If that video is real, the shooter had incredibly accurate aim.

It's incredibly accurate as most such events go, with the grade of shooters and weapons typically seen. It's not terribly remarkable for a trained shooter with a good rifle. A 1 MOA or better rifle with a reasonable optic makes such shots highly feasible given a stationary target.

So this is a outlier only in that someone was equipped and trained to a fairly serious degree. Someone on the order of a squad designated marksman (SDM) is certainly capable of this. The US military has a few thousand active duty personal trained to that level across the several branches, and there are 10's of thousands of veterans. There are also many SWAT and other LEOs and an uncountable number of enthusiasts and serious hunters with sufficient training and weapons.

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SheepSlapper 5 days ago | parent [-]

If the reporting is correct, the shot was at 200 yards. Anyone who hunts with a rifle is (or should be) capable of making that shot, it's not exceedingly far (and like you said, if your rifle isn't junk and you're shooting 1 MOA, that's only a 2" difference @ 200 yards).

No serious training or equipment would be required for this close of a shot. I've taken deer over 200 yards away with my $500 rifle, no training other than shooting on and off since I was a kid.

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topspin 5 days ago | parent [-]

I believe this underestimates the difficulty of such an attack and the value of training. This isn't deer hunting where little to nothing is at stake. It's a homicidal attack in the midst of an urban area, with armed law enforcement in the vicinity, the risk of discovery, the knowledge that aggressive pursuit will be immediate, and extreme consequences for the crime.

High pressure.

Under pressure, a poorly trained person is unlikely to be capable of this. It takes some degree of training to simultaneously deal with this pressure and still perform.

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chasd00 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

Completely untrained yes but there’s lots of people with these skills. I do IDPA matches with my son at a tactical range near Waxahachie TX, people there do these kinds of drills constantly. There’s also lots of ex-military instructor led close quarter and urban combat training available to anyone. Combat trained random people are probably more common than you think. It’s sort of like martial arts, some people are just really into it.

	▲	topspin 5 days ago \| parent [-]
		> I do IDPA matches Yes, this is the level of training I imagine as sufficient. A match applies pressure: you're on a clock, there is an audience, you have a safety regime and people scrutinizing you on it, and at the end, there is a score. I don't claim Fort Benning sniper school is necessary. Only that you likely can't just wander out of a gun shop with your scoped deer rifle at any price and snipe targets at range under pressure: there is more to it than the weapon. > Combat trained random people are probably more common than you think. I listed a wide variety of people with the training I believe is sufficient.

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stevenwoo 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

I think the two would be Trump assassins being closer and failing back up your argument though one was scared off before he could even take a shot.

	▲	topspin 5 days ago \| parent [-]
		The corollary is Oswald and his crummy surplus carbine making headshots on a moving target. Training.

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jandrewrogers 5 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

It was reportedly a 200 meter shot on a pretty static target. At that distance a competent shooter can place it within a couple inches all day with a decent rifle. This shot didn't require special skill.

	▲	redhed 5 days ago \| parent [-]
		Especially when you can zero the scope to 200yds and make it basically point and shoot.

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int_19h 5 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Not directly relevant, but it should be noted that we live at a time when someone who can afford to drop a few thousand dollars on a scope basically doesn't need to learn how to shoot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmteh_NChOQ

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TrackingPoint

Between that and cheap quadcopter drones, I expect political assassinations to skyrocket in the future.

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bena 5 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

If a bullet hits, it has to hit somewhere.

He could have been aiming for the skull for all we know. He could have been aiming for the chest. Hell, he could have been aiming for someone behind Kirk.

	▲	BJones12 5 days ago \| parent [-]
		We can be sure that the shooter was not aiming for the neck. Chest is more likely, but head is possible.

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tracker1 5 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Given the distance, unless well trained it was probably luck more than anything.

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int_19h 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

Modern firearms don't really require that much training to hit a static man sized target at 200m from a supported position. This is well within the "point blank" range, meaning that vertical deviation of the bullet is too small to bother adjusting for, and wind effects on rifle (i.e. very fast moving) bullets at this range are also fairly limited. So long as the rifle is zeroed, lining up the scope with the target and pulling the trigger without jerking it is basically all it takes, and those kinds of skills can be acquired in a few trips to the range.

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tracker1 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

The shooter wasn't likely aiming "anywhere on the body" as the target... they were likely either trying to hit the center of the head, or the chest. In either case, they were off quite a bit and that they made a deadly hit as much as they did was most likely still luck as much as anything.

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int_19h 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

Aiming for the head is most likely. For reference, a military M16 is considered within spec if it can produce a 4 minute-of-angle group from a prone supported position (but aimed and fired by a human, not fixed in a gun sled). At 200 yards, that would be a circle of around 8 inches. However pretty much any hit with a rifle bullet within that circle is likely to be lethal if it's centered on the head...

Anyway, the point is that it's really not a difficult shot at all, and only requires very rudimentary training that is readily available to anyone who can make a few trips to the range.

	▲	tracker1 5 days ago \| parent [-]
		I'm not sure that most people are disciplined enough to make that shot all the same. I don't know anything about the shooter in particular though. Mostly in that from the center of the head to the neck is still a bit away. It could just as easily have missed altogether.

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jandrewrogers 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

I'm guessing center of head. It is common for right-handed shooters without a lot of training to jerk the trigger down and to the right, which will show up as displacement at 200 meters.

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samirillian 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Can you do this? Like, I’ve killed every animal I’ve shot at so far (legally, while hunting) and I know I couldn’t make that shot. The nerves alone Jesus. I’m always surprised and dubious when I hear this claim repeated. A blood vessel in a human from 200 yards. After a few trips to the range. Really.

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SheepSlapper 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

Who says he was targeting that specific place? In fact, it seems likely that the target was his head and the shooter pulled the shot a bit but was still within tolerances (with a 1 MOA scope @ 200 yards you're only looking at 2" of variance).

I've killed deer beyond 200 yards sitting on a stump with a cheap rifle, it's not actually that hard if you've shot a bit before. The nerves though... you're right there, I couldn't imagine.

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trenchpilgrim 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

I'm not a particularly skilled shooter (don't get to practice as much as I'd like.) And I can hit a target at 300m using a $500 AR-15 and a $300 optic. It's not that hard at the range.

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samirillian 5 days ago | parent [-]

Oh interesting, well maybe I’m wrong. I mean the nerves thing stands but yeah maybe it is that easy

	▲	trenchpilgrim 4 days ago \| parent [-]
		Generally putting a single shot on target is something most people can do with a decent rifle and optic. It's doing that consistently when firing multiple rounds and/or under pressure that is difficult.

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DannyBee 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

The bullet drop at this distance with say a .223 is 3-9 inches depending on the exact velocity and basically nothing else has significant effect at this distance.

At say 3000fps velocity, time to target is less than 450ms.

This is almost point and shoot. It’s entirely possible someone fairly untrained just aimed at the forehead and ended up with neck

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RandomBacon 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Supposedly the shot was taken from 200 yards away.

In my nonprofessional opinion, that is crappy aim. I can hit an apple from 100 yards away, with a black powder rifle, with an unriffled bore, with iron sights, standing up, repeatedly. I would expect a modern rifle with a riffled bore and a scope and a larger target to be much more accurate from a prone position.

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gretch 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

How can it possibly be crappy aim?

The shooter had 1 target, and he delivered a 100% kill shot.

You could say "it wasn't impressive", but you can't say it was crap...

	▲	nemo44x 5 days ago \| parent \| next [-]
		His target was probably higher.
	▲	RandomBacon 5 days ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		People can deliver crap and still get their task accomplished. It was crap. I highly doubt the neck was the target. If the head was the target, then the same distance but in another direction, would have missed. Regardless, it's still sad that someone died, especially in this manner (regardless of politics).

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greedo 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

[flagged]

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shhsshs 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

Sarcasm noted. An apple would actually be more difficult to hit because of its reduced size.

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greedo 5 days ago | parent [-]

Everyone is underestimating how hard it is to willingly kill a person. Shooting a paper target or apple at a range is nothing like sighting on a person, letting out your breath and pulling a trigger.

	▲	RandomBacon 5 days ago \| parent [-]
		I did not talk about killing a person at all. I talked about shooting a target. It is sad in this case that the shooter's target was a person. I would never want to try to see how difficult it would be, as you mention.

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John23832 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

If they're both stationary targets, such as a sitting apple or a sitting person, at the same distance, they are.

The person is probably easier frankly.