Now that we know Fred Andrews survives the awful shooting at Pop Tate's Diner, the big question that will run through Riverdale this season is who shot him -- and why?

Archie described his father’s shooter as a man in a “black hood” -- not a mask -- but didn’t have much more information than that. Understandable, given the fact that people tend to have a hard time processing memories during traumatic events. Viewers have a bit more information, however: The hooded man is white, with green eyes, and is probably (though not definitely) middle-aged. That doesn’t rule out anyone who doesn’t have green eyes, though -- the Black Hood could have been hired by someone to shoot Fred.

RELATED: Riverdale: Is Archie Comics’ Black Hood the Villain of Season 2?

Of course, this Black Hood did more than just shoot Fred Andrews. At the end of Riverdale's season premiere, we saw him enter Ms. Grundy’s home in Greendale after she finished a piano lesson/sexual assault of yet another minor. This time, however, he didn't use a gun, opting instead to strangle his victim. As Ms. Cooper said in the promo for the second episode, it was more of a crime of passion than the shooting in Pop’s.

So, what’s the connection between Fred Andrews and Ms. Grundy, if there is one at all? And who would want them dead? Let's run down the list of likely -- and one not-so-likely -- suspects.

hiram-hermione-lodge

Hiram Lodge

One of the suspects is new to town. Hiram Lodge, Veronica’s father, just got out of jail and returned to his family in Riverdale. He’s got plenty of reasons to want Fred dead, of course; Fred was recently having an affair with Hiram’s wife Hermione, and he refused to sell his company when the Lodges asked him, making their shady business dealings harder to hide. Hiram Lodge is definitely not above hiring someone to deliver a beat down; he did that back in Season 1 when he hired some Serpents to trash Fred’s construction company.

It’s unlikely the Black Hood is Hiram himself, but it’s possible he’s being paid by Hiram to do his dirty work. But why would Hiram Lodge want Ms. Grundy dead? Was it to protect his daughter Veronica and her boyfriend Archie in case Ms. Grundy returned to Riverdale? He’s got good motivation for the one attack, but not the other.

Hermione Lodge

She’s got much of the same potential motivation as her husband Hiram -- Fred’s refusing to sell to them, their affair -- but she has a bit more reason to want to go after Ms. Grundy. After all, she was there when Archie’s abuse at Ms. Grundy’s hands came to light. Hermione has shown time and again that she’s willing to commit illegal acts to protect herself and her family. Does she consider Archie part of her family now that he and Veronica are so close? Or does she simply want to protect more young men from Ms. Grundy’s abuse?

Ms. Grundy’s Ex-Husband

The other obvious suspect is a character we haven’t actually seen on screen, but we’ve heard about his awful deeds. When Ms. Grundy was preying on Archie, she told him that she had an abusive ex-husband. That’s why she ended up in Riverdale in the first place, trying to escape him. The main connection between the Black Hood’s victims is Archie; Ms. Grundy’s ex-husband may be trying to make him pay for his relationship with Grundy by attacking his father. As for why he’d kill Ms Grundy, well, abusers often do end up killing their victims, especially when they try to leave.

The Southside Serpents

The Serpents are well known for their illegal activities and they have good reason for wanting Fred Andrews dead. Fred had hired a number of Serpents for his construction company -- and they all got fired. Could they be seeking revenge? Many fans have noted that Jughead’s new Serpent friend looks a lot like the Black Hood. It’s entirely possible, but much like with Hiram Lodge, it’s unclear what his motivation would be for killing Ms. Grundy.

Page 2: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='Could%20the%20Black%20Hood%20Be%20A%20Supernatural%20Threat%3F']



Betty’s Secret Brother

We really don’t know much about Chic Cooper except that Alice Cooper gave birth to him when she was a teenager and gave him up for adoption. He’s a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a blonde shell. It’s unclear what would motivate him to attack Fred Andrews and Ms. Grundy specifically, but it may be part of a larger revenge plot against Riverdale, the town that gave him away.

The ghost of Clifford Blossom

Hey, it’s Riverdale, who knows? Anything is possible, even if it isn't likely.

Riverdale -- "Chapter Eleven: To Riverdale and Back Again" -- Image Number: RVD111a_0181.jpg -- Pictured (L-R): Luke Perry as Fred Andrews and Molly Ringwald as Mary Andrews -- Photo: Katie Yu/The CW -- © 2017 The CW Network. All Rights Reserved "To Riverdale and Back Again" © 2017 The CW Network. All Rights Reserved The CW

Mary Andrews

Since the main connection between the two victims so far is Archie, it’s likely that the Black Hood cares about Archie a lot -- like, say, Archie’s mom Mary Andrews. She and Fred are divorced, so there may be lingering resentment there, especially if Mary found out about Fred’s fling with Hermione. As for Ms. Grundy, what mother wouldn’t want to protect her son from an abuser like her? Also, during Fred’s dream of Archie’s wedding, Mary winked at him. That’s got to mean something!

Sheriff Keller

Another favorite theory takes us back to the comic origins of the Black Hood. The first Black Hood was Matthew Burland, an ex-cop trained to battle evil. Over time, the hood has migrated from person to person, but each Black Hood has worked to right wrongs and punish criminals. Several people who took up the mantle were also cops. If the Black Hood is a cop vigilante going outside the law to seek justice, then who else would it be but Sheriff Keller? Ms. Grundy is an obvious choice for a vigilante to go after, given her inappropriate and inexcusable relationships with young men, but Fred is a bit less so. However, he does have ties to criminal organizations, and he did have a DUI at some point in the past. Perhaps Sheriff Keller taking the law into his own hands now that Riverdale's secret evils are coming to light.

Whoever it is, we’ve got 21 more episodes to find out! Airing Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CW, Riverdale stars K.J. Apa as Archie Andrews, Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge, Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones, Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom, Ashleigh Murray as Josie McCoy and Casey Cott as Kevin Keller.