Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Maryland Wheaton Brookside Gardens Reflection Terrace
AO Edited

Brookside Gardens Reflection Terrace

Hidden within an idyllic suburban garden is a memorial dedicated to the victims of a terrifying spree of killings committed on U.S. soil.

Wheaton, Maryland

Added By
Ian Hall
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Beltway sniper victims memorial at Brookside Gardens   jennie Zed / CC BY-SA 2.0
Beltway sniper victims memorial at Brookside Gardens   nathalie.cone / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Beltway sniper victims memorial at Brookside Gardens   Mr.TinDC / CC BY-ND 2.0
Beltway sniper victims memorial at Brookside Gardens   Anosmia / CC BY 2.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

This peaceful spot in the middle of the 54-acre Brookside Gardens recalls a very somber span of three weeks in October 2002 when local residents were gripped by fear as a series of random and mysterious killings unfolded across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.

The perpetrators left behind a trail of dead and wounded on a bloody cross-country trek between February and September 2002, during which they shot and killed seven people and wounded seven more. They arrived in the D.C. area some time between late September and early October, after which they killed an additional 10 people and wounded three more between October 2 and October 23.

Events escalated quickly, with six people dead after the first two days. News spread quickly of the killings, and though few details were available in the early stages, reports indicated that the victims were being targeted by snipers who were shooting from a significant distance. They were initially thought to be a using a white box truck or van for cover, allowing them to flee the scene after each deadly attack. Law enforcement scrambled for clues to track down the snipers, and coverage of the killings rapidly expanded beyond local channels to national outlets.

As the shootings continued, the region was on edge. Outdoor activities were canceled and local residents were aghast as more victims were shot, many at shopping centers or gas stations. Brave souls stepped up to fuel cars for their terrified neighbors, and many gas stations installed tarps over their pumps in order to provide a safe haven for customers to fuel up.

Clues were found at some of the crime scenes, including tarot cards and handwritten notes in plastic bags. Investigators got a break when they received a call from the snipers in which hints were revealed that led them to match fingerprints found on a tarot card left at a middle school on October 7 to a prior shooting at a liquor store in Alabama on September 21. These details allowed them to identify Lee Boyd Malvo (aged 17 at the time) and connect him to John Allen Muhammad (aged 41 at the time), with whom he had close ties.

Police had actually stopped the pair for minor moving violations two times during the killing spree, but let them go on both occasions as neither had any outstanding warrants. Additional sleuthing led to the discovery that a dark blue Chevrolet Caprice with New Jersey tags was registered to Muhammad, and a media alert was quickly issued to the public to be on the lookout for the car.

On the morning of October 24, 2002, a tip from a motorist led investigators to a rest stop off of I-270 near Myersville, Maryland where Muhammad and Malvo were discovered sleeping in the car. After sealing off both exits to the rest stop, a SWAT team moved in and arrested the beltway snipers.

A Bushmaster XM-15 semi-automatic rifle fitted with a weapon sight with a range of 300 meters and a bipod were found in the car. Police also noticed a small hole cut out of the trunk just above the license plate, designed to allow the shooter to lie prone while lining up a shot.

Muhammad was sentenced to death in September 2003 and executed by lethal injection in November 2009.  Malvo, who was a minor at the time of the killings, was sentenced to six consecutive life sentences without parole in Maryland and additional charges in Virginia. While he is eligible for parole in Virginia is 2022, his charges in Maryland carry no possibility of parole. He currently resides at Red Onion State Prison in Pound, Virginia.

The Reflection Terrace at Brookside Gardens memorial was dedicated in 2004, honoring the victims of the sniper attacks. This place of remembrance features two large stone markers: one with a reflection on the events that unfolded during that fateful month and another with the names and home towns of those whose lives were lost. There are ten smaller stones in the surrounding area, each engraved with the name of one of the ten victims whose names appear on the larger marker.

Related Tags

Memorials Gardens Murder Plants

Know Before You Go

The Reflection Terrace at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland is dedicated to the victims of the beltway sniper shootings in Montgomery County. 

Community Contributors

Added By

blimpcaptain

Published

March 8, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D.C._sniper_attacks#Virginia_and_other_areas
  • http://www.lsginc.com/PD2-Honor-152/Reflection-Terrace-at-Brookside-Gardens-908.aspx
  • https://www.montgomeryparks.org/parks-and-trails/brookside-gardens/about/history/
  • https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=91109&page=1
Brookside Gardens Reflection Terrace
1800 Glenallan Ave
Wheaton, Maryland, 20902
United States
39.057196, -77.036924
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Wheaton Station Escalator

Silver Spring, Maryland

miles away

Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery

Silver Spring, Maryland

miles away

National Capital Trolley Museum

Silver Spring, Maryland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Maryland

Maryland

United States

Places 239
Stories 15

Nearby Places

Wheaton Station Escalator

Silver Spring, Maryland

miles away

Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery

Silver Spring, Maryland

miles away

National Capital Trolley Museum

Silver Spring, Maryland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Maryland

Maryland

United States

Places 239
Stories 15

Related Places

  • Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

    'The Constellation'

    This massive piece of artwork weighs more than 250 tons, and was designed as a tribute to the first president of the United Arab Emirates.

  • Norfolk, Virginia

    Mary Hardy MacArthur Memorial

    The childhood home of the famous general's mother is now a small, walled garden.

  • Centrepiece sculpture.

    Campbeltown, Scotland

    Linda McCartney Memorial Garden

    An appropriate memorial dedicated to a well-renowned figure of Campbeltown.

  • Mill Brae Garden

    Larne, Northern Ireland

    Mill Brae Memory Garden

    An uninspiring grass verge transformed into a therapeutic community garden.

  • John Callahan Garden

    Portland, Oregon

    John Callahan Memorial Garden

    This garden is dedicated to a Portland cartoonist who specialized in dark humor.

  • Likeness of Bob Hope in his memorial garden.

    Los Angeles, California

    Bob Hope Grave and Memorial Garden

    The final resting place of one of Hollywood’s most prolific and talented actors is on the grounds of a California Mission.

  • Ringfinnan Garden of Remembrance.

    Kinsale, Ireland

    Ringfinnan Garden of Remembrance

    This memorial was created by an Irish nurse who lived in New York City during 9/11.

  • Mahatma Gandhi (Fredda Brilliant, 1968).

    London, England

    Peace Garden at Tavistock Square

    A quiet, semi-secret square with statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Virginia Woolf, and a conscientious objectors stone.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.