# Trump bloody after shots fired at a Trump Rally: Jul 13, 2024 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [July 13, 2024, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162 "2024-07-13T22:13:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 33
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162/653 "2024-07-15T21:39:20Z")
> [@CoolHandCox](#): > > But, again, it’s a tough call to shoot a kid in the head if you just suspect they have a gun (assuming you have the shot and can identify a weapon). The witnesses saw the gun and were yelling at the officer. And shooting the kid in the head left out the gun sticking out on the roof line which would have been seen from a magnified scope. It’s also not the only option. The SS doesn’t need a certified document attesting to the situation to act. “Man with gun on roof” is enough of a warning to escort the former President off the stage. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162/654 "2024-07-15T21:50:52Z")
> [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](#): > > I am no ballistics expert, so if there is anyone, can they help me here? I’m trying to figure out how good of a shot the shooter took. I know, he literally hit his target in the head, but was that what he was aiming at? > > Upthread, there was a post indicating the shooter was a member of a gun club with a 200 yard range. So, let’s assume he practiced there and had his rifle sighted for a 200 yard shot. Now, the actual shot was only 125 yards, or so. That would make the bullet rise, correct? (that is, the shot would be higher than the sights predicted) Add to that, he was aiming downward, which would also make the shot go high. Just a guess, but say the roof was 50 feet off the ground and Trump’s head was 10 (stage height plus Trump’s height). That’s a drop of 40 feet. > > Now, one might expect the shooter to be aiming for the center of mass of the victim. OK, he was not a pro with pro training, so more likely mid-chest, or about one foot below where he hit the target. Let’s ignore the possibility of body armor since we are talking late afternoon in southern PA in July and a 78 year-old man. I suspect body armor capable of stopping a rifle shot would be too hot, not to mention it is obvious that he wasn’t from the video evidence. > > My question is would being 75 yards closer and 40 feet above what you were sighted-in for result in the shot being 1-1.5 feet higher than where it was aimed? The trajectory at that range is flat for all intents and purposes. There are slight variations depending on barrel length and ammo but not much at all. IIRC when firing the old M16A1 we were told to aim slightly high at 250 meters and further. With the M16A2 and beyond we were told to just aim center mass. At 150 meters a properly zeroed AR-15 variant should hit exactly what it’s aimed at. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162/655 "2024-07-15T21:57:32Z")
Yes, I left out in that hypo that kid had a gun and everyone/snipers knew it. You should shoot someone on the roof you _know_ has a gun (and who you _know_ is not a cop). My point is that was probably not known in time. There’s too much unknown. I can see I am likely conflating somethings we kind of know with a lot of things we do not. It was certainly preventable. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162/656 "2024-07-15T22:02:54Z")
> [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](#): > > I’m trying to figure out how good of a shot the shooter took. I know, he literally hit his target in the head, but was that what he was aiming at? Two things: - Do we have confirmation that what hit Trump was a bullet? As has been noted, the teleprompter near him was hit. Have we ruled out that what hit Trump’s ear was a piece of that? - The man who was killed and the two other people injured were located near the left wall of the back-of-Trump seating section (left as facing the stage from the main audience part of the venue). From photos, that area appears to be quite a few feet or even yards away from the podium. If we’re talking about the shooter’s accuracy, shouldn’t we be including these facts? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162/657 "2024-07-15T22:07:44Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > There is scuttlebutt on Twitter that says the logo is for something called, “Demolition Ranch”. - It Is. Worth watching. > **[The Trump Shooter was Wearing My Shirt...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAnvLjavON0%2F)** > > Leave a comment, let me know what you think about all this. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162/658 "2024-07-15T22:09:00Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > The man who was killed and the two other people injured were located near the left wall of the back-of-Trump seating section (left as facing the stage from the main audience part of the venue). That’s not what other sources have said. Everything I’ve read said the others shot were to Trump’s left, which would put them basically behind Trump, from the shooter’s vantage. And it’s also been reported that the shooter was kicked off of his high school rifle team for being too poor of a shot. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162/659 "2024-07-15T22:15:09Z")
[quote=“Sherrerd, post:656, topic:1004162, full:true”] > [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](#): > > - The man who was killed and the two other people injured were located near the left wall of the back-of-Trump seating section (left as facing the stage from the main audience part of the venue). From photos, that area appears to be quite a few feet or even yards away from the podium. If we’re talking about the shooter’s accuracy, shouldn’t we be including these facts? There were multiple shots in rapid succession. Given the limits of adrenaline fueled nerves the first shot or two was aimed the next shots couldn’t be. In other words the first shot was addressed “Dear Donald” the other shots were addressed “To whom it my concern.” ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162/660 "2024-07-15T22:18:36Z")
High school was 2+ years ago. Perhaps not being on the team motivated him to practice at the gun range. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162/661 "2024-07-15T22:22:03Z")
> [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](#): > > I am no ballistics expert, so if there is anyone, can they help me here? I’m trying to figure out how good of a shot the shooter took. I know, he literally hit his target in the head, but was that what he was aiming at? As others have pointed out, you can’t compare this to shooting at a practice range. 125 yards is pretty easy at the range, but in this circumstance the shooter was most likely having extreme adrenaline, knowing he’d be dead very quickly once he pulled the trigger, and aiming at one of the most important people in the world. Hitting a target at even 90 yards might be tough under such circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162/662 "2024-07-15T22:28:32Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > In other words the first shot was addressed “Dear Donald” the other shoots were addressed “To whom it my concern.” I figured the first one missed and the rest of them were ‘I only have a few seconds to unload the rest of this magazine’. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162/663 "2024-07-15T22:31:36Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > That’s not what other sources have said. Everything I’ve read said the others shot were to Trump’s left, which would put them basically behind Trump, from the shooter’s vantage. I’m hoping that diagrams will be available in the near future. Accounts tend to say “to Trump’s left” or “on Trump’s right” **without specifying** whether they refer to Trump and the way he was facing at any given moment, OR to the viewpoint of the reporter. Since most reporters were out in the main part of the audience section (not on stage and not in the back-of-Trump bleachers), “to Trump’s left” would mean “to the left of where Trump is standing on the podium as I face the podium from out in the audience.” Completely different things. Which is why we can’t really draw any conclusions about the shots that hit the bystanders until we see a diagram of exactly where they were. The reason I believe that ‘to Trump’s left’ in the description of Mr. Comperatore’s location means the left wall of back-of-Trump seating, left meaning to the left of the podium from the viewpoint of someone in the main audience section, is because of videos and photos showing that part of the seating as it looked (deserted, with garments strewn around) after the shooting. I will post those videos and/or photos when I find them, but in the meantime here’s the ABC news clip that Magiver linked to—it shows, at 1:34, the full stand in back of Trump right after the sound of the bullets. It looks to me like the left side of the screen shows more chaos among the spectators than the right side of the screen, but it’s subjective. We really need the diagram. > [@Magiver](#): > > Found the video of the counter terrorist snipers. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162/664 "2024-07-15T22:35:28Z")
The shooter was audience left/stage right. ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162/665 "2024-07-15T22:47:42Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Do we have confirmation that what hit Trump was a bullet? As has been noted, the teleprompter near him was hit. Have we ruled out that what hit Trump’s ear was a piece of that? Do we have confirmation that a teleprompter was hit (either near Trump, or far away)? I know, early on, it was hypothesized that Trump’s injuries may have been caused by pieces from a teleprompter, but the video does not indicate than any of the teleprompters near Trump were damaged and I don’t believe I have heard anything more about it since we started getting facts instead of guesses. ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162/666 "2024-07-15T22:52:38Z")
You seem to be giving reasons for his missing the shot. He hit the victim in the head! Despite all the pressures and other circumstance, I’d say he did pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162/667 "2024-07-15T22:53:35Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > I’m hoping that diagrams will be available in the near future. Accounts tend to say “to Trump’s left” or “on Trump’s right” **without specifying** whether they refer to Trump and the way he was facing at any given moment, OR to the viewpoint of the reporter. That’s exactly what the word “Trump’s” is doing in that sentence. Now, maybe some reporters are saying “Trump’s left” when they mean “the audience’s left”, but they’re clearly saying “Trump’s left”. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162/668 "2024-07-15T23:44:59Z")
Do we know which shot hit trump? I can’t tell by the video, but to me it looked like the reason trump moved his head was in reaction to the sound of the first shot(s). I guess it was actually god, but what do I know? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162/669 "2024-07-15T23:47:26Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > Do we know which shot hit trump? I can’t tell by the video, but to me it looked like the reason trump moved his head was in reaction to the sound of the first shot(s). From the news reports, Trump wasn’t hit directly by a bullet, but by a glass fragment? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162/670 "2024-07-15T23:50:56Z")
That makes the most sense to me. I suggested this upthread. > [@Trump bloody after shots fired at a Trump Rally {Try and keep this factual/Breaking News} Jul 13, 2024](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-try-and-keep-this-factual-breaking-news-jul-13-2024/1004162/482): > > Is it a certainty that it was a bullet that hit trump’s ear? It makes more sense that trump was hit with a piece of plexiglass from the shattered teleprompter. Any thoughts from the marksmen here? ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162/671 "2024-07-15T23:52:46Z")
He moved his head to talk about an immigration screen he was discussing as part of his speech. Coincidence. Otherwise it’s a skull shot. Then he flinched after the bullet hit his ear. Here’s a picture of the bullet (NYT): [![](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTlK08NGkI6TkcxjFbCoT1rbjyM_jOclKhQFg&s) ](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTlK08NGkI6TkcxjFbCoT1rbjyM_jOclKhQFg&s) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2024, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162/672 "2024-07-15T23:55:30Z")
IMHO that two-dimensional photo doesn’t give an accurate sense of the three-dimensional event. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162.md?page=32) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-bloody-after-shots-fired-at-a-trump-rally-jul-13-2024/1004162.md?page=34)