Attempted assassination of Donald Trump 13 July 2024

[dimsum]

The Associated Press has this report that provides some details about thee: alleged shoot. Plus reports that they found bomb making material in his vehicle. Still no details on possible motivation.

In the wake of Trump's attempted assassination, investigators search for clues around the motive

Investigators hunt for clues about what may have driven the 20-year-old shooter to try to assassinate former President Donald Trump.

apnews.com

The bomb-making material is very worrying. Presumably he didn’t go through with the bomb part, but what could he have done at that distance, unless had a way into the event?

The quote about being bullied at high school about hunting outfits brought back memories of Columbine, obviously with different outcomes.

 

[Kilted]

Likely the shooter never even saw the comment beforehand. My guess is he hatched the plan shortly after the announcement of the speech near his area and used Google maps to figure out where he could shoot from.

It was bad timing for Joe to make such a remark, such is life and death.

Has anyone brought up Thomas Beckett yet?

 

[Colin Parkinson]

 

[Kilted]

I guess that depends on the definition of “close”.

None of us know, or will share, what the radius around the principal would be for CS versus other assets. And as @brihard already said, they likely had to use other agencies for outer perimeter security - remember that the shooter was outside the event. I suspect that the inner perimeter security is already quite high and labour-intensive for an event like a rally.

So yeah, someone messed up. But I’m not confident that the “someone” was USSS CS.

I can't speak to the American procedures, but it sounds similar to the Canadian practice of RCMP and local police, with a few Commissionaires thrown in for good measure.

 

[OldSolduer]

Regardless of who did what or didn't do what there is always one rule that everyone overlooks:

SOMEONE will find a way if they are determined and committed enough.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Gun shy...

Local officer encountered gunman just before he shot toward Trump at rally, sources tell AP​

One local police officer climbed to the roof and encountered Crooks, who pointed his rifle at the officer. The officer retreated down the ladder, and Crooks quickly took a shot toward Trump, and that’s when Secret Service snipers shot him, said the officials, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

FBI investigating Trump rally attack as potential act of domestic terrorism

BUTLER, Pa.

www.timescolonist.com

 

[brihard]

Gun shy...

Local officer encountered gunman just before he shot toward Trump at rally, sources tell AP​

One local police officer climbed to the roof and encountered Crooks, who pointed his rifle at the officer. The officer retreated down the ladder, and Crooks quickly took a shot toward Trump, and that’s when Secret Service snipers shot him, said the officials, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

FBI investigating Trump rally attack as potential act of domestic terrorism

BUTLER, Pa.

www.timescolonist.com

I was wondering when this would make it here. I’m already seeing tons of smooth-brained takes on this over on Twitter.

What do you mean “gun shy”? If this story is accurate, and the officer popped his head up from a ladder - a single predictable point of access to the roof - and saw a gun pointed at him, would you suggest he should just hang out and get shot in the face? Because that would be truly stupid. There’s no win, no positive contribution to the situation from that. Officer climbing a ladder, dude on a roof with a rifle at short distance- dude with the rifle wins a hundred times out of a hundred. It’s like whack-a-mole with only a single gopher hole. If a dude with a gun gets the drop on you and you cannot immediately shoot back, you use cover, access your own gun (tough to do while climbing a ladder), reposition, and call for backup.

In this case that likely caused the shooter to break his concentration and point of aim, to rush back to it, and to miss by just enough.

All of this presupposes the story is true. Were still only 24 hours in.

 

[Booter]

Just a dumb guy opinion.

I don’t care inner or outer, SS or Local. That roof should have had a cop on it. It’s literally the structure of note on a risk assessment or range card for the CAT.

Folks there did an excellent job otherwise recovering and dealing with the threat. Almost textbook from the little I see. Good result.

But sloped roof, with a direct line of sight, where you look at a map and say “oh there’s only one elevated shooting position on adjacent buildings” is a pre-planning issue.

So folks there. Nice work. Pre-planner? Recourse.

“But it’s a big building”

Put the lawn chair next to the ladder access.

 

[The Bread Guy]

... SOMEONE will find a way if they are determined and committed enough.

Especially if they don't care if they escape alive or not - but we still have a looooooooooot of investigating to get through to find out why (if we ever do to everyone's satisfaction).

 

[TacticalTea]

What annoys me is the republican hypocrisy of "it's Bidens fault" for his bulls eye comment but still say Trump had nothing to do with J6 or anything else despite all his comments.

Where'd you see that?

I think the Right is mostly just responding to the Left's victim blaming here.

Anyways, here's Erik Prince on the matter:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1812538250931642534

And here's another liberal thought leader on the matter:

 

[TacticalTea]

Just a dumb guy opinion.

I don’t care inner or outer, SS or Local. That roof should have had a cop on it. It’s literally the structure of note on a risk assessment or range card for the CAT.

Folks there did an excellent job otherwise recovering and dealing with the threat. Almost textbook from the little I see. Good result.

But sloped roof, with a direct line of sight, where you look at a map and say “oh there’s only one elevated shooting position on adjacent buildings” is a pre-planning issue.

So folks there. Nice work. Pre-planner? Recourse.

“But it’s a big building”

Put the lawn chair next to the ladder access.

Yeah, but you don't "recourse" the individuals who facilitated the assassination of the former and future POTUS, saved only by pure luck or divine intervention if one is so inclined.

 

[Remius]

Yeah, but you don't "recourse" the individuals who facilitated the assassination of the former and future POTUS, saved only by pure luck or divine intervention if one is so inclined.

Are you saying the secret service was in on it?

 

[TacticalTea]

Are you saying the secret service was in on it?

No implication of intent in the word I used.

You too have access to Google.

 

[Remius]

No implication of intent in the word I used.

You too have access to Google.

Was an honest question about how you viewed this. The word can be loaded. Clearly you are offended and was not my intent.

And yes. some of us use more than just the basic google function. You too can do this.



Thank you for defining what you meant as per my question.

 

[dimsum]

Where'd you see that?

I think the Right is mostly just responding to the Left's victim blaming here.

Who started the “whodunnit” social media posts?

I was driving so didn’t catch the first hour or so, but by the time I was able to check my phone, there were some on the right blaming Biden already. Immunity jokes aside, there is no logical reason why Biden would want to put out a hit on Trump.

 

[brihard]

Who started the “whodunnit” social media posts?

I was driving so didn’t catch the first hour or so, but by the time I was able to check my phone, there were some on the right blaming Biden already. Immunity jokes aside, there is no logical reason why Biden would want to put out a hit on Trump.

Right, but the thing about the internet is that it’s flooded with the absolutely stupidest people, and their keyboards apparently work.

 

[PuckChaser]

Who started the “whodunnit” social media posts?

I was driving so didn’t catch the first hour or so, but by the time I was able to check my phone, there were some on the right blaming Biden already. Immunity jokes aside, there is no logical reason why Biden would want to put out a hit on Trump.

#staged was also trending on Twitter. I don't think either statements are from sane people.

 

[brihard]

Imagine if Kennedy had been assassinated in a world of modern social media.

This is well on its way to being that stupid. Might even get dumber than that.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Imagine if Kennedy had been assassinated in a world of modern social media.

Some folks are STILL convinced of a second shooter et al on that one without soc-med amplification.

This is well on its way to being that stupid. Might even get dumber than that.

I’d bet a loonie on that.

 

[PuckChaser]

Imagine if Kennedy had been assassinated in a world of modern social media.

This is well on its way to being that stupid. Might even get dumber than that.

This is a turning point for the US. Both sides can either double down on the same garbage rhetoric that had Lock Her Up chants, Supreme Court justices threatened and a presidential candidate shot, or they can realize that you can vehemently hate ideas without dehumanizing the other party. I don't see a middle ground between those 2 positions and it's going to take a very public joint statement/press conference from Biden and Trump shaking hands on stage and unequivocally stating political violence is unacceptable to calm the waters.