On July 13, 2024, at 11:29 p.m., two videos surfaced on social media that seemed to capture the individual believed to have shot at former President Donald J. Trump lying motionless on the roof of a small building located about 400 feet north of the stage where Mr. Trump was delivering a speech. The position of the body corresponds to the probable firing location.
An audio analysis conducted by The New York Times and an expert named Robert C. Maher from Montana State University in Bozeman indicated that a total of eight shots were fired by the gunman. The gunfire was determined to have come from a distance similar to where the body was found, and the visible injury to Mr. Trump’s right ear, as he was facing northwest, aligned with shots fired from that direction.
According to a statement from the Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi, the suspected gunman had fired multiple shots towards the stage from an elevated position outside the rally venue. The Secret Service confirmed that the suspect had been fatally shot.
The analysis of the gunshots revealed that the shots were fired in two bursts, with the first round consisting of three shots and the second round of five shots. Both sets of shots were fired approximately 330 to 390 feet away from the C-SPAN microphone that Mr. Trump was using to address the audience. The consistency in the sound of the eight shots suggested that they likely originated from the same firearm, as noted by Mr. Maher.
A witness, identified as Greg, reported to the BBC that he had seen an armed individual dressed in muted colors climbing onto the roof of a building within the same compound shown in the videos. Greg claimed that he tried to alert the authorities about the presence of the individual just moments before the shots rang out.
Christiaan Triebert, Alexander Cardia, Aric Toler, and Riley Mellen are all part of The Times’s Visual Investigations team, a specialized group that combines traditional journalism with digital analysis to verify and authenticate visual evidence from various global events.
These experts play a crucial role in dissecting and interpreting visual information to uncover the truth behind complex events like the shooting incident involving former President Trump. Their dedication to utilizing innovative techniques in investigative reporting sheds light on critical details that help piece together the sequence of events for the public and law enforcement officials alike.