National Law Enforcement Museum to Open ‘Without Warning: Ending the Terror of the D.C. Snipers’ Exhibit in May
What to Know
- Features artifacts such as the modified vehicle, recovered firearm, and handwritten communications from the suspects.
- Includes multimedia displays, photographs of victims, and audio recordings of emergency calls from the period.
- Highlights the multi-agency investigation, emphasizing coordination, intelligence sharing, and crisis communication.
WASHINGTON -- The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund announced that “Without Warning: Ending the Terror of the D.C. Snipers” will open in May at the National Law Enforcement Museum’s Dupont Gallery. The exhibit will debut ahead of National Police Week, scheduled for May 10–16, 2026, and will remain on display through December 2027.
The exhibition examines the October 2002 sniper attacks that occurred across Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Over 23 days, 10 people were killed and three others were injured. The attacks triggered a multi-jurisdictional investigation involving five federal agencies and 14 local and state law enforcement agencies.
According to the Memorial Fund, the case has been described as the largest manhunt ever conducted in the United States. The investigation required coordinated intelligence sharing, interagency command structures and sustained public communication efforts at a time of heightened fear across the region.
The exhibit will present artifacts, multimedia displays and historical documentation related to the case. Featured items include the modified vehicle used by the perpetrators, the firearm recovered during the investigation and written communications connected to the attackers, including the Tarot card left at one crime scene. A regional map detailing each incident will also be displayed.
Photographs of the victims will be placed throughout the exhibit space, along with audio recordings of 9-1-1 emergency calls from the period.
“The D.C. sniper case had a profound impact on the Washington region and beyond,” said Thomas Canavan, chief operating officer of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and executive director of the National Law Enforcement Museum. “This exhibit provides historical context surrounding the events and honors the victims while documenting a case that shaped the region.”
For law enforcement professionals, the exhibit offers a retrospective on large-scale, multi-agency investigative operations and the operational challenges associated with serial violent crime across jurisdictional boundaries. The case remains a reference point for coordinated response strategies, intelligence integration and crisis communication during prolonged public safety threats.