Nothing I have seen has indicated to me these people have any

[arely staircase]

training beyond what someone could teach themselves and implement if generally physically fit. The meat puppets are speculating they are some sort of ninjas.

[BlueNoMatterWho]

1. Watching the video I felt otherwise.

[arely staircase]

2. I could be wrong. They may

have been at the top of their ISIS graduation class.But shooting from multiple positions to cause confusion and from an elevated platform would be intuitive to any human who sat down and thought "how would I shoot the most people in downtown Dallas."

They have done some training. I am just saying one could train onself to do everything they have done with access to a gun range and maybe an old army field manual and relative physical shape. And obviously a high powered rifle with a deadly high ammo capacity.

[BlueNoMatterWho]

3. I could be wrong as well.

Though I noticed he had zero panic and seemed like he's been under fire before. Also, he was moving while looking through his sight. Typically you don't do that without military type training. Again, could be wrong, just what I observed.

[arely staircase]

4. Good points. But I would counter that the movement and

looking down sites could be learned from video games. Paintball? Laser tag? The coolness under fire could be from experience or simply the manifestation of a mental illness. But your observations are very good. He even took a few rounds to his back, turned around and killed the cop who shot him. (In his body armor)

[BlueNoMatterWho]

5. Yes body armor for sure.

Moving while looking down a sight usually isn't something you would do in that situation if you haven't done it before. Just my opinion.

[Ash_F]

6. I would be surprised if the one in the video was not in the military at some point.

[Hoyt]

7. Gun fanciers train like this all the time. "Sniper" rifles are quite popular nowadays.

[bighart]

10. What evidence do you point to in support of this statement?

Having lived in a rural area in the Midwest I know a lot of people that could be called gun fanciers and don't know of a single one that has trained like this ever.
I know my personal experience is anecdotal and has no broader application but I am curious what you leads you state that "Gun fanciers train like this all the time."
From what I have seen and read this type of training seems to be a fringe group that is anti-government and as much about anarchy as they are gun fanciers.

[Hoyt]

15. Smple, gun manufacturers market sniper/tactical rifle, and they know the market. PLUS

ranges and lethal weapons "instructors" teach that BS to militia wannabes, white wing racist, etc.

So why do you stick up for these type people?

[bighart]

17. I didn't stick up for anyone.

I simply stated my anecdotal observations. I lived in a rural area and as such interacted with hunters and other gun owners on a daily basis and as far as I know none of them ever trained in tactical use of a weapon.
As I stated the only people that I'm aware of that do that kind of thing are the fringe groups and anti-government types.
There was a Christian identity cult compound within an hour of where I lived and I'm sure they trained that way.

[Adrahil]

18. You'd be wrong.

Lots of folks train in the proper use of a firearm in "tactical" situations. Many folks learn it from mil-sim sports like paintball or airsoft.

In this case, however, the shooter was ex-Army.

[uponit7771]

8. Unnnn, I saw the vid of the cop execution on the ground and that was no neo with a gun...

... this guy was moved with site viewing like he had much practice if not training

[alcibiades_mystery]

9. Yup, my money's on former military with urban combat experience

It's the discipline and complete lack of panic in a combat situation. He even feinted toward one end of the pillar to come around the rear.

I do agree, however, that the action itself could have been planned in a few hours.

[Statistical]

11. While they aren't ninjas the level of competence is far beyond your average mass shooter.

Multiple gunman, overlapping fields of fire, controlled aimed shots (bang pause bang pause bang...), target identification (only cops), attacking from elevated positions (as a soldier I will tell you responding to an elevated threat in a preselected location is notoriously difficult).

These are far beyond what we see in spree killers. Granted it isn't rocket science and it isn't beyond the ability of most people to learn but the reality is most people (even most gunman) DON'T take the time and effort to learn this.

This was a methodical ambush. The shooters had already planned and probably rehearsed it long before the protest was announced they were just waiting for a trigger and acted when they got it.

[Ash_F]

13. I am thinking there may have not been multiple gunman.

The soundwaves from gunfire bounce off of large surfaces, like buildings and hillsides, in a way that can be very convincing and unsettlingly loud. It can make it seem like people are shooting from a different direction.

I noticed this the first time I was at a firing range. I kept looking over my shoulder because it was unnerving.

[Ash_F]

12. Allegedly he was in the military

http://heavy.com/news/2016/07/micah-xavier-x-johnson-dallas-police-shooting-sniper-gunman-shooter-suspect-name-identified-photos-facebook-video/

[BlueNoMatterWho]

16. And there you have it.

[msanthrope]

14. Did I stumble into a thread by malaise? nt

[arely staircase]

19. Ahe says "meat puppets" doesn't she? nt