a teenager today in the US suburban sniper case, fueling hopes a three-week murder spree that left ten dead was over .
The two were arrested while they slept in a car at a highway rest stop in rural Maryland, and authorities later found a Bushmaster .223 caliber rifle in the car. The sniper's victims were all felled with .223 caliber ammunition.
US government sources identified the two as former US soldier Mr John Allen Muhammad, and Mr John Lee Malvo (17).
They were not immediately charged in the sniper shootings, which have killed ten and seriously injured three in Maryland, Virginia and the US capital since October 2nd.
Muhammad was charged with violating US gun laws. Both were being brought to Baltimore for a federal court appearance, law enforcement sources said.
The arrests came at the end of a frustrating period during which a 1,000-member task force investigated clues and some false leads in a series of deadly one-shot attacks in the normally tranquil bedroom communities around Washington.
"We are being very very cautious about this," a Justice Department official said when asked if the two in custody were the snipers. "But it certainly looks good. We're optimistic."
In Montgomery County, Maryland, where the sniper investigation has been based and where six of the victims were killed, state's attorney Mr Douglas Gansler was more positive.
"There's a strong feeling these people are related to the sniper shootings," Mr Gansler said. Asked if he believed the sniper was still at large, Mr Gansler said, "No."
The break in the case apparently came as police were pursuing leads in Alabama, where Mr Malvo was linked to a robbery and murder outside a liquor store on September 21st, and in Washington state, near where Muhammad had been stationed during his military career. Both detainees were known to be living there earlier this year.
Muhammad, a convert to Islam who changed his name from John Allen Williams last year, was described by a fellow soldier as "clean-cut" and "very competitive."