Bob says:

Still waiting for just one Democrat leader to say, “I call on all those who support our party to put away their guns.” This hypothetical leader could even through in “for the good of our nation . . . .”

Bruce says:

The Secret Circus needing “more help”

That sounds like a double entendre to me. Think about it.

As for the “phone data”:

The phone itself can be scrubbed thoroughly, by the usual suspects. A scrubbed phone is a good indicator that the “user” was at least a little “security conscious”.

However, the phone “service provide” will have a continuous record of EVERY voice and text message, in and out of that phone, Possibly not the ‘message “itself”, but the date, time, traffic “originator and recipient numbers

It will also loge every repeater tower used by that phone for every message and every phone “Ping”

One further thing is that the phone companies “authenticate” a phone as “valid” using the SIM card and the physical unique code of the core phone hardware.
This is the EIME number. If your phone is stolen, the best and final way to disable the phone is to call the “help line” on a landline (remember those) and using the unique number included in the instructions, to “cancel” that phone from the network and all other networks on that system. Caveat: Do not “kill” the phone immediately. From personal experience, and especially if to do not “lock” your phone after each use, let it run for a couple of hours. This will give whoever has it, time to use it to make a call or two. probably to “associates to bring a vehicle and facilitate an escape. If they call a cell number, that CAN be tracked, as well When I was robbed of my trusty old Nokia, which had REAL buttons, in my own street, I “killed” it as soon as I could. When the next “paper” phone bill arrived, it had the usual list of all calls out. Lo, and behold, there was a strange number called just before I shut it down. I took that information to the local Cop Shop. 24 hours later, I got a call from them to the effect that they were “familiar ” with that landline number and premises. However, when they ‘visited that morning, the place was “abandoned”. IF you cannot find the original phone documentation, there are clues on the inter-tubes for how to use your phone to look inside itself and display the magic number. WRITE IT DOEN on PAPER, just in case.

This Routh character may well be just another in a LONG line of “wind-up toys” used for similar operations..

Think of tour cell-phone as your own personal tracking dev8ice, and act accordingly

GWB says:

You cannot read this piece without pondering how that loser got his “assault weapon” through TSA.
Clarification on this, I think.

First, I have not seen any evidence, yet, that he traveled from Hawaii immediately prior to this. It’s likely he was in NC (where there is family) for some time prior. He might not live in Hawaii currently, as some reports had him working in construction in NC recently.

Second, despite it being legal to travel via aircraft with firearms, I doubt he did so. It is intimidating to most people (though it’s actually very simple, unless you encounter someone ignorant with the process at the airline).

Third, it’s very possible he acquired the firearm illegally, since the serial number was filed off. He either acquired it that way or did the deed himself. In either case it indicates an illegal sale, IMO. (It might be because he doesn’t want his straw purchaser to be identified.)

And I want to hear more about the “armor” he had. Some have made it sound like he had ceramic armor, while others have said “ceramic tile” (which wouldn’t stop any sort of serious caliber). Body armor is easy to buy, though it is expensive if you’re trying to fit it in with the cost of groceries today.

Lastly, let’s give the USSS credit. They did actually see the barrel and scope sticking out of the bush, and engaged the shooter. They did it from 100 yards away, with handguns, and managed to make him flee his hide (despite the presence of said “body armor”). Yes, a perimeter sweep might have made this attempt a no-go, but it would also push the level of interference with everyone else’s lives out into the public domain a bit further, and I don’t think Trump desires that.

I do have to wonder, though, if any of the USSS agents carry concealable PCCs or SBRs that could be used to engage targets a little further out than normal handgun range. They might need to re-think what threats they’re protecting against these days.