Category: You have to be kidding, right!?!
What the hell happened – and how was it possible? These questions will be at the heart of the FBI investigation into probable multiple failures by the Secret Service and others in the lead-up to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
The shooter, who appears to have used a high-powered semi-automatic rifle – possibly an AR-15 – was able to set up his position on the roof of a building in full view of some of the crowd on the ‘bleachers’, or tiered seating.
Individuals in that crowd tried for several minutes, by at least one estimate, to draw the attention of security officials to this man with a rifle but police appear to have not responded quickly enough.
What we don’t yet know is whose job it was to ensure this roof, only 150 yards from the stage, was secure.
During 25 years with the FBI, I have seen how countless similar rallies were organised and I consider it highly likely that the Secret Service was responsible for security within an enclosed perimeter, while the local police took charge of the wider zone outside.
Donald Trump defiantly punched the air after being shot at the campaign rally
Frank Figliuzzi, an FBI agent for 25 years, believes failures of communication between the Secret Service and local law enforcers may be to blame for the failure to prevent the shooting
Responsibility for every post, every zone, every rooftop needs to be clearly assigned and this division of roles should have been clear to everyone.
This is standard practice for the Secret Service. It’s carried out at hundreds of events during the run-up to an election but it’s also potentially new territory for each local police department.
It might have been years since they last saw a political rally in their town. It’s even possible that they’ve never witnessed one there before.
News cameras also showed soldiers in camouflage present, probably members of the National Guard. Their role, and whether their presence hindered security in any way, will have to be probed too.
We know that a Secret Service sniper must have had a clear view of the rooftop because the gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks was shot dead within a few seconds of opening fire on Trump.
But why did that sniper ignore Crooks till then? One plausible explanation is that the Secret Service (which is entirely separate from the FBI) assumed the assassin was a police sniper, part of their security team.
Immediately after the shots were fired, former president Trump was bundled to the ground behind reinforced barriers by U.S. Secret Service agents
Snipers stand on the roof of a building behind the podium at Saturday’s campaign rally
They should also have double-checked at every stage throughout the rally, ensuring they knew who everybody was and what they were doing. That’s just basic.
In the coming days and weeks, the agency will reconstruct every detail of the event in Butler, Pennsylvania, using witness statements, CCTV and media video, as well as amateur footage shot on phones by members of the public.
They will also review audio recordings, including the radio communications between the various arms of law enforcement. These should be released to the FBI immediately and I would expect them to be made public in due course.
Then we’ll have a clearer idea of how Crooks was able to access the roof, why his presence appeared not to alarm the security staff and why the concerns of people in the crowd were not met with an effective response.
The inquiry must also focus on the aftermath of the shooting. Former president Trump was bundled to the ground, behind reinforced barriers – those hoardings, painted with slogans, are made of galvanised steel.
As his Secret Service team began to lead him away to his vehicle, they shielded him with their bodies. But it appears from news video that the message ‘shooter is down’ was sent and at that point Trump was able to turn to the crowd, punch the air and shout his defiance.
It’s completely natural that Trump wanted to show his supporters he was bloodied but alive but this doesn’t mean it was safe for him to do so.
In that moment, the Secret Service had no way of knowing if the gunman was acting alone. Other shooters might have been present.
Audio also appears to catch Trump asking for his shoes as he is being bundled towards his car – and his bodyguards complying with this request.
That’s against all protocol. The protection squad has one job: to protect their man. They are his human shield. If necessary, they can hog-tie him and carry him but they should never risk his life by looking for his shoes.
The Republican national convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, tomorrow will see unprecedented security levels. But until we understand what went wrong at Butler, it will be impossible to say with certainty that we won’t see another act of deadly violence before the election is over.
Frank Figliuzzi is a former assistant director for counter-intelligenc
A U.S. House of Representatives hearing on Wednesday focused on the “Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act,” which would reverse the policy for reporting to the National Instant Criminal Background System (NICS) when a veteran has appointed a financial fiduciary to handle his or her monetary affairs. The VA deems a veteran appointing a fiduciary to be mentally incompetent, barring them from purchasing a firearm as a result.
Veteran supporters and pro-gun advocates believe the VA reporting such an occurrence to NICS makes veterans in need of help less likely to ask for fear they’ll be denied their Second Amendment rights.
VA officials, however, vehemently disagree. And at the hearing, one said that if Congress should pass such a law, the VA would not comply with it.
According to a report at freebasenews.com, VA Deputy Undersecretary Glenn Powers testified that his department opposes the act. Additionally, he said the VA already provides a sufficient method for beneficiaries who have been reported to NICS to “petition for relief.”
“VA did not err in reporting, and if passed into law VA could not comply,” Powers said.
Of course, “petitioning for relief” after one has lost their gun rights isn’t what the Second Amendment is all about. “Shall not be infringed,” doesn’t mean “Infringe and then see if you can get your rights back.” It’s akin to unconstitutional “red-flag” laws that allow the government to confiscate weapons because of possibly baseless accusations, then make the gun owner go to court and prove they deserve to have their firearms returned.
Speaking of such laws, Powers also said the VA would oppose a forthcoming bill that would bar the VA from joining in support of “red-flag” laws, also called extreme risk protective orders (ERPOs). Powers said that legislation “places the security and safety of veterans their families and communities at risk and ultimately prevents VA from providing appropriate care for some of our most vulnerable veterans.”
Of course, the VA undersecretary’s declaration that the agency would not follow a law if legally passed by Congress didn’t set well with supporters in the House, including Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Montana.
“Well, I’m glad everybody hears that on the record—that the VA is going to refuse to comply regardless of what we actually pass here,” Rep. Rosendale said.
In a questionable new trend, supermarkets in the South now seem to be selling bullets right out of a dispenser.
It’s no secret that Americans love guns. Not only do nearly half of Americans say they live in a household with guns, but the U.S. beats out every other nation on Earth when it comes to gun density (the 2nd most gun-dense country is Yemen, and it’s not even close). The U.S. is actually the only country that has more guns than people. Given all that, it’s not much of a surprise that, in some states, you can now walk into a grocery store and buy bullets from a vending machine as if you were ordering a candy bar or a soda.
Well, sorta. Not quite. The vending machine company behind this new trend, American Rounds, says it uses artificial intelligence and facial recognition technologies to verify that buyers are of legal age to buy bullets. So it’s a slightly more rigorous process than buying a Twix.
There are shockingly few regulations around ammunition purchases in the U.S., but some of the few that exist are age-based. Federal law says you have to be at least 18 years old to buy ammunition for long guns, like rifles and shotguns, and if you want to buy bullets for handguns, you have to be at least 21. As such, American Rounds has created an identity verification mechanism for its bullet vending machines that can supposedly verify how old the person buying the ammunition is.
“Our smart retail automated ammo dispensers have built-in AI technology, card scanning capability and facial recognition software,” the company’s website states. “Each piece of software works together to verify the person using the machine matches the identification scanned.”
Cleveland.com originally reported on the proliferation of American Rounds’ machines, writing that they were currently available at six locations in Oklahoma and Alabama. On Friday, a local news outlet in Alabama reported that a store in Tuscaloosa had removed one of the machines after “the legality of the machine was questioned” at a city council meeting. The city’s legal department admitted the machines were legal if they met proper zoning requirements. The store has said that it “removed the machine on July 3rd because of a lack of sales,” the outlet reported.
Gizmodo reached out to American Rounds for more information about their business and will update this story if it responds.
|
Joe Ronnie Hooper
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | August 8, 1938 Piedmont, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | May 6, 1979 (aged 40) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ |
 United States Navy United States Army |
| Years of service | 1956–1959 (USN) 1960–1978 (USA) |
| Rank |  Petty officer third class (USN) Captain (USAR) |
| Unit |  2nd Battalion, 501st Airborne Infantry, 101st Airborne Division |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War (WIA) |
| Awards |  Medal of Honor Silver Star (2) Bronze Star (6) w/ “V” Device Purple Heart (8) Air Medal (5) Army Commendation Medal (2) w/ “V” Device |
Joe Ronnie Hooper (August 8, 1938 – May 6, 1979) was an American who served in both the United States Navy and United States Army where he finished his career there as a captain. He earned the Medal of Honor while serving as an army staff sergeant on February 21, 1968, during the Vietnam War. He was one of the most decorated U.S. soldiers of the war and was wounded in action eight times.
Early life and education[edit]
Hooper was born on August 8, 1938, in Piedmont, South Carolina. His family moved when he was a child to Moses Lake, Washington where he attended Moses Lake High School.
Career[edit]
Hooper enlisted in the United States Navy in December 1956. After graduation from boot camp at San Diego, California he served as an Airman aboard USS Wasp and USS Hancock. He was honorably discharged in July 1959, shortly after being advanced to petty officer third class.
U.S. Army
Hooper enlisted in the United States Army in May 1960 as a private first class, and attended Basic Training at Fort Ord, California. After graduation, he volunteered for Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia, then was assigned to Company C, 1st Airborne Battle Group, 325th Infantry,[1] 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and was promoted to corporal during this assignment.
He served a tour of duty in South Korea with the 20th Infantry in October 1961, and shortly after arriving, he was promoted to sergeant and was made a squad leader. He left Korea in November 1963, and was assigned to the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas for a year as a squad leader, then became a squad leader with Company D, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 502nd Infantry, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
He was promoted to staff sergeant in September 1966, and volunteered for service in South Vietnam. Instead, he was assigned as a platoon sergeant in Panama with the 3rd Battalion (Airborne), 508th Infantry, first with HQ Company and later with Company B.
Hooper could not stay out of trouble, and suffered several Article 15 hearings, then was reduced to the rank of corporal in July 1967. He was promoted once again to sergeant in October 1967, and was assigned to Company D, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 501st Airborne Infantry, 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, and deployed with the division to South Vietnam in December as a squad leader.
During his tour of duty with Delta Company (Delta Raiders), 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 501st Airborne Infantry, he was recommended for the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions on February 21, 1968, during the Battle of Huế.[2]
He returned from South Vietnam, and was discharged in June 1968. He re-enlisted in the Army the following September, and served as a public relations specialist. On March 7, 1969, he was presented the Medal of Honor by President Richard Nixon during a ceremony in the White House. From July 1969 to August 1970, he served as a platoon sergeant with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Infantry in Panama.
He managed to finagle a second tour in South Vietnam; from April to June 1970, he served as a pathfinder with the 101st Aviation Group, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile), and from June to December 1970, he served as a platoon sergeant with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile).
In December 1970, he received a direct commission to second lieutenant and served as a platoon leader with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 501st Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) until April 1971.
Upon his return to the United States, he attended the Infantry Officer Basic Course at Fort Benning, and was assigned as an instructor at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Despite wanting to serve twenty years in the Army, Hooper was made to retire in February 1974 as a first lieutenant, mainly because he only completed a handful of college courses beyond his GED.
As soon as he was released from active duty, he joined a unit of the Army Reserve’s 12th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Washington as a Company Executive Officer. In February 1976, he transferred to the 104th Division (Training), also based in Washington. He was promoted to captain in March 1977. He attended drills intermittently, and was separated from the service in September 1978.
For his service in Vietnam, the U.S. Army also awarded Hooper two Silver Stars, six Bronze Stars, eight Purple Hearts, the Presidential Unit Citation, the Vietnam Service Medal with six campaign stars, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
He is credited with 115 enemy killed in ground combat, 22 of which occurred on February 21, 1968. He became one of the most-decorated soldiers in the Vietnam War,[2] and was one of three soldiers wounded in action eight times in the war.
Later life and death
According to rumors, he was distressed by the anti-war politics of the time, and compensated with excessive drinking which contributed to his death.[3] He died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Louisville, Kentucky on May 6, 1979, at the age of 40.
Hooper is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Section 46, adjacent to the Memorial Amphitheater.
Military awards
Hooper’s military decorations and awards include:
 |
|||
|
|||
   |
|
|
|
|
  |
 |
|
 |
 |
   |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
| Combat Infantryman Badge | |||||||||||
| Medal of Honor | Silver Star w/ 1 bronze oak leaf cluster |
||||||||||
| Bronze Star w/ Valor device and 1 silver oak leaf cluster |
Purple Heart w/ 1 silver and 2 bronze oak leaf clusters |
Air Medal w/ 4 bronze oak leaf clusters |
|||||||||
| Army Commendation Medal w/ Valor device and 1 bronze oak leaf cluster |
Army Good Conduct Medal w/ 3 bronze Good conduct loops |
Navy Good Conduct Medal | |||||||||
| National Defense Service Medal | Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal | Vietnam Service Medal w/ 1 silver and 1 bronze campaign stars |
|||||||||
| Vietnam Cross of Gallantry w/ Palm |
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal | Navy Pistol Marksmanship Ribbon w/ “E” Device |
|||||||||
 |
||
.png){kind=small}   |
||
| Army Presidential Unit Citation | ||
| Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation | Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation | Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation |
.svg){kind=icon} |
 |
 |
| Master Parachutist Badge | Expert Marksmanship Badge w/ 1 weapon bar |
Vietnam Parachutist Badge |
Medal of Honor citation
Medal of Honor
{{quote|Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company D, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 501st Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. Place and date: Near Huế, Republic of Vietnam, February 21, 1968. Entered service at: Los Angeles, Calif. Born: August 8, 1938, Piedmont, S.C.
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Staff Sergeant (then Sgt.) Hooper, U.S. Army, distinguished himself while serving as squad leader with Company D. Company D was assaulting a heavily defended enemy position along a river bank when it encountered a withering hail of fire from rockets, machine guns and automatic weapons. S/Sgt. Hooper rallied several men and stormed across the river, overrunning several bunkers on the opposite shore.
Thus inspired, the rest of the company moved to the attack. With utter disregard for his own safety, he moved out under the intense fire again and pulled back the wounded, moving them to safety. During this act S/Sgt. Hooper was seriously wounded, but he refused medical aid and returned to his men. With the relentless enemy fire disrupting the attack, he single-handedly stormed 3 enemy bunkers, destroying them with hand grenade and rifle fire, and shot 2 enemy soldiers who had attacked and wounded the Chaplain. Leading his men forward in a sweep of the area, S/Sgt. Hooper destroyed 3 buildings housing enemy riflemen.
At this point he was attacked by a North Vietnamese officer whom he fatally wounded with his bayonet. Finding his men under heavy fire from a house to the front, he proceeded alone to the building, killing its occupants with rifle fire and grenades.
By now his initial body wound had been compounded by grenade fragments, yet despite the multiple wounds and loss of blood, he continued to lead his men against the intense enemy fire. As his squad reached the final line of enemy resistance, it received devastating fire from 4 bunkers in line on its left flank. S/Sgt. Hooper gathered several hand grenades and raced down a small trench which ran the length of the bunker line, tossing grenades into each bunker as he passed by, killing all but 2 of the occupants.
With these positions destroyed, he concentrated on the last bunkers facing his men, destroying the first with an incendiary grenade and neutralizing 2 more by rifle fire. He then raced across an open field, still under enemy fire, to rescue a wounded man who was trapped in a trench.
Upon reaching the man, he was faced by an armed enemy soldier whom he killed with a pistol. Moving his comrade to safety and returning to his men, he neutralized the final pocket of enemy resistance by fatally wounding 3 North Vietnamese officers with rifle fire. S/Sgt. Hooper then established a final line and reorganized his men, not accepting treatment until this was accomplished and not consenting to evacuation until the following morning.
His supreme valor, inspiring leadership and heroic self-sacrifice were directly responsible for the company’s success and provided a lasting example in personal courage for every man on the field. S/Sgt. Hooper’s actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
———————————————————————————— What a Stud!!! Grumpy