Prosecutors from 7 Districts Coordinate Actions Against Two Shooting Suspects

Prosecutors from the Washington area have begun discussions regarding the charges against two individuals arrested in connection with the sniper shootings of the past three weeks. Charles Moose, the police chief of Montgomery County in Maryland, who has overseen the investigation, stated that prosecutors from seven districts are coordinating their actions against the two suspects in today's meeting. The arrested individuals, 41-year-old John Allen Muhammad and his 17-year-old accomplice, have kept the Washington area in fear and tension over the past weeks. A total of 10 people were killed and 3 injured in the series of shootings. President Bush, in a phone call on Thursday, told Charles Moose that he has lifted the shadow of fear from many families in the Washington area. In a recent update, President Bush thanked the Montgomery County police chief for restoring calm to the people. Due to the occurrence of these crimes in various states, there is discussion about which state would be the best for prosecuting the two suspects. The Maryland state prosecutor near Washington believes that since most of the sniper killings occurred in this state, they should prosecute the two. On the other hand, Alabama, where the suspects were identified, is also seeking to prosecute them. John Muhammad and his stepson are also accused of committing murder during a robbery at a liquor store in Alabama. Muhammad's 17-year-old stepson, who is his accomplice in these crimes, is from Jamaica and is illegally residing in the United States. Maryland prosecutors have filed charges against the two suspects for the sniper shootings in the Washington area. They are accused of killing 10 people over the past month in the Washington area. The indictments were prepared late Friday, and according to them, John Allen Muhammad, 41, and John Lee Malvo, 17, will face legal action for murder in Montgomery, Maryland. Six of the murders occurred in Montgomery County. Montgomery officials say they will seek the death penalty for John Allen Muhammad and life imprisonment for John Lee Malvo. The snipers are also accused of committing murder in Washington, D.C., and Virginia, and prosecutors from three areas are examining which case should take precedence in the trial of the suspects. The suspects were arrested early Thursday morning.