Once again, it appears a ruthless killer is on the loose not too far from home.

Police say Bradley William Stone, 35, Pennsburg, is the suspect in the killing of his ex-wife, her mother, grandmother, sister, brother-in-law and niece.The pre-dawn Monday shooting spree brought out SWAT teams to otherwise quiet, rural towns below the Lehigh Valley and had people locking their doors and staying inside.Bodies were found in homes in Souderton, Lansdale and Harleysville and Stone is on the lam.Already some are asking, will state police and other law enforcement agencies put forth the same vigor into capturing Stone as they did suspected cop killer Eric Frein?Frein, it appears, had an issue with police and seemed to target uniformed officers.Some felt Frein actually posed no threat to the general public.Stone, on the other hand, appears to have targeted only family members of his ex-wife.But who knows where the Iraqi war veteran's thought processes might take him.In Pennsburg, a civil alert was issued Monday."We ask that all residents please remain in their homes with doors locked and away from any windows," the alert stated. "Please do not answer your door for anyone other than law enforcement officers."Pennsburg activated what was called a "Shelter-In-Place" recommendation for the entire borough, while police tried to put together a profile on the suspect.The Marine Corps confirmed that Stone served between 2002 and 2008 and earned four service medals.But his life since that time has been volatile.He went through marriage difficulties, child custody issues, and reportedly had three DUI arrests and was still on probation.One can only guess if war-related post-traumatic stress disorder is a factor. There are many questions.But the reality is that, right now, six are dead.Another, Stone's 17-year-old former nephew is wounded.Montgomery County district attorney's office indicated that Stone might be wearing military fatigues and using a cane or walker. Stone also might have shaved his head, although no reason has been given for these bits of information.Nor has there been any specific information released concerning motive.As of late Monday, police were looking into a possible sighting in Doylestown.All that is known is that, for the second time in a matter of a few months, an armed and very dangerous, unpredictable man is on the run near our area.If Stone is responsible for killing six people on Monday and wounding a seventh, he needs to be found and removed from our streets.At the time of year when we typically wish "Peace on Earth," we might just be content to settle for peace in our own neighborhood.Anyone with information is urged to call 911.By DONALD R. SERFASSdserfass@tnonline.com