Former US President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania witnessed an incident where an unidentified item, possibly a bullet or other metal debris, grazed Mr Trump’s head, injuring his right ear. Now, the FBI is probing into the numerous metallic fragments discovered at the scene to decipher whether these were from a potential assassin’s bullet or other sources, according to confidential federal law enforcement sources.
As part of a broader investigation aiming to elucidate the shooting incident and potentially develop a fuller understanding of Mr Trump’s injury, the FBI has expressed the desire to interview the former president. However, it remains unclear whether the bureau has requested access to Trump’s medical records post-incident, as these remain unreleased to the public, while Trump’s spokesperson Steven Cheung has not clarified this.
The incident, which took place on July 13th, saw Mr. Trump claim that his survival from being hit, supposedly by a bullet, was a divine intervention validating his election. Meanwhile, the FBI has maintained a more cautious approach, stating that a thorough analysis of the gathered evidence is necessary to ascertain what exactly struck Mr Trump, be it a bullet, metal fragment or another object.
The investigative team of the Bureau continues to examine the material evidence from the crime scene, such as bullet fragments. Notably, the assailant, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, also injured three others at the rally, causing one fatal casualty.
The primary focus of the bureau’s extensive criminal probe is to identify if the shooter received any assistance or support, as this is crucial for negating any enduring threat, as stated by FBI’s former special agent Michael Harrigan, who previously managed the bureau firearms training unit in Quantico, Virginia. Understanding the projectile’s identity is indeed significant, but is not the central point of the investigation. The search for a motive or accomplice associated with Crooks continues, with no results yet.
FBI director Christopher Wray, during his discussion with Jim Jordan, Republican chair of the house judiciary committee, acknowledged that there were still uncertainties about whether Mr Trump’s ear was hit by a bullet or shrapnel. Although from an investigatory standpoint the exact nature of Trump’s injury might not be of prime concern, it carries substantial political connotations.
Mr Wray’s statements have stoked strong reactions and continuous assaults from the Republican side. “It’s alarming that Christopher Wray seems unclear on the facts, something which likely reflects more on his performance at work – or the absence of it – rather than any other aspect,” commented Mr Cheung.
Speaker Mike Johnson expressed to NBC on Thursday: “We have all watched the footage, analysed it, and heard from multiple sources from varied viewpoints that a bullet passed through his ear. There is considerable worry and discontent about the leadership within these organisations.”
The FBI articulated in an announcement that the bureau had “remained unwavering and transparent that the firing was a premeditated attack on former president Trump resulting in his harm, plus the fatality of a brave father and injuries of several other victims”.
Usually, the kind of bullet fired from Crooks’ semi-automatic rifle modelled in the AR-15 style tumbles and shatters upon hitting even a minute solid object. Experts in firearms propose, perhaps, a piece might have hit a metal beam.
However, Mr Trump’s ear might have been brushed by a bullet, a possibility which the FBI has not entirely dismissed. Investigators discovered eight rifle shells at the location where the shooter was.
There is no confirmation if investigators have ruled out other potential debris sources. The Bureau’s analysts, though, seem to be concentrating on metal fragments, instead of glass from the onstage teleprompter. Images of the intact teleprompters beside Mr Trump following the gunfire have surfaced.
FBI analysts are also sorting through still photos and other digital evidence for indications.
The FBI, according to firearm experts, may use trajectory analysis, physical scrutiny of any associated bullet and the former president’s wound to try and puzzle out the sequence of events.
The Bureau might stumble upon the ex-president’s DNA on a bullet fragment. But this might not conclusively prove whether the actual bullet or a fragment made contact with his ear.
Another narrative that investigators are predicted to probe into is whether the bullet, lethal but brittle, may have fragmented after grazing Mr Trump’s ear.
“With a bullet moving at a speed of 3,200ft per second, the problem arises that it fragments rather easily upon hitting a surface before the target,” Mr Harrigan observed. “Determining the exact occurrences will prove difficult given the fragmentation.””