DC sniper exhibit opens at National Law Enforcement Museum, on view through 2027

WASHINGTON (7News) — A new exhibit at the National Law Enforcement Museum is taking visitors back to the tense weeks in October 2002 when the Washington, D.C., region was “gripped by fear” during the sniper attacks that left 10 people dead and three others injured.

The exhibit, “Without Warning: Ending the Terror of the D.C. Snipers,” opened May 7 and will remain on view through December 2027.

It examines the 23-day stretch when two gunmen “turned everyday life into a battlefield,” as millions of people across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia lived under the threat of the next shooting.

The exhibit includes artifacts tied directly to the case, including the 1990 Chevrolet Caprice modified into a mobile sniper’s nest and the Bushmaster rifle used in the attacks.

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Visitors can also see original notes left at crime scenes, including the “Death” tarot card, along with photographs of the victims.

Audio from 9-1-1 calls and police radio transmissions is also part of the exhibit, along with firsthand accounts from officers involved in the case.

Museum officials say the exhibit is designed to immerse visitors in the attacks and the investigation that followed, highlighting both the human toll and the coordinated law enforcement response that ultimately brought the case to a close.

Thursday’s opening featured remarks from NLEOMF Chief Operating Officer Thomas Canavan and retired U.S. Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger. Officers involved in the investigation attended and were recognized.