PA - Assassination attempt, shooting injures former POTUS Donald Trump, leaves 1 spectator deceased two in critical condition, 13 July 2024 #2

[Sundog]

On retrospect, in a country with so many guns like ours, maybe an outside venue was not wise.

But, on the other hand, outside it is possible for more interested people to participate, just as the people who alerted to the shooter did- they could just come informally with a picnic, and that would not be possible if it were indoors.

I'm sure SS alerted the campaign about the limits of a realistic perimeter.

It still seems like that rooftop would have been a good place for local LE to put their lead person- with a good view of the area. On retrospect, it also would have been a good place for the owner/lease to put private security just to prevent having spectators climb there dangerously. Who needs to deal with broken wrists and legs that could follow a group deciding to get a closer look from there.

But overall, I'm sure the campaign was aware of the benefits of the venue and the risks.

Even in rural USA, even with candidates heavily influenced by the NRA, it is more likely that a shooting not happen at a rally. The venue was chosen by the campaign- it was accessible and had many pluses. SS can give a safety assessment but they can't tell the campaign to reject a venue. The unlikely scenario that an assassin would come on the scene and fire shots did not dictate decision-making.

MOO

The problem wasn't the venue. The protocols don't change based on venue. There was clearly a failure of security and Congress will hopefully find out what on earth happened.

 

[MassGuy]

Im seeing cbs reporting that he was grazed by the bullet. Initially they were only stating that thats what trump claimed. So it sounds like they got verification

Yeah. There was a dubious report by Newsmax, claiming that state police sources were saying they believed he was hit by glass. Axios also reported the same, before deleting it.

I think what happened was they were speculating that it had to be glass based on the direction of fire and Trump presumably facing forward. An ear injury would have been a fatal one if that was the case, as the bullet would have entered his brain.

Later analysis showed Trump turning his head moments before the shots rang out, and that NYT photographer captured an image of a round whizzing behind Trump, which confirmed where the bullets were coming from.

So a graze makes the most sense in general, even without any confirmation.

 

[ilovewings]

MOO - I disagree. There have been a lot of events and campaign stops for both parties this summer, as well as 4th of July events and Pride events throughout the state and around Pittsburgh. Many of these would not have had Secret Service or anything more than local security. Trump was the target.

I too believe Trump was the target

 

[Chimera]

On retrospect, in a country with so many guns like ours, maybe an outside venue was not wise.

But, on the other hand, outside it is possible for more interested people to participate, just as the people who alerted to the shooter did- they could just come informally with a picnic, and that would not be possible if it were indoors.

I'm sure SS alerted the campaign about the limits of a realistic perimeter.

It still seems like that rooftop would have been a good place for local LE to put their lead person- with a good view of the area. On retrospect, it also would have been a good place for the owner/lease to put private security just to prevent having spectators climb there dangerously. Who needs to deal with broken wrists and legs that could follow a group deciding to get a closer look from there.

But overall, I'm sure the campaign was aware of the benefits of the venue and the risks.

Even in rural USA, even with candidates heavily influenced by the NRA, it is more likely that a shooting not happen at a rally. The venue was chosen by the campaign- it was accessible and had many pluses. SS can give a safety assessment but they can't tell the campaign to reject a venue. The unlikely scenario that an assassin would come on the scene and fire shots did not dictate decision-making.

MOO

Bbm.

Agreed with the first bolded.

Unsure at this time regarding the second bolded ?
Omo.

 

[MassGuy]

I too believe Trump was the target

No one is saying that Trump wasn’t the target. Obviously that guy went to that rally with the intention of assassinating him.

The question is if he had other ideas in mind in the weeks and months prior to making the decision to target Trump.

In a significant amount of events studied by the Secret Service, that is the case.

 

[Sundog]

In regards to the crowd standing there watching, I was witness to a car chase and subsequent carjacking a few years ago. I was a few cars back from the one the suspect carjacked. Officers opened fire as he was driving away. I saw the officers with their guns drawn and I heard the shots but I remember not comprehending the situation. It took a few moments for my brain to kick in and tell me to duck down for safety sake. I think not being accustomed to such an environment it takes a moment for instinct to kick in, if it even does.
ETA: tried to quote post from previous thread, it didn’t work.

We were watching the rally on Saturday live on television when the attempted assassination took place. As you said, it took time for what happened to sink in. Even when the SS were leading President Trump off the stage, it seemed to me that they were being overly cautious and I couldn't understand why they wouldn't let President Trump continue with the rally, assuming that it had been some kind of false alarm and only fireworks or something like that. Then my husband said he saw blood on President Trump's face. All of this happened very quickly. The images of people standing up in the bleachers behind Trump and looking around doesn't surprise me. There was a lot of confusion and it took a minute or so to figure out what had just happened. By then the would be assassin had been neutralized.

The rally goers who were seated closer to the three individuals who were shot would have figured this out more quickly and people seated in these areas did, in fact, duck and hit the ground quickly, it seems.

It was a terrible thing to witness live on television as it happened and it's a miracle that President Trump is still alive.

 

[mickey2942]

I am interested in how the police identified Crooks, so quickly, using "DNA and facial recognition".

What DNA source? Obviously, from Crooks, but how was his DNA identified so quickly? Matched against what database? And what facial recognition software?

These are really the questions we should be asking....

Thomas Matthew Crooks: What we know about Donald Trump's attacker

The 20-year-old registered Republican purchased ammunition the day of the rally, authorities say.

www.bbc.com

 

[BenjaminJAndersonAlly]

In Sydney … Jack Black’s Tenacious D band mate expressed birthday wish during concert: “Don’t miss Trump next time.”

Crowd divided over 'bad joke' at Sydney gig hours after Trump shooting

Footage of Tenacious D's performance has emerged with band member Kyle Gass making a controversial birthday wish.

au.news.yahoo.com

 

[Chimera]

This attempted assassination is so sad -- mainly for the loss of Corey and what impact that will have on his loved ones -- because an outdoor venue can be more informal and more of a 'picnic' atmosphere.
The main burden of fault is, imo, a huge security breach that should not have happened.
My opinion is that the ball was dropped, but prob. not intentionally ?
Omo.

 

[Justice101]

FBI has fast track genealogical for DNA as an example. They want to get to raid his house whomever it is, as fast as possible. It is amazing how fast people that have no IDs can be identified and verified. The ID'd him in 36 hours without any ID on him or his car.

With the damage to his head/face from the bullets, I doubt facial recognition would do much.

 

[MassGuy]

I am interested in how the police identified Crooks, so quickly, using "DNA and facial recognition".

What DNA source? Obviously, from Crooks, but how was his DNA identified so quickly? Matched against what database? And what facial recognition software?

These are really the questions we should be asking....

Thomas Matthew Crooks: What we know about Donald Trump's attacker

The 20-year-old registered Republican purchased ammunition the day of the rally, authorities say.

www.bbc.com

The facial recognition software may have been run against a DMV database. Then they’d obtain DNA from his parents for comparison. There are field testing kits that can process DNA in 90 minutes.

It’s also possible that first part was done by tracing the weapon. Then DNA.

 

[Sundog]

Trump says he discarded his convention speech to make it more conciliatory, and if that is true it will also be the only positive thing to emerge from this disaster, IMO.

Both President Biden and President Trump sound like they are moving toward more conciliatory messaging, and it's a good start that both President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden contacted their respective former counterparts, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. The violent rhetoric in the media also needs to stop and it would be good if everyone could focus on the policy issues that the American people are concerned about and not the escalated outrageous personal attacks that we have seen leading up to the assassination attempt.

 

[Ontario Mom]

In Sydney … Jack Black’s Tenacious D band mate expressed birthday wish during concert: “Don’t miss Trump next time.”

Crowd divided over 'bad joke' at Sydney gig hours after Trump shooting

Footage of Tenacious D's performance has emerged with band member Kyle Gass making a controversial birthday wish.

au.news.yahoo.com

That's the exact trash that fuels the fire.
Anyone making these kinds of comments should be considered completely unstable.

jmo

 

[Ruminations]

Bbm.

Agreed with the first bolded.

Unsure at this time regarding the second bolded ?
Omo.

I'm just speculating based on Carol Leonnig's book about the Secret Service. They can't make their protectee's decisions. They can just advise, and do their best in the venue selected. They can say they advise against a security risk, but they can't expect compliance with their advice or abandon their protectee if they disagree.

MOO

 

[Chimera]

The more I think about it, the more I believe that Trump was a target of opportunity.

I was looking at his rally dates and the announcements of them, and they don’t typically have a great deal of lead time. I’m not sure about the Pennsylvania one specifically, but most are about 2 weeks from announcement to event.

That’s very little time to gather bomb making materials and build bombs. Of course I’m sure these weren’t very sophisticated, but still.

Then we have the last minute ammunition purchase, which would be weird for someone who had been planning for a while to kill the former president.

The bombs to me seem to indicate plans for a mass casualty attack. I think he had something else in mind before opportunity struck.

Especially when you look at how sloppy and utterly reckless the attack itself was. There were numerous points where he should have been intercepted, and he was able to take advantage of perhaps the most stunning breakdown in SS history.

I just hope his devices talk, and give us a better idea of what his thinking was.

Bbm.
Agreed.

Can't find social media for the perp, unless it's been scrubbed.
Anyone happen to see a FB account, or something else ?
Imo.

 

[Ontario Mom]

Bbm.
Agreed.

Can't find social media for the perp, unless it's been scrubbed.
Anyone happen to see a FB account, or something else ?
Imo.

It was immediately scrubbed.

jmo

 

[MassGuy]

Bbm.
Agreed.

Can't find social media for the perp, unless it's been scrubbed.
Anyone happen to see a FB account, or something else ?
Imo.

Nope, and it doesn’t sound like the FBI has had much luck either.

 

[Sundog]

Very much agree.

My personal hope is that Trump will make some magnanimous gesture toward Corey’s family. Maybe pay for the funeral, or if this assassination attempt sways enough voters and Trump wins, perhaps invite the family to the Inauguration.

Just something to honor a good family man and firefighter who supported Trump, yet died horrifically but needlessly.

Jmo

The Trump campaign has already set up the process and over $3 million has already been raised online for the three individuals who were shot at the Butler rally. This is a start. I am sure there will be more. Corey's family recently stated that they are not ready to go public yet, but they will be taken care of, I have no doubt. I think we will hear more about this during the four days of the Convention this week.

 

[Chimera]

I'm just speculating based on Carol Leonnig's book about the Secret Service. They can't make their protectee's decisions. They can just advise, and do their best in the venue selected. They can say they advise against a security risk, but they can't expect compliance with their advice or abandon their protectee if they disagree.

MOO

Ah, ok.
I see what you're pointing out.
Thanks !
It's sometimes difficult to read someone's post and understand what they're thinking ?

 

[Shadowtrix]

Bbm.
Agreed.

Can't find social media for the perp, unless it's been scrubbed.
Anyone happen to see a FB account, or something else ?
Imo.

It’s been reported by MSM he had ‘limited social media presence’ and a Discord account that wasn’t used much but other than that I haven’t seen anything about identified social media accounts belonging to him yet. I suspect as soon as that phone’s been analyzed, those will be identified.