Photo by Kevin H.

Good morning, Washington, and welcome to one of those weird times when a federal holiday happens to fall on a Wednesday, leaving a good portion of the city with a day off smack in the middle of the week. Banks, schools and government agencies are all closed today, and the Metrorail system is running on a modified Saturday schedule. Even if you’re at your desk this morning despite all this, think about finding a way to thank a veteran today. We’ll have some suggestions on how to do that later this morning.

John Allen Muhammad is Dead: Convicted D.C. sniper John Allen Muhammad died at 9:11 p.m. last night, after receiving a cocktail of three lethal drugs from the state of Virginia. Sarah Abruzzese of the Washington Times and Josh White and Maria Glod of the Washington Post were all there to witness Muhammad’s death, but Paul Duggan’s essay remembering the terror that Muhammad and his accomplice wrought is the must-read. ‘What did it teach us? A simple truth, says Caroline Namrow, a doctor who rushed to Walekar’s aid Oct. 3 after bullet fragments tore through his heart at a Mobil in Aspen Hill, the third of five killings in 16 hours in Montgomery. “We’re on this Earth for such a short time,” Namrow says. “You never know when it’s going to end.”‘

U.S. Secret Service Fatally Injures Pedestrian: Secret Service officers driving two different vehicles struck and killed a pedestrian on Suitland Parkway early Wednesday morning, the Post reports. The collision occurred at about 2:30 a.m. at the intersection of the parkway and Naylor Road, just inside the border of Prince George’s County. Very few details are available on the nature of the crash this morning, and the name of the victim, an adult male, is still being withheld pending notification of his family.

Briefly Noted: Metro agrees to allow monitors on live tracks … Twelve charged with stealing library books from Prince George’s County … Quicker economic rebound seen for D.C. area … Md. Marine sergeant killed in Afghanistan.

This Day in DCist: Last year, Virginia state GOP Chair Jeff Frederick was putting his foot in his mouth.