Donald Trump Shot

[Alex]

Just watching Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania when he dropped to the floor and was then surrounded by agents.   He was led away by Secret Service and appeared to have blood on his right ear.  Further report says members of the audience were also hit.

[GrannyMac]

One man was killed, two others critically injured, and the assassin was shot dead.  Latest here https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cljy6yz1j6gt

[klondike]

As a past POTUS he is supposed to get good security. Looks like they messed up.

One hell of a near miss. Nicked his ear.

[muddy]

Even with the best security how can you prevent such attempts ? 

[Scrumpy]

Even with the best security how can you prevent such attempts ?

.. If someone wants to kill another they will... 
Trump was at a rally.. Hundreds of people around him.. Anyone of them could (potentially) have killed him.. 
If a person is on show, like Trump is, the risk is greater..
 I doubt it will change any guns laws in that country.. Anybody.. Anywhere can obtain a gun..  The internet is a powerful place.. 

A bit like Harrods promise...  'All things for all people , everywhere' 

[klondike]

He was shot from a rooftop. Apart from somebody in the crowd with a handgun or a bomb  an assassin will always be on high to get a clear shot.

The secret service had snipers on other roofs as right after the shots they shot  the  shooter. Surrounding buildings should have been secured to stop anybody getting to the roof and all the rooftops need to be under observation in case somebody did succeed. He wasn't hard to spot as a member of the public is said to have reported him to the police shortly before he took the shots.

[Vlad]

He was shot from a rooftop. Apart from somebody in the crowd with a handgun or a bomb  an assassin will always be on high to get a clear shot.

The secret service had snipers on other roofs as right after the shots they shot  the  shooter. Surrounding buildings should have been secured to stop anybody getting to the roof and all the rooftops need to be under observation in case somebody did succeed. He wasn't hard to spot as a member of the public is said to have reported him to the police shortly before he took the shots.

The longest confirmed sniper shot resulting in a kill was 2,475 metres, the shooter was British of course. I don't envy the protection teams that have to guard Presidents and vice Presidents. Trying to cover all likely areas that a shooter might be located would be a nightmare.

[Cassandra]

The longest confirmed sniper shot resulting in a kill was 2,475 metres, the shooter was British of course. I don't envy the protection teams that have to guard Presidents and vice Presidents. Trying to cover all likely areas that a shooter might be located would be a nightmare.

Wouldn't be allowed since May 4th under health and safety legislation ...

[Alex]

So many questions here, perhaps we'll find out more as the day goes on.
Why was the shooter allowed on that roof ?
A witness told police about the shooter, so why wasn't Trump at least taken off the stage ?
Did nobody see him setting up and adjusting his rifle ?
He missed trump by millimetres so he wasn't an amateur.
The sniper can't talk now as he was shot dead - eventually !

[JBR]

The longest confirmed sniper shot resulting in a kill was 2,475 metres, the shooter was British of course. I don't envy the protection teams that have to guard Presidents and vice Presidents. Trying to cover all likely areas that a shooter might be located would be a nightmare.

Yes, that goes without saying!
We are still the best in the world in some things, things that really matter...
like shooting naughty people.

[klondike]

I'm guessing that there isn't instant communication between what was probably a crowd control policeman and the protection people and there will be some sort of inquiry into that and an attempt to improve things.

I don't think he was a sniper or professional of any sort he was only 20 years old and you doubt get the skills to make 2½ km kill shots at that sort of age. Apparently he got on top of a building just outside the perimeter where those entering went through metal detectors. I don't know how far away that was but I doubt it was a huge distance. Maybe a couple of hundred meters. Don't forget that a large number of Americans are pretty competent with firearms and they are hardly difficult to come by there either.

I imagine the big questions will be how much time there was between the warning and the shots plus how did he get missed by those who would have been looking out for anybody with a firearm in high places nearby.

[Vlad]

I'm guessing that there isn't instant communication between what was probably a crowd control policeman and the protection people and there will be some sort of inquiry into that and an attempt to improve things.

I don't think he was a sniper or professional of any sort he was only 20 years old and you doubt get the skills to make 2½ km kill shots at that sort of age. Apparently he got on top of a building just outside the perimeter where those entering went through metal detectors. I don't know how far away that was but I doubt it was a huge distance. Maybe a couple of hundred meters. Don't forget that a large number of Americans are pretty competent with firearms and they are hardly difficult to come by there either.

I imagine the big questions will be how much time there was between the warning and the shots plus how did he get missed by those who would have been looking out for anybody with a firearm in high places nearby.

I suspect you are right, almost anyone can buy a rifle in the good old USA, no doubt a disgruntled young man wanting his moment in history. I suspect he will be the decisive factor in the Trump reelection  

[Scrumpy]

I don't think he was a sniper or professional of any sort he was only 20 years old and you doubt get the skills to make 2½ km kill shots at that sort of age. 

Don't you believe it.. Some kids are damned clever when it comes to learning new skills.. There is no age barrier where guns are concerned .. 

Give a kid a blow dart and he will soon learn to hit his target..
Kids don't play with bows and arrows and catapults these days.. far too tame..

[Diasi]

The facts are that:

1: the shooter was able to get onto a rooftop 150 metres away from the stage.

2: The shooter was eliminated by security service snipers within seconds of the attempted assassination.

So quickly that a person could be excused for considering the possibility that they already knew where he was, but deliberately hadn't taken any prior action.

[klondike]

Don't you believe it.. Some kids are damned clever when it comes to learning new skills.. There is no age barrier where guns are concerned ..

I'm not saying that a 20 year old couldn't have shot at Trump when clearly one did. I'm just saying that a 20 year old wouldn't have picked up the skills required  to be a long range sniper. I just heard something that said the shots were taken 130 meters from the stage where Trump was standing. That distance isn't a difficult shot with a modern rifle. Or an old one come to that.