Under federal law, the term "serial murders" means a series of three or more murders, at least one of which was committed in the United States, having common characteristics such as to suggest the reasonable possibility that the crimes were committed by the same actor(s). Throughout history, serial killers have always fascinated many people. On numerous occasions, law enforcement has attempted to delve into the psyche of these killers to determine why they kill. Many stereotypes have also been placed on serial killers. Typical stereotypes are that serial killers are all white, solitary men, and that their crimes are sexually motivated. However, through capturing these individuals, we found that these stereotypes were incorrect. One of the most interesting cases is the Beltway sniper attacks. The Beltway sniper attacks were a series of shootings that took place over three weeks in October 2002 in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. These were shockingly gruesome murders that left ten people dead, three seriously injured, including pedestrians, motorists filling up with gas, shoppers, a schoolboy and a bus driver. One of the most interesting things about this case is how he chose his victims. Many experts agree that serial killers have a vision in their minds about the type of victim they would prefer. This person would be chosen based on their race, gender, physical characteristics or any other specific quality; However, the victims of the Beltway snipers were completely unrelated. He chose his victims at random. This threw the city into chaos, as millions feared they would be the next victim. It all started on the evening of October 2. A 55-year-old man named James Martin was shot dead...... middle of paper ......5). "Fears growing, few clues as 6th death linked to sniper". The New York Times.9. other, Elsbeth. “Faced with Beltway snipers, the profilers got it all wrong.” The Baltimore Sun December 12, 2002: 2. Print.10. Horwitz, sari and Michael E. Ruane., Sniper: The Search for the Killers Who Terrorized the Nation., Random House, 2003, p. 11911. Kennedy, Helene. “DC SNIPER LEAVES A CALLING CARD FOR THE COPS.” New York Daily News November 21, 2002: n. page. Daily News. Internet. April 2, 2014.12. “Beltway Snipers Part 2.” FBI. FBI, October 24, 2007. Web. April 1, 2014. .13, “The Beltway Snipers, Part 1.” FBI. FBI, October 22, 2007. Web. April 2, 2014. .14. Bothe, Elsbeth. “Faced with Beltway snipers, the profilers got it all wrong.” The Baltimore Sun December 12, 2002: 2. Print.