nbcnews.com / .nbcnews-com-investigations

The weaponry available today would allow even a novice shooter to pull off such a hit, multiple gun experts said.

"What we're seeing in the diplomatic corps right now is fear," John Dinkelman, president of the American Foreign Service Association, told NBC News.

The total number of Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained was at least 54 across 17 countries, according to the Foley Foundation's 2024 report.

Over the past 18 months, the number of carjackings has dropped sharply in the Washington area. But they still remain far above pre-pandemic levels.