Tbitty
AH fanatic
My follow up post better understands your point of view.
However I would counter there is a difference in assassination attempt (specific target) and mass shooting (indiscriminate targets). Since the guy is dead, we will never know his motives or intent fully, only be able to speculate. If it was supposed to be a goal of assassination, every round should be fired at Trump or into the SS who cover him. I did find and re-watch the video. Trump does not substantially move from his upright position during the initial 3 shots. There is then a pause before the next volley of 4-6 shots, which are likely the counterfire but possibly he fired a couple more times while being fired upon. I'd like to get a count on the brass/rounds fired by shooter to get a better sense of how it happened. The final shot, several seconds later, is presumably the coup de Gras on would-be assassin. All of this would indicate the shooter did miss 2/3 shots entirely and the 3rd grazed Trump's ear. Unfortunately for those in the line of fire behind Trump, all 3 of the shots connected on unintended targets. I'd also like to know the positions of where bystanders were when hit.
If it was a goal of mass shooting, with first shot at Trump then just go for body count, there is an odd stoppage to his firing. IF my above shot count and presumed order of fire is correct, he shot 3 rounds then stopped. Possibly he shot again in the secondary volley, perhaps it was all shots from counter sniper teams. Unless his gun jammed, he should have had time to get off at least 2 more rounds in the pause between shots you can hear in the video. All of these details, to me, say it was purely assassination attempt by a sub-par shooter (or with a case of buck fever) and not an intentional mass shooting.
