Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior s01e04 Episode Script
One Shot Kill
Come on, sniper.
Take your shot.
It's a lousy situation You and the unsub Locked eye to eye.
Who's gonna blink Him Or you? [Watch beeps.]
[Beeps.]
[Beeps.]
Guys, I saw the cutest thing on Michigan this morning.
There was this man eating an ice cream cone, right? This big double-scoop chocolate.
And standing right next to him.
Is the saddest-looking little boy.
- Is this a true story? - Yes, Carl, it's a true story.
An ice cream cone at 8:00 in the morning? Yes, Carl.
[Gunshot.]
Carl? Carl! Oh, my God! Oh, my God! [Crying.]
- Oh, crap.
- Good morning to you too.
20 bucks says he asks me to go a round.
Somehow, he always knows when I've had a rough night.
Really? What was her name? Her name was Lisa.
No, it was, um, Elise.
That's charming.
He never grows up.
Growing up is overrated, right? Why don't you guys just kiss, get it over with? - Hey, Mick.
- Hey.
- Want to go a round? - Well, I, um Morning, all.
Hey, man, how's it going? All right? Rough night, huh? [Chuckles.]
Yeah.
[Cell phone ringing.]
Yeah? I understand.
Thanks.
I'm gonna guess that was not good news.
You've all heard.
About the long-distance serial killer from Chicago? Yeah, three kills in the last nine days.
Four As of 20 minutes ago.
About time they called us in.
- Exactly.
- Forensics finally came back, connecting the first three slugs.
Of course they're connected.
Three different people shot from tall buildings.
Within nine days in the same city.
Chicago's a great urban hide for the LDSK.
There's thousands of windows for him to choose from.
Any connection between the victims? It appears random.
There's a white male jogger.
There's a black female.
There's a retiree, there's a businessman.
So victimology's not gonna help us at all.
Director wants us on the ground there asap.
He thought that mixed expertise in this.
Might help us build this profile.
Yeah, Beth, in the sniper world.
Kid here's a pretty big deal.
Yeah, I seem to excel at certain things.
We'll have to ask Lisa about that one.
I'm pretty sure it was Elise.
I'm pretty sure it's irrelevant.
This guy really knows what he's doing.
Yeah, the attacks are very clean All one-shot kills, all from a high-rise, all over 300 yards away.
With four kills under his belt, you got to figure he's probably just warming up.
All right, the wheels are up in 40 minutes.
[Siren wails, indistinct chatter.]
Agent Cooper.
Detective Hernandez.
We spoke from the plane.
Thanks for getting here so fast.
The city's on the verge of panic.
The press are barking at me to make a statement Oh, now, I'd really rather you didn't.
Till we get a chance to go into media strategy.
Long-distance serial killers are usually listening.
They're very intelligent and like to follow their cases.
Very closely, so Any luck with any witnesses? The Vic was standing there alive, then he was dead Same as the others.
What about from the building where the shot was fired? Nobody saw anything suspicious.
Some of these places get 5,000 in-and-outs a day.
That was the shooter's last perch? We estimated the bullet's trajectory.
Based on the angle of entry and exit wounds.
That led us to an empty hotel hallway.
On the 12th floor.
That's got to be, what 420 yards? - Detective Hernandez.
- Excuse me a sec.
So, Mick What do you see? He had to compensate for arc.
There's glare refracting off opposing windows.
So it's not the easiest shot that he could've made.
- So he's showing off.
- Or he's challenging himself.
That's probably the one thing he's good at.
And just wants the rest of the world to know.
It's incredible.
It's about a quarter of a mile away.
With a scope these days, you can make a head shot from a mile away.
He's skilled.
He's focused.
He's patient.
Patience is a lot of the job.
When we were training, we learned to sit for 24 hours, 48 hours at a stretch.
You know, slowing the breath, not moving a muscle.
He could be watching us right now.
And who are you? No prints, no debris, and he picks up his shell casing.
So he comes in, decides on his perch, and then he calculates all the variables.
And then he waits.
The door lock was jimmied with an electronic lock pick Handheld, easy to buy, same as the other hits.
And with a 15% vacancy rate on Chicago office space, no shortage of perches for this guy to choose from.
How about ingress and egress? I mean, how does he get in, and how does he get out? Does he dress like a businessman? Does he blend in with the crowd? I'll get video surveillance from building security.
And shoot it over to Garcia for a look.
Carl Langstrom, according to his wallet, father of nine-year-old twins.
His wife's on her way to make the ID.
It was nearly dead center 424 yards One-shot kill.
- You sound impressed.
- He's good at what he does.
Okay, the other victims First one, 305 yards, then 345.
Next came 390.
Gaining confidence every time he pulls that trigger.
This can't be easy for Mick, going up against another shooter.
You know how snipers are Very competitive natures.
I'm just saying, sometimes these little ripples.
Can become waves.
When I was in the seminary, there was this priest.
His name was father Juan.
Always had this calm about him.
Whenever one of us would go through.
Some wrenching crisis of faith, he would say, "just breathe through it.
It'll pass.
" Sometimes a ripple is a wave.
Sometimes, Beth, a ripple is just a ripple.
You were in the seminary? [Door opens.]
I'm sorry.
I didn't realize anyone was in here.
Oh, no.
Please come in.
That's Carl.
Are you the police? FBI.
We're sorry for your loss.
We'll give you a minute.
He was gonna take the girls camping this weekend.
They hate camping.
Carl was always so happy to be out in the woods, they didn't have the heart to say no.
Why would anyone do this to Carl? It appears that your husband was a random victim.
Random? How are you gonna find a murderer.
Who randomly shoots people for no reason at all? 'Cause there is a reason.
Somewhere inside of him, there's a reason he does what he does.
We may not understand it yet, but when we do, the "why" is gonna lead us to the "who.
" [Indistinct chatter.]
- Is this all right? - This will be fine.
Thanks.
Holler if you need anything.
So [Claps.]
Tell me what you know.
The unsub knows his way around a rifle.
He's definitely had training Could be military, SWAT, or a private contractor.
Statistically, I would suggest a male 25, 35.
Random targets suggests a displaced anger.
He's angry at someone, but not the people he's killing.
It's highly likely he's got a record, bar room fights, workplace aggression.
If he is military, he's easy to track.
We know a bit about the typical sniper psych profile.
Special forces screen.
For certain attributes when they recruit.
Snipers have a high I.
Q.
They're patient, disciplined, focused.
They're also controlling.
They have huge egos A God complex I mean, according to US army research.
Okay, fair enough.
We certainly don't lack for confidence.
I prefer to call it high self-esteem.
Snipers feel invulnerable.
They choose to keep people at a safe emotional distance.
He doesn't see these hits as individuals, but as conquests.
You know, not all snipers are serial killers.
Some are just serial daters, darling.
Conquests exactly.
These people have no value to him.
They're just notches on his belt.
I'm talking about the unsub, not you, Mick.
Hello, windy city transplants.
Penelope.
Thanks for joining us.
Certainly.
What you need? Let's start with police, private military contractors.
Mid 20s, mid 30s.
Anyone with extensive sniper training.
Well, there are 800,000 vets in Illinois.
But as we look at folks.
With serious long-range-rifle expertise, those numbers drop to the low hundreds.
Tell you what, let me fly my magic keyboard.
I will get back at you with some shiny new developments, okay? You're the best.
I'll do some geographic pattern analysis.
I have a new algorithmic geo-assessment app.
That is so good.
I'll get with detective Hernandez.
And go over media strategy.
She's gonna have to face the cameras soon.
Good.
Mick, Gina I want you to get a first-hand look at the other crime scenes.
Let me know if his MO is consistent.
Beth, you're gonna take a ride with me.
Over to 14th and Forrester.
Is that where we just came from? Everybody back here in 90.
I enjoy this You and me, quality time.
But what are we doing here? We're seeing what he saw.
Well, we were just at this crime scene.
A few hours ago What have I missed? Exactly.
It was a crime scene.
There was police over here.
There's detectives over here.
There's yellow tape on the ground.
This is what he saw when he looked through the scope.
Okay.
So what is he thinking? Well, I'm gonna assume he's arrogant, and he's looking down on people, literally, figuratively.
He's objectifying.
So he's like Zeus up on mount Olympus.
Casting down his thunderbolts, striking dead any man that he pleases.
He's careful.
He's taking aim.
He's taking all the time he wants.
He's he's challenging himself, 'cause each attack is at a greater distance.
Than the one before, but where's that leading to? - How do you mean? - I mean, he's smart enough.
To know that this can't just go on forever.
I mean, each shot is more daring than the last one.
What is this building to? [Stammers.]
An endgame, a final performance of sorts.
For who? You just said something.
You You said he's performing, which means that, consciously or unconsciously, he's performing For someone.
Who is he trying to impress? [Keys clacking.]
Mick Rawson, welcome to Chicago.
He's an expert shooter, 25 to 35, with serious anger issues.
He's he's patient.
He's focused, well-educated.
So why does he keep the shells from each of his crimes? We all do it.
They're like trophies.
We call it kill brass.
And besides, he's sending us a message.
He's saying that he's in charge, that he's not running.
It's that massive ego at work.
Hey, the scenes all look similar.
We sent video surveillance from the buildings to Garcia.
I know.
I just got off the phone with her.
She's been crunching data for over an hour Checking alibis, filtering through every possible person.
And? And this guy He's a ghost.
There is not a sniper who has been trained.
By the government, by private contractors, within 1,000 Miles who fits our profile.
- Okay, so he's new in town, he's self-taught.
He has to have trained somewhere.
There's no way you can learn.
To shoot like that from some book.
I have a delivery for a Mick Rawson.
A delivery from who? Uh, Carlos Hathcock.
If I could just get your signature right here.
A pager? [Beeps.]
"Bang, bang.
" [Gunshots.]
[Cell phone ringing.]
Yeah? We're on our way.
911 call just came in Sniper fire at 91st and Varna, two dead.
[Sirens wailing.]
Ahdab Balli, 47.
Jennifer Conway, 22.
They were 20 feet apart and, according to witnesses, went down within one second of each other.
What about forensics on the pager? I'll have my lab guys clone it and run tests overnight.
We're talking to the delivery service.
That sent it as well.
"Bang, bang" Two "bangs," two bodies.
He's upping his game.
Yes, he is.
So what does this pager tell us about our profile? - Unsub knows Mick is a high-ranking sniper, knows he's working this case, so he's throwing down a challenge.
But how does he knows that? I mean, that's eyes-only information.
He has access to military websites.
- Or he's a half-decent hacker.
- He's a ghost No records, no training, but he shoots like a pro.
Why is he focusing on Mick? Mick's an authority surrogate.
He sees him as someone better than himself, so it angers him, pisses him off.
Yeah, but he was killing.
Before Mick even entered the picture.
Motivation may not change, but the object of focus does.
Previous kills are all motivated.
By anger towards an authority.
Right, so he's transferring that rage onto Mick.
Okay, so he He buys a pager, and he sends it to Mick, plans out his kill All this in the service of sticking out his tongue at him? He's intellectually advanced, but Emotionally, he could be ten years old.
Coroner's down there.
I'm gonna go and check it out.
[Indistinct chatter.]
[Siren wailing.]
You all right? Yeah, I'm great.
Two people just died.
So this creep could show off for my benefit.
I'm just fine.
Got to ask Could this unsub be somebody that you know, somebody you worked with? I don't know, man.
I don't know.
I want you to think, Mick.
No, I try not to work with psychopaths.
It's a possibility we have to consider here.
Look, this guy he's gonna try to rattle your cage.
Don't let him.
I know.
I need you focused.
I need you present.
What the hell's that supposed to mean? Just what I said.
Stay in the present, not in the past.
[Sobbing.]
Sam Cooper.
- Are you sitting down? - Yeah.
I'm on a beach in Costa Rica.
Okay, so I did some spelunking into cold cases, everything and anything sniper.
- You found something.
- 12 years ago, there's a long-distance gunshot murder in Chicago This kid, Ted Grunburg, 15 years old, shooting hoops, all of a sudden, out of the blue, bang, dead.
Police investigate the hell out of it, don't come up with anything, chalk it up to a stray bullet.
And you think this is connected? Oh, I don't think it's connected.
I know it's connected.
I downloaded your forensics.
The slugs are a match.
It's the same guy or girl.
Point being, it's the same rifle.
So our unsub makes one kill, then goes dormant for 12 years? Until ten days ago.
Penelope, you're a genius.
And I thrive when recognized as such, sir.
Send us everything you can find.
On this, uh, cold case, this Ted Grunburg Police files, newspaper clippings, whatever you can find.
The answer's there.
I know it.
There you are.
I feel like I haven't seen you for days.
I-I was gonna make some pasta later, if you're gonna be home by dinner.
No, I got a thing in town.
Oh, uh, well, you know, it's, um, dad's memorial tomorrow Remember, at the VA? All of his old army buddies are gonna be there.
It starts at at 2:00, so we should Well, we should probably leave here at 1:30.
I want to get there I really need to go.
Jason What will people think if his own son doesn't even show.
For his memorial? I don't know.
Maybe they'll think I hated his guts.
Jason Relax, Amy.
I'll be there.
[Tires squealing.]
He kills this kid, Ted Grunburg, in a playground, then he just disappears for 12 years.
I mean, where the hell did he go? - Maybe he moves away.
- And doesn't kill? - Prison? - Garcia already looked into it.
She couldn't find anyone with this level of training.
Who had been inside for the right dates.
The forensics on the pager tell us anything? No, nothing, man.
This guy covered his tracks pretty well.
He even paid for the delivery service in cash.
This must be pretty tough on you, huh? I mean, the whole sniper-versus-sniper thing.
Carlos Hathcock, the white feather.
That's the name on the package he sent.
The most revered sniper of the Vietnam war 93 confirmed kills.
He struck such fear into the heart of the enemy They sent in their best snipers to take him out.
One day He's out on patrol.
He's hunkered down in the bush, and he sees the smallest reflection off in the jungle.
He swings his Winchester, and he knows in a heartbeat, it's the reflection of a VC sniper scope.
Aiming directly at him.
Two snipers Both the best in their armies, aiming directly down each other's scopes.
[Pager beeping, vibrating.]
He paged three "bangs.
" That means he's going for three kills this time.
We've got to stop him.
Yeah, but where? Where is he going next? Or is he just toying with us Jerking our chain just to see if we'll jump? Look at this.
It's the sniper scan.
I told you this geo app was fantastic.
And it is It found a pattern.
It's a little bit off, but it's not a problem, 'cause I just adjust the locations within 10%, plus or minus.
She's not wrong.
See, snipers are taught to scan their target area.
Over and over in specific patterns.
It keeps us alert, and it keeps our eyes sensitive.
To any change in the environment.
The attacks roughly fit the corners of that pattern.
He's probably doing it subconsciously.
It's just a pattern he's comfortable with.
If I'm right, his next attack should be somewhere around here.
[Sirens wailing.]
- We need barricades Ten-block perimeter And a fast, orderly evacuation.
Let's concentrate on the pedestrians first.
All right, spread out, keep your eyes up.
Let's go.
Move it along.
Move it along here.
- This way.
- Clear the area here.
Come on.
It's the sniper, isn't it? Please, listen, we need everyone to clear the area.
As quickly as possible, all right? Just calm leave the area.
Thank you.
Help me.
I'm sorry, miss.
I need you to evacuate the area.
My son is in that building.
He's he's in day care.
Get down! Come here! Sir, sir! Get down! [Indistinct shouting.]
What do we got? 109 building, tenth floor.
This is Cooper.
We got a 20 on the unsub.
109 building, tenth floor.
I'd like the whole floor cleared.
Clear.
Clear.
Clear.
- Clear.
- Clear! FBI! Stop right there! Hands in the air! Blueprints? I'm an architect.
Mark Langford, member of the AIA.
Why is an architect running from the FBI? Child support There's a warrant for my arrest.
What is What is this? Just just take Take Can can you at least put those back in my office? - Yeah, oh, sure.
- It's for my lake house.
- I got it.
- It's my only copy.
Ingress and egress He's slipping through our fingers somehow.
The lobby security is sending you a video feed right now.
Yes, I'm doing it in real time.
I'm cross-referencing from other buildings he's staged from.
He's either a businessman or a phone or a cable guy.
Or a messenger or some sort of building maintenance.
Just keep working those tapes.
He's there somewhere.
Okay.
We must've just missed him.
Probably walked right by the guy.
He'll change his pattern now.
My geo algorithms are a bust.
- This isn't working.
T-this isn't working.
This whole sniper-against-sniper game.
He's playing He's winning, and we're losing.
No, you're wrong.
We're getting closer.
I can feel it.
Do you see this pager? This only benefits him, not us.
He has all the power, and we have nothing.
Yeah, well, that's certainly.
What he wants you to believe, isn't it? Coop, he's killing people to impress me.
He's like a cat leaving dead birds at my feet.
Mick None of this is your fault, okay? Listen to me.
It's not your fault.
Someone almost died today.
Because they were standing next to me.
But nobody did die! And this is the first time.
That he attempted an attack And he failed.
And the next time We're gonna get him.
It's a lousy situation.
But it's the situation that we're in.
You and the unsub, locked eye to eye.
Who's gonna blink Him Or you? I'm here to report on the sniper attack.
That occurred yesterday afternoon.
At approximately 3:22 P.
M.
One shot was fired.
And we're pleased to announce that no one was injured.
In this incident.
Is that that sniper again? What a horrible thing.
People are scared to leave their homes.
I hope it doesn't frighten people away from coming today.
Shouldn't you be getting dressed? Jason The memorial? I'll drive separately.
You are coming, aren't you? 50 of dad's closest friends, all of his old army buddies.
50 of his friends in one place Wouldn't miss it for the world.
I know you loved him Somewhere in your heart.
You might not know it, but I do.
If there's a heaven Or whatever, if dad is watching I know that you being there would mean so much to him.
Yeah.
I hope he is up there watching.
I'll see you there.
I love you.
I love you too.
Almost 24 hours without an incident Not even a page.
Pager's burnt.
He'd be crazy to contact us again.
After such a close call yesterday.
The frequency of attacks increases and increases.
And then nothing why? It's building up towards something.
It's all been practice.
It's leading up to an endgame.
He wants to go out in a blaze of glory.
So a suicide or a death by cop.
Let's just work the profile again, people.
He's immature.
He's a trained killing machine.
And he's got the emotional life of a child.
Profile says he's 25 to 35, which means when he made that first kill, he might've been in his early 20s.
- Might've been 15.
- Come on, where does a 15-year-old learn to shoot like that? From his father.
His father.
Maybe we're going about this all wrong.
All this anger at authority, all this "I'm better than you.
" Maybe it's as simple as proving he's better than his father.
Talk to me, handsome.
Want to look at snipers, Chicago area.
Only this time, 55 to 75, probably retired, has a grown son.
I got Wow, 432.
- Cross-check that with recent police reports Family issues, domestic violence, that sort of thing.
Brings it down to 18.
They're mostly divorce disputes, except Hold up.
Retired army sniper, master sergeant James Wheeler, 64 He was murdered one month ago, blunt-force trauma to the head.
His adult son, Jason, was the prime suspect, except police didn't have enough evidence to charge.
- Cross-reference Jason with that first kill, the cold case from 12 years ago.
Yeah, Ted Grunburg, 15 years old.
Oh, there Ted grunburg and Jason Wheeler went to the same high school.
- The father trains the son in long-distance riflery.
The son just keeps on improving, getting better and better.
Wants to show him how much he's learned, so he goes to his school, and he kills someone.
And it looks like Jason.
Applied to the army, the marines, and a bunch of independent military contractors.
But his dad wrote them letters.
Advising they shouldn't take him, saying Jason was unstable and had rage issues.
- Well, there's your stressor.
- Father creates a monster.
Monster kills the creator.
He works as a messenger.
He currently lives with his sister out in Berwyn.
Room clear.
- We're right back here.
- Clear.
Place is clear, sir.
All right, radio all units.
- There's plenty of weapons.
- But no sniper rifle.
Here's something.
"Amy I'm sorry for who I am, for what I have to do.
" Sounds like a suicide note to me.
Hey, Coop, you might want to take a look at this.
I'd heard of the fine marksmanship.
Of James Wheeler long before we met.
In military circles, his skill and discipline with a rifle were well-known.
We first served together at khe sanh.
And when we returned from southeast Asia.
In the fall of '72, we'd formed a bond I knew would never be broken.
And after all these years, I'm proud to say that master sergeant James Wheeler.
Was a fine soldier, a fine man, and my very dear friend.
Amy Wheeler? My name's Sam Cooper.
- It's Jason, isn't it? - Yes, ma'am.
Do you have any idea where your brother might be? He said he'd be here.
I've called him three times, but it just goes straight to voice mail.
Your brother said that he was coming here? Yes.
What exactly did he say to you? Uh, that he wouldn't miss it And something about 50 of dad's old army buddies together in one place.
Excuse me.
All right, we need to lock the doors.
Nobody leaves this place.
This is the endgame.
He's planning a massacre right here.
For your safety, no one will be allowed to leave this building.
Until further notice.
This is a police, FBI lockdown.
And we're gonna need your patience and cooperation.
I want to remind you how important it is.
To stay away from these entrance windows.
We need it sooner.
We need it now.
I understand, but he's not gonna wait for us to put You know what? You just move as fast as you can, all right? How many barricades? There's 16 routes into this neighborhood.
Securing the roads is gonna take another five to seven minutes.
What do we know? If this is indeed his target, he's gonna be in one of these nine buildings right here.
Across the street is the Owens building 429 Spencer street, 22 floors, all vacant.
It used to be a Chicago daily newspaper.
It went under about six months ago.
He's in that building.
Get a team over there and start kicking in doors.
How's everyone holding up over here? They're army.
They don't complain.
Beth, I want you to go with Gina.
I want you to keep an eye on these civilians, all right? - Sure.
- Mick, take the stairs.
You find yourself a perch and get good sight lines.
Across the street.
Yes, sir.
Prophet, you're with me and SWAT.
Got it.
Be careful up there.
No worries.
This guy's good.
But I'm better.
Okay, I'm on the roof of the VA building.
If I'm right, he's in one of 466 windows directly opposite me.
He's probably hunkered down, waiting for the memorial to end.
We locked the front door.
Nobody's coming out.
I can't imagine what you people must think of me.
Why do you say that? First, dad is killed, and then Jason is questioned by the police.
Next thing I know, there's a sniper all over the news.
I know that dad trained Jason to shoot But I just I couldn't let myself believe that He was such a sweet little boy.
[Cell phone ringing.]
It's okay.
Listen Relax.
Just keep him talking.
Be calm.
- Jason? - Hey.
Look, sorry I couldn't make it.
How's the memorial? Where are you? I wanted to let you know not to wait for me.
Jason, don't do this.
Oh, Jason I'm sorry.
It's okay.
We've been made.
He's onto us.
[Tires squeal.]
Okay, we got a car Late arrivals to the memorial.
Where the hell are the barricades? Get out of the street! Clear the area now! [Gunshot.]
Ugh! Mick! Where is he? I don't know.
I didn't see a muzzle flash.
He must be back from the window.
By angle of trajectory, he's on the 22nd floor, maybe the 23rd.
We need an armored vehicle down here now.
We have a civilian casualty in the street.
I have movement.
He's alive.
No, Gina, don't.
Stand down.
It's a kill zone.
- I can do this.
- Gina! Hey, I'm right here! [Gunshot.]
Here I am! Hey, I'm right here! Hey! You want me? I'm right here! Okay, I've got him 22nd floor.
Come on, sniper Take your shot.
Drop it.
Or what? Hmm? Drop the rifle now.
Got him, Mick.
I've got him too, Cooper.
Let me take the shot.
Shoot! [Indistinct police radio chatter.]
[Engine turning.]
Thanks a lot.
I had him.
No doubt.
Mick.
You owe me one.
Hey.
Come on.
No, I don't want to fight you, man.
I said, I don't want to fight, okay? Just go with it.
[Grunting.]
Okay.
Let's go a round, then.
Mick's got this one.
Nope.
Coop's been studying Kali for ten years.
We'll see.
- I would've had him, Cooper.
- You did have him.
We won, Mick.
Let it go.
Nice work.
Victory is sweet.
Got to savor it, right? Thanks, man.
Thanks.
Hey, Coop Thanks for letting me win.
Anyone for a beer? [Laughing.]
Take your shot.
It's a lousy situation You and the unsub Locked eye to eye.
Who's gonna blink Him Or you? [Watch beeps.]
[Beeps.]
[Beeps.]
Guys, I saw the cutest thing on Michigan this morning.
There was this man eating an ice cream cone, right? This big double-scoop chocolate.
And standing right next to him.
Is the saddest-looking little boy.
- Is this a true story? - Yes, Carl, it's a true story.
An ice cream cone at 8:00 in the morning? Yes, Carl.
[Gunshot.]
Carl? Carl! Oh, my God! Oh, my God! [Crying.]
- Oh, crap.
- Good morning to you too.
20 bucks says he asks me to go a round.
Somehow, he always knows when I've had a rough night.
Really? What was her name? Her name was Lisa.
No, it was, um, Elise.
That's charming.
He never grows up.
Growing up is overrated, right? Why don't you guys just kiss, get it over with? - Hey, Mick.
- Hey.
- Want to go a round? - Well, I, um Morning, all.
Hey, man, how's it going? All right? Rough night, huh? [Chuckles.]
Yeah.
[Cell phone ringing.]
Yeah? I understand.
Thanks.
I'm gonna guess that was not good news.
You've all heard.
About the long-distance serial killer from Chicago? Yeah, three kills in the last nine days.
Four As of 20 minutes ago.
About time they called us in.
- Exactly.
- Forensics finally came back, connecting the first three slugs.
Of course they're connected.
Three different people shot from tall buildings.
Within nine days in the same city.
Chicago's a great urban hide for the LDSK.
There's thousands of windows for him to choose from.
Any connection between the victims? It appears random.
There's a white male jogger.
There's a black female.
There's a retiree, there's a businessman.
So victimology's not gonna help us at all.
Director wants us on the ground there asap.
He thought that mixed expertise in this.
Might help us build this profile.
Yeah, Beth, in the sniper world.
Kid here's a pretty big deal.
Yeah, I seem to excel at certain things.
We'll have to ask Lisa about that one.
I'm pretty sure it was Elise.
I'm pretty sure it's irrelevant.
This guy really knows what he's doing.
Yeah, the attacks are very clean All one-shot kills, all from a high-rise, all over 300 yards away.
With four kills under his belt, you got to figure he's probably just warming up.
All right, the wheels are up in 40 minutes.
[Siren wails, indistinct chatter.]
Agent Cooper.
Detective Hernandez.
We spoke from the plane.
Thanks for getting here so fast.
The city's on the verge of panic.
The press are barking at me to make a statement Oh, now, I'd really rather you didn't.
Till we get a chance to go into media strategy.
Long-distance serial killers are usually listening.
They're very intelligent and like to follow their cases.
Very closely, so Any luck with any witnesses? The Vic was standing there alive, then he was dead Same as the others.
What about from the building where the shot was fired? Nobody saw anything suspicious.
Some of these places get 5,000 in-and-outs a day.
That was the shooter's last perch? We estimated the bullet's trajectory.
Based on the angle of entry and exit wounds.
That led us to an empty hotel hallway.
On the 12th floor.
That's got to be, what 420 yards? - Detective Hernandez.
- Excuse me a sec.
So, Mick What do you see? He had to compensate for arc.
There's glare refracting off opposing windows.
So it's not the easiest shot that he could've made.
- So he's showing off.
- Or he's challenging himself.
That's probably the one thing he's good at.
And just wants the rest of the world to know.
It's incredible.
It's about a quarter of a mile away.
With a scope these days, you can make a head shot from a mile away.
He's skilled.
He's focused.
He's patient.
Patience is a lot of the job.
When we were training, we learned to sit for 24 hours, 48 hours at a stretch.
You know, slowing the breath, not moving a muscle.
He could be watching us right now.
And who are you? No prints, no debris, and he picks up his shell casing.
So he comes in, decides on his perch, and then he calculates all the variables.
And then he waits.
The door lock was jimmied with an electronic lock pick Handheld, easy to buy, same as the other hits.
And with a 15% vacancy rate on Chicago office space, no shortage of perches for this guy to choose from.
How about ingress and egress? I mean, how does he get in, and how does he get out? Does he dress like a businessman? Does he blend in with the crowd? I'll get video surveillance from building security.
And shoot it over to Garcia for a look.
Carl Langstrom, according to his wallet, father of nine-year-old twins.
His wife's on her way to make the ID.
It was nearly dead center 424 yards One-shot kill.
- You sound impressed.
- He's good at what he does.
Okay, the other victims First one, 305 yards, then 345.
Next came 390.
Gaining confidence every time he pulls that trigger.
This can't be easy for Mick, going up against another shooter.
You know how snipers are Very competitive natures.
I'm just saying, sometimes these little ripples.
Can become waves.
When I was in the seminary, there was this priest.
His name was father Juan.
Always had this calm about him.
Whenever one of us would go through.
Some wrenching crisis of faith, he would say, "just breathe through it.
It'll pass.
" Sometimes a ripple is a wave.
Sometimes, Beth, a ripple is just a ripple.
You were in the seminary? [Door opens.]
I'm sorry.
I didn't realize anyone was in here.
Oh, no.
Please come in.
That's Carl.
Are you the police? FBI.
We're sorry for your loss.
We'll give you a minute.
He was gonna take the girls camping this weekend.
They hate camping.
Carl was always so happy to be out in the woods, they didn't have the heart to say no.
Why would anyone do this to Carl? It appears that your husband was a random victim.
Random? How are you gonna find a murderer.
Who randomly shoots people for no reason at all? 'Cause there is a reason.
Somewhere inside of him, there's a reason he does what he does.
We may not understand it yet, but when we do, the "why" is gonna lead us to the "who.
" [Indistinct chatter.]
- Is this all right? - This will be fine.
Thanks.
Holler if you need anything.
So [Claps.]
Tell me what you know.
The unsub knows his way around a rifle.
He's definitely had training Could be military, SWAT, or a private contractor.
Statistically, I would suggest a male 25, 35.
Random targets suggests a displaced anger.
He's angry at someone, but not the people he's killing.
It's highly likely he's got a record, bar room fights, workplace aggression.
If he is military, he's easy to track.
We know a bit about the typical sniper psych profile.
Special forces screen.
For certain attributes when they recruit.
Snipers have a high I.
Q.
They're patient, disciplined, focused.
They're also controlling.
They have huge egos A God complex I mean, according to US army research.
Okay, fair enough.
We certainly don't lack for confidence.
I prefer to call it high self-esteem.
Snipers feel invulnerable.
They choose to keep people at a safe emotional distance.
He doesn't see these hits as individuals, but as conquests.
You know, not all snipers are serial killers.
Some are just serial daters, darling.
Conquests exactly.
These people have no value to him.
They're just notches on his belt.
I'm talking about the unsub, not you, Mick.
Hello, windy city transplants.
Penelope.
Thanks for joining us.
Certainly.
What you need? Let's start with police, private military contractors.
Mid 20s, mid 30s.
Anyone with extensive sniper training.
Well, there are 800,000 vets in Illinois.
But as we look at folks.
With serious long-range-rifle expertise, those numbers drop to the low hundreds.
Tell you what, let me fly my magic keyboard.
I will get back at you with some shiny new developments, okay? You're the best.
I'll do some geographic pattern analysis.
I have a new algorithmic geo-assessment app.
That is so good.
I'll get with detective Hernandez.
And go over media strategy.
She's gonna have to face the cameras soon.
Good.
Mick, Gina I want you to get a first-hand look at the other crime scenes.
Let me know if his MO is consistent.
Beth, you're gonna take a ride with me.
Over to 14th and Forrester.
Is that where we just came from? Everybody back here in 90.
I enjoy this You and me, quality time.
But what are we doing here? We're seeing what he saw.
Well, we were just at this crime scene.
A few hours ago What have I missed? Exactly.
It was a crime scene.
There was police over here.
There's detectives over here.
There's yellow tape on the ground.
This is what he saw when he looked through the scope.
Okay.
So what is he thinking? Well, I'm gonna assume he's arrogant, and he's looking down on people, literally, figuratively.
He's objectifying.
So he's like Zeus up on mount Olympus.
Casting down his thunderbolts, striking dead any man that he pleases.
He's careful.
He's taking aim.
He's taking all the time he wants.
He's he's challenging himself, 'cause each attack is at a greater distance.
Than the one before, but where's that leading to? - How do you mean? - I mean, he's smart enough.
To know that this can't just go on forever.
I mean, each shot is more daring than the last one.
What is this building to? [Stammers.]
An endgame, a final performance of sorts.
For who? You just said something.
You You said he's performing, which means that, consciously or unconsciously, he's performing For someone.
Who is he trying to impress? [Keys clacking.]
Mick Rawson, welcome to Chicago.
He's an expert shooter, 25 to 35, with serious anger issues.
He's he's patient.
He's focused, well-educated.
So why does he keep the shells from each of his crimes? We all do it.
They're like trophies.
We call it kill brass.
And besides, he's sending us a message.
He's saying that he's in charge, that he's not running.
It's that massive ego at work.
Hey, the scenes all look similar.
We sent video surveillance from the buildings to Garcia.
I know.
I just got off the phone with her.
She's been crunching data for over an hour Checking alibis, filtering through every possible person.
And? And this guy He's a ghost.
There is not a sniper who has been trained.
By the government, by private contractors, within 1,000 Miles who fits our profile.
- Okay, so he's new in town, he's self-taught.
He has to have trained somewhere.
There's no way you can learn.
To shoot like that from some book.
I have a delivery for a Mick Rawson.
A delivery from who? Uh, Carlos Hathcock.
If I could just get your signature right here.
A pager? [Beeps.]
"Bang, bang.
" [Gunshots.]
[Cell phone ringing.]
Yeah? We're on our way.
911 call just came in Sniper fire at 91st and Varna, two dead.
[Sirens wailing.]
Ahdab Balli, 47.
Jennifer Conway, 22.
They were 20 feet apart and, according to witnesses, went down within one second of each other.
What about forensics on the pager? I'll have my lab guys clone it and run tests overnight.
We're talking to the delivery service.
That sent it as well.
"Bang, bang" Two "bangs," two bodies.
He's upping his game.
Yes, he is.
So what does this pager tell us about our profile? - Unsub knows Mick is a high-ranking sniper, knows he's working this case, so he's throwing down a challenge.
But how does he knows that? I mean, that's eyes-only information.
He has access to military websites.
- Or he's a half-decent hacker.
- He's a ghost No records, no training, but he shoots like a pro.
Why is he focusing on Mick? Mick's an authority surrogate.
He sees him as someone better than himself, so it angers him, pisses him off.
Yeah, but he was killing.
Before Mick even entered the picture.
Motivation may not change, but the object of focus does.
Previous kills are all motivated.
By anger towards an authority.
Right, so he's transferring that rage onto Mick.
Okay, so he He buys a pager, and he sends it to Mick, plans out his kill All this in the service of sticking out his tongue at him? He's intellectually advanced, but Emotionally, he could be ten years old.
Coroner's down there.
I'm gonna go and check it out.
[Indistinct chatter.]
[Siren wailing.]
You all right? Yeah, I'm great.
Two people just died.
So this creep could show off for my benefit.
I'm just fine.
Got to ask Could this unsub be somebody that you know, somebody you worked with? I don't know, man.
I don't know.
I want you to think, Mick.
No, I try not to work with psychopaths.
It's a possibility we have to consider here.
Look, this guy he's gonna try to rattle your cage.
Don't let him.
I know.
I need you focused.
I need you present.
What the hell's that supposed to mean? Just what I said.
Stay in the present, not in the past.
[Sobbing.]
Sam Cooper.
- Are you sitting down? - Yeah.
I'm on a beach in Costa Rica.
Okay, so I did some spelunking into cold cases, everything and anything sniper.
- You found something.
- 12 years ago, there's a long-distance gunshot murder in Chicago This kid, Ted Grunburg, 15 years old, shooting hoops, all of a sudden, out of the blue, bang, dead.
Police investigate the hell out of it, don't come up with anything, chalk it up to a stray bullet.
And you think this is connected? Oh, I don't think it's connected.
I know it's connected.
I downloaded your forensics.
The slugs are a match.
It's the same guy or girl.
Point being, it's the same rifle.
So our unsub makes one kill, then goes dormant for 12 years? Until ten days ago.
Penelope, you're a genius.
And I thrive when recognized as such, sir.
Send us everything you can find.
On this, uh, cold case, this Ted Grunburg Police files, newspaper clippings, whatever you can find.
The answer's there.
I know it.
There you are.
I feel like I haven't seen you for days.
I-I was gonna make some pasta later, if you're gonna be home by dinner.
No, I got a thing in town.
Oh, uh, well, you know, it's, um, dad's memorial tomorrow Remember, at the VA? All of his old army buddies are gonna be there.
It starts at at 2:00, so we should Well, we should probably leave here at 1:30.
I want to get there I really need to go.
Jason What will people think if his own son doesn't even show.
For his memorial? I don't know.
Maybe they'll think I hated his guts.
Jason Relax, Amy.
I'll be there.
[Tires squealing.]
He kills this kid, Ted Grunburg, in a playground, then he just disappears for 12 years.
I mean, where the hell did he go? - Maybe he moves away.
- And doesn't kill? - Prison? - Garcia already looked into it.
She couldn't find anyone with this level of training.
Who had been inside for the right dates.
The forensics on the pager tell us anything? No, nothing, man.
This guy covered his tracks pretty well.
He even paid for the delivery service in cash.
This must be pretty tough on you, huh? I mean, the whole sniper-versus-sniper thing.
Carlos Hathcock, the white feather.
That's the name on the package he sent.
The most revered sniper of the Vietnam war 93 confirmed kills.
He struck such fear into the heart of the enemy They sent in their best snipers to take him out.
One day He's out on patrol.
He's hunkered down in the bush, and he sees the smallest reflection off in the jungle.
He swings his Winchester, and he knows in a heartbeat, it's the reflection of a VC sniper scope.
Aiming directly at him.
Two snipers Both the best in their armies, aiming directly down each other's scopes.
[Pager beeping, vibrating.]
He paged three "bangs.
" That means he's going for three kills this time.
We've got to stop him.
Yeah, but where? Where is he going next? Or is he just toying with us Jerking our chain just to see if we'll jump? Look at this.
It's the sniper scan.
I told you this geo app was fantastic.
And it is It found a pattern.
It's a little bit off, but it's not a problem, 'cause I just adjust the locations within 10%, plus or minus.
She's not wrong.
See, snipers are taught to scan their target area.
Over and over in specific patterns.
It keeps us alert, and it keeps our eyes sensitive.
To any change in the environment.
The attacks roughly fit the corners of that pattern.
He's probably doing it subconsciously.
It's just a pattern he's comfortable with.
If I'm right, his next attack should be somewhere around here.
[Sirens wailing.]
- We need barricades Ten-block perimeter And a fast, orderly evacuation.
Let's concentrate on the pedestrians first.
All right, spread out, keep your eyes up.
Let's go.
Move it along.
Move it along here.
- This way.
- Clear the area here.
Come on.
It's the sniper, isn't it? Please, listen, we need everyone to clear the area.
As quickly as possible, all right? Just calm leave the area.
Thank you.
Help me.
I'm sorry, miss.
I need you to evacuate the area.
My son is in that building.
He's he's in day care.
Get down! Come here! Sir, sir! Get down! [Indistinct shouting.]
What do we got? 109 building, tenth floor.
This is Cooper.
We got a 20 on the unsub.
109 building, tenth floor.
I'd like the whole floor cleared.
Clear.
Clear.
Clear.
- Clear.
- Clear! FBI! Stop right there! Hands in the air! Blueprints? I'm an architect.
Mark Langford, member of the AIA.
Why is an architect running from the FBI? Child support There's a warrant for my arrest.
What is What is this? Just just take Take Can can you at least put those back in my office? - Yeah, oh, sure.
- It's for my lake house.
- I got it.
- It's my only copy.
Ingress and egress He's slipping through our fingers somehow.
The lobby security is sending you a video feed right now.
Yes, I'm doing it in real time.
I'm cross-referencing from other buildings he's staged from.
He's either a businessman or a phone or a cable guy.
Or a messenger or some sort of building maintenance.
Just keep working those tapes.
He's there somewhere.
Okay.
We must've just missed him.
Probably walked right by the guy.
He'll change his pattern now.
My geo algorithms are a bust.
- This isn't working.
T-this isn't working.
This whole sniper-against-sniper game.
He's playing He's winning, and we're losing.
No, you're wrong.
We're getting closer.
I can feel it.
Do you see this pager? This only benefits him, not us.
He has all the power, and we have nothing.
Yeah, well, that's certainly.
What he wants you to believe, isn't it? Coop, he's killing people to impress me.
He's like a cat leaving dead birds at my feet.
Mick None of this is your fault, okay? Listen to me.
It's not your fault.
Someone almost died today.
Because they were standing next to me.
But nobody did die! And this is the first time.
That he attempted an attack And he failed.
And the next time We're gonna get him.
It's a lousy situation.
But it's the situation that we're in.
You and the unsub, locked eye to eye.
Who's gonna blink Him Or you? I'm here to report on the sniper attack.
That occurred yesterday afternoon.
At approximately 3:22 P.
M.
One shot was fired.
And we're pleased to announce that no one was injured.
In this incident.
Is that that sniper again? What a horrible thing.
People are scared to leave their homes.
I hope it doesn't frighten people away from coming today.
Shouldn't you be getting dressed? Jason The memorial? I'll drive separately.
You are coming, aren't you? 50 of dad's closest friends, all of his old army buddies.
50 of his friends in one place Wouldn't miss it for the world.
I know you loved him Somewhere in your heart.
You might not know it, but I do.
If there's a heaven Or whatever, if dad is watching I know that you being there would mean so much to him.
Yeah.
I hope he is up there watching.
I'll see you there.
I love you.
I love you too.
Almost 24 hours without an incident Not even a page.
Pager's burnt.
He'd be crazy to contact us again.
After such a close call yesterday.
The frequency of attacks increases and increases.
And then nothing why? It's building up towards something.
It's all been practice.
It's leading up to an endgame.
He wants to go out in a blaze of glory.
So a suicide or a death by cop.
Let's just work the profile again, people.
He's immature.
He's a trained killing machine.
And he's got the emotional life of a child.
Profile says he's 25 to 35, which means when he made that first kill, he might've been in his early 20s.
- Might've been 15.
- Come on, where does a 15-year-old learn to shoot like that? From his father.
His father.
Maybe we're going about this all wrong.
All this anger at authority, all this "I'm better than you.
" Maybe it's as simple as proving he's better than his father.
Talk to me, handsome.
Want to look at snipers, Chicago area.
Only this time, 55 to 75, probably retired, has a grown son.
I got Wow, 432.
- Cross-check that with recent police reports Family issues, domestic violence, that sort of thing.
Brings it down to 18.
They're mostly divorce disputes, except Hold up.
Retired army sniper, master sergeant James Wheeler, 64 He was murdered one month ago, blunt-force trauma to the head.
His adult son, Jason, was the prime suspect, except police didn't have enough evidence to charge.
- Cross-reference Jason with that first kill, the cold case from 12 years ago.
Yeah, Ted Grunburg, 15 years old.
Oh, there Ted grunburg and Jason Wheeler went to the same high school.
- The father trains the son in long-distance riflery.
The son just keeps on improving, getting better and better.
Wants to show him how much he's learned, so he goes to his school, and he kills someone.
And it looks like Jason.
Applied to the army, the marines, and a bunch of independent military contractors.
But his dad wrote them letters.
Advising they shouldn't take him, saying Jason was unstable and had rage issues.
- Well, there's your stressor.
- Father creates a monster.
Monster kills the creator.
He works as a messenger.
He currently lives with his sister out in Berwyn.
Room clear.
- We're right back here.
- Clear.
Place is clear, sir.
All right, radio all units.
- There's plenty of weapons.
- But no sniper rifle.
Here's something.
"Amy I'm sorry for who I am, for what I have to do.
" Sounds like a suicide note to me.
Hey, Coop, you might want to take a look at this.
I'd heard of the fine marksmanship.
Of James Wheeler long before we met.
In military circles, his skill and discipline with a rifle were well-known.
We first served together at khe sanh.
And when we returned from southeast Asia.
In the fall of '72, we'd formed a bond I knew would never be broken.
And after all these years, I'm proud to say that master sergeant James Wheeler.
Was a fine soldier, a fine man, and my very dear friend.
Amy Wheeler? My name's Sam Cooper.
- It's Jason, isn't it? - Yes, ma'am.
Do you have any idea where your brother might be? He said he'd be here.
I've called him three times, but it just goes straight to voice mail.
Your brother said that he was coming here? Yes.
What exactly did he say to you? Uh, that he wouldn't miss it And something about 50 of dad's old army buddies together in one place.
Excuse me.
All right, we need to lock the doors.
Nobody leaves this place.
This is the endgame.
He's planning a massacre right here.
For your safety, no one will be allowed to leave this building.
Until further notice.
This is a police, FBI lockdown.
And we're gonna need your patience and cooperation.
I want to remind you how important it is.
To stay away from these entrance windows.
We need it sooner.
We need it now.
I understand, but he's not gonna wait for us to put You know what? You just move as fast as you can, all right? How many barricades? There's 16 routes into this neighborhood.
Securing the roads is gonna take another five to seven minutes.
What do we know? If this is indeed his target, he's gonna be in one of these nine buildings right here.
Across the street is the Owens building 429 Spencer street, 22 floors, all vacant.
It used to be a Chicago daily newspaper.
It went under about six months ago.
He's in that building.
Get a team over there and start kicking in doors.
How's everyone holding up over here? They're army.
They don't complain.
Beth, I want you to go with Gina.
I want you to keep an eye on these civilians, all right? - Sure.
- Mick, take the stairs.
You find yourself a perch and get good sight lines.
Across the street.
Yes, sir.
Prophet, you're with me and SWAT.
Got it.
Be careful up there.
No worries.
This guy's good.
But I'm better.
Okay, I'm on the roof of the VA building.
If I'm right, he's in one of 466 windows directly opposite me.
He's probably hunkered down, waiting for the memorial to end.
We locked the front door.
Nobody's coming out.
I can't imagine what you people must think of me.
Why do you say that? First, dad is killed, and then Jason is questioned by the police.
Next thing I know, there's a sniper all over the news.
I know that dad trained Jason to shoot But I just I couldn't let myself believe that He was such a sweet little boy.
[Cell phone ringing.]
It's okay.
Listen Relax.
Just keep him talking.
Be calm.
- Jason? - Hey.
Look, sorry I couldn't make it.
How's the memorial? Where are you? I wanted to let you know not to wait for me.
Jason, don't do this.
Oh, Jason I'm sorry.
It's okay.
We've been made.
He's onto us.
[Tires squeal.]
Okay, we got a car Late arrivals to the memorial.
Where the hell are the barricades? Get out of the street! Clear the area now! [Gunshot.]
Ugh! Mick! Where is he? I don't know.
I didn't see a muzzle flash.
He must be back from the window.
By angle of trajectory, he's on the 22nd floor, maybe the 23rd.
We need an armored vehicle down here now.
We have a civilian casualty in the street.
I have movement.
He's alive.
No, Gina, don't.
Stand down.
It's a kill zone.
- I can do this.
- Gina! Hey, I'm right here! [Gunshot.]
Here I am! Hey, I'm right here! Hey! You want me? I'm right here! Okay, I've got him 22nd floor.
Come on, sniper Take your shot.
Drop it.
Or what? Hmm? Drop the rifle now.
Got him, Mick.
I've got him too, Cooper.
Let me take the shot.
Shoot! [Indistinct police radio chatter.]
[Engine turning.]
Thanks a lot.
I had him.
No doubt.
Mick.
You owe me one.
Hey.
Come on.
No, I don't want to fight you, man.
I said, I don't want to fight, okay? Just go with it.
[Grunting.]
Okay.
Let's go a round, then.
Mick's got this one.
Nope.
Coop's been studying Kali for ten years.
We'll see.
- I would've had him, Cooper.
- You did have him.
We won, Mick.
Let it go.
Nice work.
Victory is sweet.
Got to savor it, right? Thanks, man.
Thanks.
Hey, Coop Thanks for letting me win.
Anyone for a beer? [Laughing.]