Thirteen people were shot during the October 2002 sniper shootings that terrorized the Washington area and outlying communities in Maryland and Virginia.

CNN: Convicted sniper's lawyers seek new trial

The population of the city already numbers more than half a million, and if you count outlying suburbs and independent cities, the total number of people in the metro area is fast approaching two million, more than double what it was just a decade ago.

BBC: Discover life in the Nevada desert