Gunshots at Trump Rally

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The news channels are going on endlessly about it. Apparently, not too much is known yet about the shooter or his motives. So far, all they know is that he was 20 years old, a registered Republican who had recently donated to some Democractic group, and that mental illness may have been involved.

My question is: if he was mentally ill, how did he get a gun?
 

If you buy a gun in a store, there is a sketchy background check and no waiting period. Rules in other venues vary. There are generally no rules for purchase at garage/yard sales, and some flea markets allow sales without any checks unless one is an official dealer. At auctions I have seen functional guns declared parts or "wall hangers" to circumvent the rules. And of course, an aspiring criminal can always break into a home and steal what they want. Guns are not a scarce commodity in America.
 
"Registered Republican" doesn't mean much. As far as I can tell even in Pennsylvania it merely requests one political party Primary election ballot instead of the other. You can change it almost any time. For that matter we see plenty of intentional crossover Primary voting, attempting to undermine front runners with garbage votes.

More enlightened States don't even do this. You just ask for the ballot you want at the polls:
Do I have to be a registered Republican or Democrat to participate in Michigan’s Presidential Primary?

No. Michigan’s Presidential Primary has been designated as a closed primary. There is no political party registration requirement in Michigan election law. Any Michigan registered voter can participate in the primary. By law, you must make your ballot selection in writing by completing the Application to Vote on Election Day; or on the Absent Voter Ballot Application/Ballot Selection Form if voting absentee.
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Saying this 20 year old is a "Registered Republican" (in PA) doesn't mean a thing, it can be done as late as 15 days before the next election.

Update My Registration | Voting & Election Information | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

As usual this is just more noise meant to divert attention. We don't really know the shooter's politics one way or the other.
 
Sunny said:
The news channels are going on endlessly about it. Apparently, not too much is known yet about the shooter or his motives. So far, all they know is that he was 20 years old, a registered Republican who had recently donated to some Democractic group, and that mental illness may have been involved.

My question is: if he was mentally ill, how did he get a gun?
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Because the gun merchant didn't know he was mentally ill.

I'm just guessing here, I don't know that he was mentally ill, but when I saw his age was 20 I guessed it might be schizophrenia because that's a common age for it to strike.

The onset isn't overnight and the family member's acceptance that something is seriously wrong isn't overnight either. Often the patient is living away, or in college, when it strikes and that further delays getting treatment.

Until he starts treatment there is no one to report his illness to the gun sellers. Knowing that the psychiatrists might report him is just one more reason for the patient to resist going for treatment.

When he finally does get started for treatment and receives proper medication -- he's probably no longer a threat and actually statistically less likely to commit a violent act that a "normal" person. That's the Catch 22 and the reason that we will never be able to keep guns from the mentally ill.
 
squatting dog said:
One other thought to ponder. If someone is shooting from an elevated position, how was the trajectory of the bullet flat? Coming from the rooftop above, it should have a down hill angle. I have yet to see a bullet that can curve.
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The building was a one story structure. The peak of the roof might have been 20 feet off the ground. Trump's position was slightly up hill from the shooter's vantage point. The people who were struck by the bullets that missed Trump were in the audience to his right. Trump turned his head to his right, presenting the right side of his face to the shooter. His right ear was nicked by a passing round, which MAY have struck one of the other wounded people. Trump escaped death by a matter of a couple of inches. He will make as much political gain from this as he possibly can.
 
dilettante said:
"Registered Republican" doesn't mean much. As far as I can tell even in Pennsylvania it merely requests one political party Primary election ballot instead of the other. You can change it almost any time. For that matter we see plenty of intentional crossover Primary voting, attempting to undermine front runners with garbage votes.

More enlightened States don't even do this. You just ask for the ballot you want at the polls:


Saying this 20 year old is a "Registered Republican" (in PA) doesn't mean a thing, it can be done as late as 15 days before the next election.

Update My Registration | Voting & Election Information | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

As usual this is just more noise meant to divert attention. We don't really know the shooter's politics one way or the other.
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Mississippi still does this ...not what anyone considered an "enlightened state" lol. In most Mississippi counties, local officials run as Democrat. I'm an Independent but still have to register as a Democrat to vote in local primaries.
 
..and here's the killer... what a Peach...

87314203-13633009-Yearbook_images_have_surfaced_of_Thomas_Matthew_Crooks_the_gunma-m-15_1720963698007.jpg
 
jimintoronto said:
The building was a one story structure. The peak of the roof might have been 20 feet off the ground. Trump's position was slightly up hill from the shooter's vantage point. The people who were struck by the bullets that missed Trump were in the audience to his right. Trump turned his head to his right, presenting the right side of his face to the shooter. His right ear was nicked by a passing round, which MAY have struck one of the other wounded people. Trump escaped death by a matter of a couple of inches. He will make as much political gain from this as he possibly can.
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There's nothing to gain from being shot at. It was another sick-o that should have been vetted better before being able to purchase a gun. I have been shot at and shot. It hurts like hell and scares the crap out of you when you look at where you were hit and you see blood coming out of your wound like milk being poured out of a bottle. I thought I was going to bleed to death until the Medic put the tourniquet on.

There was nothing to gain from my getting shot. I was just another statistic as a wounded Marine.
 
Paco Dennis said:
It feels auspicious that this shooting took place right after, the enemy's leader is tripping and stammering his way . Now the attention shifts, and the news loud speakers will be turned to 10 about the victim of an assassination attempt!!! Let's make it about killing some more, and gun violence. Whatever happens lets not talk about global warming, homelessness, and a run a way economy.

@squatting dog A lot of speculation has started about it being staged. I would entertain that, but was the bystander really killed? If so, what are those circumstances?
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I didn't read @squatting dog 's post as questioning whether this was "staged". More that was it "allowed" by someone on the Secret Service team. Personally, I don't think it was either but was due to Trump's inadequately staffed SS detail; there are multiple reports that the detail have been asking for additional support and have been denied. RFK Jr isn't getting SS protection at all even though he's at high risk simply because of his family history....not too much of a stretch to think some nutter might want to knock off another Kennedy.

A man was killed by a bullet to the head. There were multiple witnesses including an ER physician who tried to render aid. If you listen to the video as the shooting occurred, you'll hear people screaming as they realize there are gunshots. Those screams are closely followed by a woman's heartbreaking wail...most likely someone with the victim.
 
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the would be assassin...still not sure if this piece of garbage was the one responisble for the death of the innocent bystander..so as yet we don't know if he's a murderer or just a failed attempt..
 
When I was still working, I worked with the Secret Service guys before Sen. Robert Dole came to PA to rally support when he was running for President. They (SS) came to Pittsburgh about 2 weeks before Dole was to come there. The SS took a lot of pictures of the area and wanted to know where the podium would be setup.

The SS used the pictures to place their men in the most likely spots an assassin would situate himself. On the day Dole visited Pittsburgh to give his speech, the SS had 14 men on duty and used 22 state police. We were told our only job was to keep an eye out for anyone that looked suspicious or kept his hands in his pockets.

They were very diligent in doing their job.
 
Reading all the speculation from yesterday, I’m glad I didn’t log in here yesterday. The PRESS does enough speculating as they wait for official evidence and reports. I don’t need to read it on forums too.

NY Times says the gun was an AR-15, doing what AR-15s do so well - taking combat shots at human beings. Shooter was 20-year-old Thomas Crooks. Witness saw Crooks climbing up a building adjacent to the stage area and tried to tell police nearby. Trump shooting at rally: Witness tells BBC he saw gunman on roof
 
hollydolly said:
87314107-13633009-A_resident_who_wanted_to_remain_anonymous_confirmed_the_identity-m-16_1720963725933.jpg
the would be assassin...still not sure if this piece of garbage was the one responisble for the death of the innocent bystander..so as yet we don't know if he's a murderer or just a failed attempt..
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Or, maybe he’s a young man who fell into schizophrenia?

https://www.healthline.com/health/schizophrenia/schizophrenia-age-of-onset#stats. (Age of onset in young men tends to be early 20s.)

He has no excuse. I’m just trying to say that MENTAL ILLNESS is as real as the common cold, or the flu, or heart attacks. It’s not witchcraft - it’s a real disease of the brain.

Now his parents have to live with this forever, and some idiots in their town will surely be idiots about it and long to tar and feather the parents.
 
jimintoronto said:
[Trump] will make as much political gain from this as he possibly can.
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Yes, he's earned the right, don'tcha think? He's not the one who shot himself in the head. And he's not the one who made himself sit in a courtroom for much of the campaign under a gag order so he couldn't speak (all charges for that have been removed by the Supreme Court)
 
Sunny said:
The news channels are going on endlessly about it. Apparently, not too much is known yet about the shooter or his motives. So far, all they know is that he was 20 years old, a registered Republican who had recently donated to some Democractic group, and that mental illness may have been involved.

My question is: if he was mentally ill, how did he get a gun?
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He could have bought it from a private party on Craigslist or any number of other websites.

Most laws require that a COURT declare a person mentally unfit. Cannot just be his family members of doctors that say that. The COURT must say it.
 

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