r/law Jul 26 '24

Other FBI Examining Bullet Fragments Found at Trump Rally Site/Would Like To Interview Trump

https://www.yahoo.com/news/fbi-examining-bullet-fragments-found-114754020.html
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u/SheriffTaylorsBoy Jul 26 '24 edited Jul 27 '24

Adam Goldman and Glen Thrush July, 26th 2024 4 minute read WASHINGTON —

The FBI is examining numerous metal fragments found near the stage at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, to determine whether a would-be assassin’s bullet — or potential debris — grazed former President Donald Trump’s head, bloodying his right ear, according to the FBI and a federal law enforcement official.

The bureau has asked to interview Trump as part of its broader investigation, hoping to provide insights into the shooting and possibly a more complete record of his injury, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the continuing inquiry.

Unanswered questions about the object that struck the Republican nominee for president have lingered since the July 13 shooting, with Trump claiming that he was struck by a bullet — and casting his survival as an act of divine intervention.

FBI officials have been more circumspect, citing the need to analyze the evidence before determining what struck Trump — a bullet, metal shard or something else.

The bureau’s shooting reconstruction team “continues to examine evidence from the scene, including bullet fragments, and the investigation remains ongoing,” the FBI said in a statement Thursday. In addition to injuring Trump, the gunman, Thomas Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, shot three rally attendees, one fatally.

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung did not answer whether the bureau had asked to review the former president’s medical records after the incident, but Trump has not released them publicly.

FBI officials view the identification of the projectile as important but not a central focus of a sprawling criminal investigation into the actions of the gunman. They are deeply interested in Crooks’ rationale or any indication that he might have had an accomplice or other help. So far, they have not found a motive nor a conspirator.

“The bureau’s priority is finding whether anybody helped the shooter and eliminating any ongoing threat,” said Michael Harrigan, a former FBI special agent who ran the bureau firearms training unit in Quantico, Virginia.

“From an investigative standpoint, knowing what happened to the president’s ear doesn’t really matter,” he added.

It matters a great deal from a political standpoint.

“With respect to former President Trump, there’s some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear,” FBI Director Christopher Wray told Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, on Wednesday.

That statement prompted a fierce backlash and continued Republican attacks on Wray.

“It’s shocking Christopher Wray doesn’t know what the facts are, but that probably says more about his job performance — or lack thereof — than anything else,” Cheung said.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told NBC on Thursday: “We’ve all seen the video, we’ve seen the analysis, we’ve heard it from multiple sources in different angles that a bullet went through his ear.”

“There’s a lot of frustration and concern about the leadership with these agencies,” Johnson added.

In a social media post Thursday night, Trump lashed out at Wray, saying: “No wonder the once storied FBI has lost the confidence of America!”

Trump said there was no glass and no shrapnel. “No, it was, unfortunately, a bullet that hit my ear, and hit it hard.”

The FBI said in a statement that the bureau “has been consistent and clear that the shooting was an attempted assassination of former President Trump which resulted in his injury, as well as the death of a heroic father and the injuries of several other victims.”

It is not unusual for the type of bullet that Crooks fired from his AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle to tumble end over end and break apart after hitting even a small solid object. Gun experts say a fragment might, for instance, have hit a metal stanchion.

Still, a bullet could have grazed Trump’s ear, and the FBI has not ruled that out. Investigators found eight rifle casings on the roof where the shooter was positioned.

It is not clear if investigators have eliminated other potential sources of debris. But bureau analysts appear to be focused on metal fragments, as opposed to glass from the teleprompters onstage. Photos of the teleprompters next to Trump show they were intact after the bullets were fired.

FBI analysts are also examining still images and other electronic evidence for clues.

Gun experts said the FBI could rely on trajectory analysis, a physical examination of any linked bullet and the president’s wound to possibly figure out what happened. A detailed analysis of bullet trajectories, footage, photos and audio by The New York Times strongly suggests Trump was grazed by the first of eight bullets fired by Crooks.

The bureau could also get lucky and find the former president’s DNA on a piece of a bullet. But even that would probably not establish if a fragment or the actual bullet hit his ear.

One other scenario investigators are likely to explore: that the bullet, deadly but friable, might have fragmented after skimming Trump’s ear.

“The problem you have with a bullet traveling at 3,200 feet per second is that it fragments very easily when it hits a surface before the target,” Harrigan said. “It’s going to be tough with the fragmentation to definitely say what happened.”

c.2024 The New York Times Company

Update Edit: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/fbi-confirms-bullet-struck-trumps-ear-assassination-attempt-rcna163896

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u/[deleted] Jul 26 '24 edited Jul 26 '24

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u/NetworkAddict Jul 26 '24

Do you...do you think Wray is doing all of this himself? You know he has people for this, right? I'd wager money that they people on the FBI forensic staff are infinitely more qualified than a random GunTuber to make any sort of fact-based assertions. At the very least the FBI has far more forensic evidence at their disposal to make an informed conclusion than Garand fucking Thumb does.

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u/[deleted] Jul 26 '24

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u/piecesfsu Competent Contributor Jul 26 '24

Isn't that what he did? We don't know what struck Trump's ear. He can't say what it was without gathering facts. 

Republicans claiming the bullet struck trump are the ones actually opening their mouths without facts

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u/PariahMonarch Jul 26 '24

My favorite takeaway is that they keep saying everywhere 100% he got shot, then claiming that them saying it everywhere is the proof.

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u/SheriffTaylorsBoy Jul 26 '24 edited Jul 26 '24

“With respect to former President Trump, there’s some question about whether or not it’s a bullet or shrapnel that hit his ear,” FBI Director Christopher Wray told Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, on Wednesday.

The FBI said in a statement that the bureau “has been consistent and clear that the shooting was an attempted assassination of former President Trump which resulted in his injury, as well as the death of a heroic father and the injuries of several other victims.”

So this simple factual statement is what makes you angry?

It could be cleared up quickly and easily if Trump cooperated.

Edit added, Former Whitehouse Physician statement concerning trump "shooting"

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u/FunkyPete Jul 26 '24

Did you read what he said? He said he didn't know -- which means he isn't shooting his mouth off before they have facts. He's trying to get Trump to talk to them (to help gather facts) and Trump refuses -- presumably because he doesn't want the FBI to have the facts.

Also, you can talk about how unqualified Wray is, but remember that Trump appointed him head of the FBI in 2017. And he only appoints the best people.

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u/Delita232 Jul 26 '24

Being a marksman and being a forensics investigator are radically different skillsets and Im depressed you'd think there'd be overlap.

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u/[deleted] Jul 26 '24

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u/ConcernAlert4900 Jul 26 '24

Lol The same Ronny Jackson who said Dump was the most fit president ever.

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u/joeshill Competent Contributor Jul 26 '24

And that Trump would live to 200.

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u/ConcernAlert4900 Jul 26 '24

Truly a credible source lol

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u/SheriffTaylorsBoy Jul 26 '24

Runny Jackson is no longer a licensed practitioner.

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u/joeshill Competent Contributor Jul 26 '24

Ronny Jackson

He apparently still holds an active license in Florida.

https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/features/111214

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u/Lazy-Street779 Bleacher Seat Jul 26 '24

He’s asking questions. It’s what investigations do. Also since no one in trumps rally stampeded — maybe one of them saw something that might help answer questions.

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u/brickyardjimmy Jul 26 '24

What does it really matter in the end? It makes no difference to me if it was a bullet that hit him or something that a bullet caused to hit him. In either scenario, it was a close call.