Sniper hunt focuses on white van

Victim Pascal Charlot was buried on Saturday

Police investigating the sniper attacks around Washington DC say preliminary findings regarding a bullet casing found in an abandoned van will not be disclosed until Monday.

I'm glad to see that it's raining because I feel less stupid sprinting across the parking lot

Jon, USA

James, Falls Church, Virginia

The vehicle, which was discovered on Friday by a cleaning crew at a vehicle rental agency near Washington's Dulles Airport, matches the profile of one sought in the hunt for the killer.

"We want to just give our people time to do their work, and that work hasn't been done," Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose told reporters.

He also declined to discuss other details about the van, including who may have rented it.

Four day lull

An intensive search is continuing for the sniper, who has killed nine people and wounded two others since the attacks began in the Washington area on 2 October.

The killer has lain low for more than four days since the last death, when a 47-year-old employee at the FBI was shot in the head as she loaded shopping into her car in Falls Church, Virginia.

Sniper attacks

2-3 Oct - Five people killed in Montgomery County, Maryland

3 Oct - Man killed in Washington DC

4 Oct - Woman injured in Fredericksburg, Virginia

7 Oct - Boy injured in Prince George's County, Maryland

9 Oct - Man killed in Manassas, Virginia

11 Oct - Man killed in Fredericksburg, Virginia

14 Oct - Woman killed in Falls Church, Virginia

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"Any day without violence is a good day and any other speculation would be inappropriate," Chief Moose said.

Funerals for two other of the victims were held on Saturday.

People gathered to mourn the only sniper victim killed in Washington DC itself, 72-year-old Pascal Charlot, who was gunned down while standing at a bus stop on 3 October.

In Pottstown, Pennsylvania, a service was held for Dean Meyers who was shot on 9 October on his way home after stopping for gas in Manassas, Virginia.

Shell examined

Witnesses to some of the attacks reported seeing a white van near the scene of the apparently random shootings in Washington, Maryland and Virginia.

Last week two composite pictures of white vans sought by investigators were issued.

Moose ducked all questions about Friday's discovery

On Friday night police charged Falls Church resident Matthew Dowdy with making a false statement in relation to the most recent killing.

Police said Mr Dowdy falsely described having seen an olive-skinned man and a cream-coloured Chevrolet Astro van with a broken tail light near the scene of the killing.

Police said he may have been seeking a share of the $500,000 reward for information leading to the sniper's capture.

Anxiety is running high in Washington's suburbs and a number of this weekend's public activities have been cancelled.

Virginia Youth Soccer Association warned all its clubs to comply with local school regulations and not use school fields during the weekend.

In Fairfax County, where last Monday's killing took place, home fixtures for school football teams have been relocated to venues elsewhere in Virginia up to 240 km (150 miles) away.

And an arts festival in Maryland was cancelled due to "the unfortunate circumstances around the recent sniper shootings".