Bioterrorism Puts the Nation on Edge

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Byline: Andrea Billups and Daniel F. Drummond

A man with a gun, a knife and a spray bottle of an unknown fluid threw a scare into dozens of passengers on a Metro train yesterday, a day when similar incidents kept Americans on edge across a good part of the nation.

When Metro police tried to apprehend the man for failing to pay his fare at the Southern Avenue station in Temple Hills, he fired his gun and sprayed several passengers before he was subdued.

Prince George's fire and police officials said early tests of the fluid indicate it was probably a "cleaning solution." A container of another liquid the suspect dropped during the scuffle is believed to have contained perfume.

Police said the man, who also wielded a 12-inch knife, …