John Allen Muhammad ( December 31 , 1960 – November 10 , 2009 ) was an American convicted murderer from Baton Rouge , Louisiana . He , along with his partner / accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo ( aged 17 ) , a native of Kingston , Jamaica , carried out the D.C. sniper attacks of October 2002 , killing 10 people . Muhammad and Malvo were arrested in connection with the attacks on October 24 , 2002 , following tips from alert citizens . Although the pair 's actions were classified by the media as psychopathy attributable to serial killer characteristics , whether or not their psychopathy meets this classification or that of a spree killer is debated by researchers
D.C. sniper attacks
D.C. sniper attacks
John Allen Muhammad