Lax shooting now. LAX Shooting: 5 Years Later – Security Enhancements and Lasting Impact

How did the 2013 LAX shooting unfold. What security changes were implemented after the incident. Why is the event still significant today. How has airport safety evolved since the shooting.

The Tragic Events of November 1, 2013

On a sunny autumn morning in 2013, Los Angeles International Airport’s Terminal 3 became the site of a horrific act of violence. A 23-year-old anti-government extremist, Paul Ciancia, entered the busy terminal with a semi-automatic weapon and a grudge against the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

At approximately 9:18 AM, Ciancia approached TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez, who was checking boarding passes at the base of an escalator. Without warning, he opened fire at point-blank range, fatally wounding the 39-year-old officer from Porter Ranch.

The gunman’s rampage continued as he ascended the escalator, paused, and then returned to shoot Hernandez again. He then proceeded to the screening checkpoint upstairs, where he wounded two more TSA officers who were assisting an elderly passenger. In the chaos that ensued, an airline passenger was also shot before managing to crawl to safety in a nearby store.

The Critical Response: How Law Enforcement Reacted

The response to the shooting was swift but highlighted some crucial communication issues. At 9:19 AM, a call was made from a “red phone” – likely by a TSA employee – directly to Airport Police. However, the dispatcher could not determine the call’s origin or who made it.

A minute later, an airport employee with the Airport Police dispatch number saved in his phone provided critical information about the shooting. This call proved instrumental in guiding responding officers effectively.

Officer Rob Pedregon, who was among the six officers who confronted the gunman, described the scene as they entered Terminal 3:

• Heavy smoke filled the air
• Alarm bells were ringing
• A strong smell of gunpowder permeated the area
• Personal belongings were strewn everywhere

The officers formed a diamond formation and began searching the area. They exchanged gunfire with Ciancia from about 30 yards away, eventually wounding him and bringing the rampage to an end. Miraculously, no police officers were injured in the confrontation.

Immediate Aftermath and Identified Vulnerabilities

The LAX shooting exposed several security and response deficiencies that needed urgent attention. Some of the key issues identified included:

1. Communication problems between different agencies
2. Lack of clear origin for emergency calls made from within the airport
3. Insufficient number of emergency communication devices in terminal areas
4. Inadequate surveillance coverage in certain parts of the airport

These vulnerabilities became the focus of intense scrutiny and reform in the years following the incident.

Security Enhancements: A Five-Year Transformation

In the five years since the shooting, LAX officials have worked diligently to address the security and response deficiencies exposed by the incident. David L. Maggard, Jr., chief of Los Angeles Airport Police, outlined some of the key improvements:

• Enhanced “red phones” now indicate the origin of emergency calls
• Increased number of emergency phones inside terminals
• Installation of panic buttons for employees to use in case of emergencies
• Addition of several hundred new cameras throughout the airport’s central terminal area

These changes aim to improve communication, increase surveillance, and provide more options for employees and passengers to report emergencies quickly and accurately.

How have these enhancements improved airport safety?

The security upgrades at LAX have significantly improved the airport’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to potential threats. The enhanced communication systems allow for faster and more accurate reporting of incidents, while the increased surveillance coverage helps security personnel monitor larger areas of the airport more effectively.

The Human Impact: Remembering Officer Gerardo Hernandez

While discussing security improvements is crucial, it’s equally important to remember the human cost of the 2013 shooting. TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez, a devoted family man and dedicated public servant, lost his life in the line of duty.

Hernandez’s sacrifice serves as a somber reminder of the risks faced by airport security personnel and the importance of continually improving safety measures to protect both employees and passengers.

How has the LAX community honored Officer Hernandez’s memory?

The LAX community has paid tribute to Officer Hernandez in several ways:

• A memorial plaque was installed in Terminal 3
• An annual remembrance ceremony is held on the anniversary of the shooting
• The TSA has established a scholarship fund in his name for the children of TSA employees

These gestures help ensure that Officer Hernandez’s sacrifice is not forgotten and that his legacy continues to inspire improvements in airport security.

The Ripple Effect: Changes Beyond LAX

The 2013 LAX shooting didn’t just impact Los Angeles International Airport; it sparked a nationwide conversation about airport security and the role of TSA officers. Many airports across the United States reviewed and enhanced their own security protocols in the wake of the incident.

What changes have other airports implemented?

While specific changes vary by location, some common improvements include:

• Enhanced training for airport police in active shooter scenarios
• Improved coordination between local law enforcement and TSA
• Installation of more surveillance cameras and emergency communication devices
• Regular security drills and exercises to test response protocols

These changes reflect a broader shift in airport security thinking, emphasizing the need for rapid response and clear communication in crisis situations.

Technological Advancements in Airport Security

The five years since the LAX shooting have seen significant technological advancements in the field of airport security. Many of these innovations have been implemented at LAX and other major airports to enhance safety and streamline security processes.

What new technologies are being used to improve airport security?

Some of the cutting-edge technologies being deployed include:

1. Advanced imaging technology (AIT) scanners for more thorough and less invasive passenger screening
2. Biometric identification systems for faster and more accurate passenger verification
3. Artificial intelligence-powered surveillance systems for real-time threat detection
4. Next-generation X-ray machines for more efficient baggage screening
5. Centralized command and control systems for better coordination during emergencies

These technologies not only enhance security but also help improve the overall passenger experience by reducing wait times and minimizing inconvenience.

The Ongoing Challenge: Balancing Security and Passenger Convenience

As airports continue to enhance their security measures, they face the ongoing challenge of balancing safety with passenger convenience. Stringent security protocols can lead to longer wait times and potential frustration for travelers.

How are airports addressing this balance?

Airports and security agencies are employing several strategies to maintain high security standards while minimizing passenger inconvenience:

• Implementing risk-based security measures that focus resources on higher-risk passengers
• Utilizing pre-screening programs like TSA PreCheck to expedite security for low-risk travelers
• Investing in technology that can screen passengers and baggage more quickly and accurately
• Improving queue management systems to reduce wait times
• Enhancing staff training to ensure efficient and courteous service

These efforts aim to create a security ecosystem that is both effective and passenger-friendly, recognizing that public cooperation is crucial for maintaining a safe air travel environment.

Looking to the Future: The Evolution of Airport Security

As we reflect on the changes implemented since the 2013 LAX shooting, it’s clear that airport security is an ever-evolving field. The incident served as a catalyst for significant improvements, but the work of enhancing airport safety is never truly complete.

What does the future of airport security look like?

Experts predict several trends that will shape the future of airport security:

1. Increased use of artificial intelligence and machine learning for threat detection
2. Greater integration of biometric technology throughout the airport experience
3. Development of “smart airports” with interconnected security systems
4. Enhanced focus on cybersecurity to protect critical airport infrastructure
5. Continued refinement of risk-based security approaches

These advancements aim to create a security framework that is more intelligent, responsive, and adaptive to emerging threats.

How will these changes impact the passenger experience?

Future security enhancements are likely to result in:

• Faster and less intrusive screening processes
• More personalized security experiences based on individual risk assessments
• Improved integration of security measures with other aspects of air travel
• Greater use of mobile technology for security-related communications and processes

The goal is to create a seamless and secure travel experience that protects passengers without unduly burdening them.

The Lessons Learned: A Continuing Legacy

The 2013 LAX shooting was a tragedy that forever changed the landscape of airport security. It exposed vulnerabilities, sparked crucial conversations, and led to significant improvements in how airports approach safety and emergency response.

What are the key takeaways from this incident?

Some of the most important lessons learned include:

1. The critical importance of clear communication channels during emergencies
2. The need for regular training and drills to prepare for various threat scenarios
3. The value of integrating different security systems and agencies for a coordinated response
4. The importance of balancing enhanced security measures with operational efficiency
5. The ongoing need to adapt to evolving threats and leverage new technologies

These lessons continue to inform airport security policies and practices not just at LAX, but at airports around the world.

How has the incident influenced airport security culture?

The LAX shooting has had a profound impact on airport security culture:

• Increased emphasis on proactive threat assessment and prevention
• Greater recognition of the vital role played by frontline security personnel
• Enhanced cooperation between different agencies involved in airport security
• More frequent review and updating of security protocols
• Heightened awareness among airport staff and passengers about potential threats

This shift in culture has created a more vigilant and responsive airport security environment, better equipped to handle potential threats.

As we move forward, the memory of the 2013 LAX shooting serves as both a solemn reminder of the risks faced by those who protect our airports and a powerful motivator for continued improvement in airport security. The changes implemented in the wake of this tragedy have made air travel safer for millions of passengers, ensuring that the sacrifice of Officer Gerardo Hernandez and the ordeal faced by all those affected that day were not in vain.

The ongoing evolution of airport security, driven by technological advancements and lessons learned from incidents like the LAX shooting, demonstrates the aviation industry’s commitment to providing a safe and secure environment for all who pass through its terminals. As we look to the future, this commitment will undoubtedly lead to even more innovative and effective security measures, further enhancing the safety of air travel while striving to maintain the efficiency and convenience that passengers expect.

In the end, the story of the 2013 LAX shooting and its aftermath is one of tragedy transformed into progress. It stands as a testament to the resilience of the aviation community and its unwavering dedication to protecting those who take to the skies. As we continue to learn from the past and innovate for the future, we move ever closer to the goal of creating truly secure airports that serve as gateways to the world, connecting people and cultures while keeping them safe every step of the way.

Gunman’s deadly LAX rampage has spurred changes 5 years later – Daily News

Five years ago Thursday, Los Angeles International Airport’s Terminal 3 became a “war zone.”

A 23-year-old anti-government extremist with a grudge against the Transportation Security Administration opened fire, killing TSA Officer Gerardo Hernandez of Porter Ranch and wounding two other TSA employees and an airline passenger.

• Wednesday, October 17, 2018, LAX Police Chief David L. Maggard Jr. discusses the changes that have been made in security at the airport since a TSA agent was shot and killed five years ago. (Photo by Mike Mullen)

• Wednesday, October 17, 2018, LAX Police Officer Rob Pedregon explains, in the terminal area, how he and fellow officers exchanged gun fire with a shooting suspect. (Photo by Mike Mullen)

• Wednesday, October 17, 2018, LAX Police Officer Rob Pedregon explains, in the terminal area where he and fellow officers exchanged gun fire with a shooting suspect. (Photo by Mike Mullen)

• LAX police officers on duty in Terminal 3, Wednesday, October 17, 2018. (Photo by Mike Mullen)

• Los Angeles Airport Police Station. (Photo by Mike Mullen)

Paul Ciancia of Sun Valley was quickly shot and apprehended by Los Angeles Airport Police. But those several minutes of terror exposed security and response deficiencies that LAX officials say they’ve worked hard during the last five years to address.

On that sunny autumn day, Ciancia entered the busy terminal at about 9:18 a.m. Within two minutes, he approached 39-year-old Hernandez, who was checking boarding passes at the base of an escalator, according to airport documents. Ciancia began firing a semi-automatic weapon at him “at point blank range.”

Some nearby TSA employees and passengers took cover. Others fled the area.

Ciancia started to ascend the escalator, paused and then returned to the checkpoint on the ground floor and continued shooting Hernandez, who was still moving, at point-blank range.

Ciancia then got back on the escalator to head to the screening checkpoint upstairs, where most people had already evacuated. There, he shot and wounded two other TSA officers – one in the leg and the other in the ear – who were helping an elderly man retrieve his shoes and other belongings, said Officer Rob Pedregon, public information officer for Los Angeles Airport Police. Pedregon was also among the six officers who ran toward the gunman, wounding and apprehending him.

A short time later, Ciancia wounded an airline passenger, who was able to then crawl into a store for safety.

At 9:19 a.m., a call was made from a “red phone” — likely by a TSA employee — that rings directly to Airport Police. The dispatcher heard shots ring out but there was no way to know at the time who made the call or where it came from.

At 9:20 a.m., a nearby airport employee, who happened to have the Airport Police dispatch number in his cell phone, called the agency to inform them of the shooting. (Emergency 911 calls made from cell phones at LAX go directly to either the LAPD or the California Highway Patrol and then must be relayed to Airport Police.)

The interception of the shooter was “quick and successful” due to this “sharp” airport employee who “knew who to call and what to say,” according to an after-action-report by Los Angeles World Airports, which owns and operates LAX for the city of Los Angeles.

The employee’s call allowed the Airport Police dispatcher to calmly inform and guide responding officers “to prevent further tragedy,” the 2014 report found.

Pedregon, then a patrol officer, recalled entering Terminal 3 amid heavy smoke, alarm bells and the strong smell of gunpowder in the air. When Pedregon and another officer ran up the escalator and joined their colleagues upstairs, they saw clothes, shoes and personal belongings “strewn everywhere.”

After the sergeant there gave a signal, the six of them went into a diamond formation and started searching the hallway and the concourse area where the gunman had walked through shortly before.

“It was like no words were spoken,” Pedregon said, adding they had just had an active-shooter drill a few weeks prior at the Ontario airport.

The officers exchanged gunfire with Ciancia from about 30 yards away. He was shot several times and wounded. No police officers were injured “by the will of God,”  Pedregon said.

Since that day, numerous changes have been made at the airport to improve security, response and communication, according to airport officials. Among them, the “red phones” that employees use to dial directly to dispatch now indicate from where a call originated.

There also are more of these phones inside the terminals, along with panic buttons for employees to use in case of emergency, said David L. Maggard, Jr., chief of Los Angeles Airport Police.

Several hundred new cameras have been added throughout the airport’s central terminal area since Nov. 1, 2013, for better security coverage, Maggard said. There’s also the Airport Response Coordination Center, an around-the-clock coordination hub for airport operations and response activities, which organizes “what is now a remarkably large bank of closed-circuit TV cameras” and includes more personnel.

Overall, Airport Police officials have seen a roughly 20 percent increase in sworn officers deployed to the field compared to five years ago, many of whom are more visible to the public, Maggard said.

Marshall McClain, president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association, said he’s concerned that cell phone callers are still not routed directly to Airport Police but instead to the Los Angeles Police Department or the CHP.

He said he has testified before the Los Angeles City Council “about the ridiculousness of the system” well before the 2013 shooting occurred.

However, Maggard said LAPD and CHP transfer 911 calls related to the airport to their dispatch within seconds. The airport also is in the midst of getting a new computer-aided dispatch records management system, which will help them receive incident information from Los Angeles police faster and more comprehensively, the chief said.

Airport Police and LAPD, which has a substation at LAX, are now able to communicate directly to one another over radio frequencies, something that was not possible before the 2013 shooting due to logistical issues, officials said.

Members of the public can now text 67911 from LAX to reach Airport Police if they can’t dial 911 or speak to an operator in an emergency, Pedregon added.

The airport is also in the midst of designing a new police station on 12.5 acres to consolidate some eight different sites the department currently uses.

It will “bring us all together to create a sense of synergy among the many, many people who work here and protect the airport,” Maggard said.

Patrick Gannon, LAWA’s deputy executive director of public safety and security and the airport’s police chief at the time of the shooting, noted that the airport’s public address systems are now linked together to better communicate to passengers during a crisis. Previously, each terminal had its own independent system. The airport has also partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and can send emergency wireless alerts to cell phones users in the vicinity much like Amber alerts.

What happened at LAX five years ago can happen again at any airport across the country, though airports are usually more difficult targets because of enhanced security and overall awareness, noted Erroll Southers, a transportation security expert who previously worked as an assistant chief of police for LAWA.

The majority of terror plots – not just at airports but overall – are thwarted due to citizens who see something and say something to authorities, he said.

Adversaries who target airports, however, generally understand their probability of success when it comes to the potential number of casualties, disruption of operations and financial impact.

“If I want to demonstrate that the government doesn’t have the capacity or ability to protect you, I would attack what you deem to be your hardest target,” Southers said.

TSA agent killed in LAX shooting

A gunman armed with a rifle opened fire near a security checkpoint at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, killing a TSA officer and injuring at least two others.

BREAKING. Source tells @CBSNews TSA agent who was shot at LAX has now died; the suspect is an off-duty TSA agent.

— Charlie Kaye (@CharlieKayeCBS) November 1, 2013

ABC News cites a “federal law enforcement source” to back up claims that the man killed was a TSA officer, while NBC News reports that another TSA agent was injured.

So far, the Los Angeles Police Department has confirmed that it has one suspect in custody, and that Terminal 3 — which houses AirTran, Alaska, Horizon, JetBlue, V Australia, and Virgin America — has been cleared.

9:30am today shooting at LAX ter.3. Muti vict injuried. LAX PD engaged susp- in custody. For safety-clearing ter.3 and surrounding areas

— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) November 1, 2013

Details are still emerging about the suspect. The Los Angeles Times reports that he opened fire with a “high-powered rifle” near the TSA security checkpoint and that no other suspects have been found.

As multiple observers, including The Week‘s Marc Ambinder, note, airport security checkpoints are especially vulnerable to attack.

Note that TSA officers not armed; LAPD usually has at least one armed officer past the checkpoint.

— Marc Ambinder (@marcambinder) November 1, 2013

Flights have been grounded as the LAPD investigates, with LAX officials giving no timetable as to when they might resume. More on this story as it develops.

UPDATE: Authorities have identified the alleged shooter as 23-year-old Paul Ciancia of New Jersey. Here’s the Associated Press:

A law enforcement official said the shooting suspect is Paul Ciancia, 23, from New Jersey. He was wearing fatigues and carrying a bag containing a hand-written note that said he “wanted to kill TSA and pigs,” the official said, who was briefed at LAX on the investigation and requested anonymity because was he was not authorized to speak publicly. [AP]

LAX: No Active Shooter at Los Angeles Airport, Police Say

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) dispelled reports late Sunday night of an active shooter at the city’s international airport, LAX, which prompted dozens of people to evacuate onto the runway.

An official spokesperson for the LAPD said on Twitter that rumors of an alleged “shooting” were prompted by “loud noises,” the source of which remain under investigation.

Further details of the situation remain unclear. The airport police had earlier tweeted that inbound traffic had been closed due to “police activity” before adding that reports of a gunman were “unconfirmed.”

Several Twitter users also posted messages and videos describing the scene, showing traffic at a standstill and people running away from the terminal.

The airport’s Central Terminal Area was closed as a precaution during the scare, according to the official LAX Twitter account, which subsequently asked passengers to check with their airlines for further updates.

As of 10.30 p.m. local time, airport authorities said they had reopened and resumed normal operations. Police also reportedly apprehended an individual wearing a Zorro costume.

The link between the person in a Zorro costume and the rumors of a shooting have not yet been made clear.

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Report Details Out-Of-Sync Response To LAX Shooter

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles International Airport was ill prepared for a crisis when a gunman ambushed security officers last year, and the emergency response was hindered by communication problems and poor coordination, according to a report released Tuesday.

The report obtained in advance by The Associated Press was prepared by a consultant based on findings by several agencies that responded to the shooting and a review of camera footage, dispatch logs and 911 calls.

It looked at flaws in various divisions of the airport and systems that were in place but did not single out individuals responsible for problems.

The lengthy report cited the heroism of officers who shot and arrested Paul Ciancia after a Transportation Security Administration officer was killed and three other people were injured on Nov. 1.

However, it also detailed lapses in technology and coordination and included some 50 recommendations and a list of lessons learned from the shooting.

“Had the attacker not been highly selective in his targets, and/or had there been multiple attackers with weapons of greater lethality, the outcome might have been far different,” the report said.

Mayor Eric Garcetti said at a news conference Tuesday that the shortcomings in the communications infrastructure had been addressed since the shooting. All LAX telephones and panic alarms now transmit location information to dispatchers when an emergency call is made, the mayor said.

Sean Burton, president of the board of airport commissioners, said LAX needs additional emergency management staff, more training, new equipment and better agreements with law enforcement.

“We clearly have more work to do and it begins with embracing the recommendations in the report,” Burton said in a press release.

Absent from the report was mention that two airport police officers assigned to Terminal 3 were out of position without notifying dispatchers, as required, when the shooting erupted.

The report also didn’t discuss a decision months prior to the shooting to have police officers roam terminals instead of staffing security checkpoints such as the one approached by the shooter.

The report said various agencies had been hampered by poor communication during the shooting. It noted that airport police had previously upgraded to a $5.4 million high-tech radio system but often couldn’t communicate with the 20-plus agencies that responded to the attack.

Senior police and fire commanders had no idea where to go or what the others were doing, and they didn’t unify multiple command posts for 45 minutes.

In addition, there was nearly no communication between command post officials and the airport’s emergency operations center, which the report described as being staffed by untrained mid-level managers.

Fire officials concerned about gunfire set up their command post away from Terminal 3, which made it harder to coordinate with police and delayed rescuing victims.

The AP has reported that the TSA worker killed was not taken to an ambulance for 33 minutes. The report called for training airport police in tactical medicine so they can help the injured before paramedics arrive.

The review also confirmed earlier AP reports, including that a TSA supervisor picked up a red phone immediately after the first shots were fired and hastily fled as the gunman approached.

The airport police dispatcher who answered the call “only heard the sounds of shouting and gunshots. With no caller identification for a call from a Red Phone, and no one on the other end of the line, it was not initially known from where the call originated,” the report states.

The report recommended that airport police look for flaws in security deployments because the gunman wasn’t deterred by at an airport police checkpoint.

The AP previously reported that a union representing service workers found that sky caps, baggage handlers and security employees had no idea what to do, were not trained for an evacuation and didn’t know how to help passengers.

To keep travelers informed during chaotic situations, Garcetti said, LAX will develop a centralized public address system and a way to send messages directly to the cellphones of travelers at the airport. In addition, 11 message signs have been added to airport roadways.

The report was highly critical of the Los Angeles World Airports emergency management program, which it said was “not well-defined or widely understood across the agency, or perhaps even respected.”

The airport prepared a draft plan for dealing with a shooter in March 2013, but officials on the airport’s emergency management committee couldn’t reach a consensus on it so it was never circulated.

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LAX Shooting Not A Random Event

LOS ANGELES — It appears the TSA agent shot this morning four terminals over has died. That was the word carried by dozens of people who had decided to walk out of LAX in search of rental cars and whiskey, whose number I will be joining shortly. (One report has the shooter, in custody, as “a white man in a white shirt.” Investigation is ongoing.) Terminal 7 is gradually coming to life again; flights here will be delayed, but we are not a crime scene, so things likely will get back to normal by nightfall. There are bomb squads with dogs wandering about. The ticketing area is abuzz with low cellphone conversations reassuring loved ones that everything’s okay, and that folks are likely going to be a little late going home. Every now and again, a person in a TSA uniform will wander by. They have the 1000-yard stare going. The shock waves are weaker, but you can still feel them moving through the place. A cop just ran by. Everybody turned and stared.

There already is some talk about this event being a “random” one. But it is not. These things are becoming as regular as rain, as predictable as the summer heat. The only thing “random” about it is the shooter. He could be anyone, and that’s the point. There are people who spend money making sure that he could be anyone, and there’s nothing “random” about how they do that. There is nothing “random” about this country’s ludicrous disinclination to regulate its firearms. There is nothing “random” about the millions of dollars that the NRA spends to convince people that they should have the right to carry their assault weapon anywhere they want to carry it, including into an airport terminal, if they so desire. There is nothing “random” about the politicians who truckle and bow to this lucrative monetization of bloody mayhem. These are all deliberate acts with predictable consequences. There is nothing “random” about how we have armed ourselves, and there is nothing “random” about the filigree of high-flown rhetoric with which we justify arming ourselves, and there is nothing “random” about how we learn nothing every time someone who could be anyone decides to exercise his Second Amendment rights by opening fire. There is nothing random about how we got where we are today, here in Terminal 7, where people have sought refuge from the bloodshed, four terminals over. There is nothing “random” at all. We have chosen insanity over reason. We have done it with our eyes open. It is time for me to walk out of the airport now. I am leaving behind a terrible event. But I am not leaving behind something accidental. I am leaving behind what America has determined must happen from time to time, if we are to be a free people. I am leaving behind what America has determined is part of the cost of being an American. I am leaving behind the blood that I am told I must accept as part of the price of being a member of a free society. I am leaving behind a place of death, and I am joining my fellow citizens, as we make an odd pilgrimage out of a place that is now another altar of the blood sacrifice that I am told we must make, regularly, in order to be truly free. I am a free citizen, I am told, of the Republic of Murder, my rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Moloch. I am leaving.

Charles P. Pierce
Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976.

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Suspected Gunman In Custody After LAX Shooting

Update 4:23 p.m.: Law enforcement officials identify LAX shooting suspect as 23-year-old Paul Ciancia.

Update 2:49 p.m.: Union official: TSA agent killed in LAX shooting.

Update 2:20 p.m.: Police say 3 shot, including TSA agent, by gunman with semi-automatic weapon at LAX.

A suspected gunman was in custody Friday following a shooting at Los Angeles airport that left multiple people wounded and disrupted flights nationwide.

Gunshots were reported at Terminal 3. Los Angeles police Officer Norma Eisenman said the conditions of the injured people were unknown.

She says the suspect also exchanged fire with airport police. The airport was being swept for precautionary measures and the bomb unit was on scene.

Airport staff evacuated travelers and flights were disrupted nationwide.

Television images showed two people being wheeled away by firefighters. Triage stations also were seen.

Witness Brian Keech told The Associated Press he heard “about a dozen gunshots” from inside a security gate at the terminal, which has been evacuated.

The Federal Aviation Administration said a “ground stop” was in affect for all flights heading to Los Angeles, meaning planes in any other airport in the country can’t take off for the city, although some flights already in the air were allowed to land.

LAX air traffic controller Michael Foote said some flights were still being allowed to depart.

Foote said his colleagues in the control tower saw passengers spilling from the terminal onto the tarmac, “evacuating the building, getting out as fast as they could.” Officers eventually corralled them.

Other travelers described a chaotic scene as airport security staff evacuated terminals, including onto to the tarmac. Hundreds of people remained gathered outside next to airplanes as authorities investigated what happened.

“People started saying there’s a shooter, there’s a shooter,” said Natalie Morin, a senior at USC who was heading to San Francisco for a graduate school interview.

Emergency crews responded to a multi-patient incident, Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said.

Terminal 3 is home to Virgin America and other airlines.

Guest

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JEREMY HOBSON, HOST:

From NPR and WBUR Boston, I’m Jeremy Hobson.

ROBIN YOUNG, HOST:

I’m Robin Young. It’s HERE AND NOW.

In a few minutes, the BBC’s Lyse Doucet reporting from Damascus, Syria.

HOBSON: But we’ll start this hour in Los Angeles. There was a shooting at Los Angeles International Airport this morning. Officials say a gunman acted alone and is now in custody. There’s a press conference going on right now. Officials have confirmed multiple injuries. We’re going to listen in.

(SOUNDBITE OF PRESS CONFERENCE)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: Are you saying you don’t know who the shooter is?

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: Chief, how far, and, chief, was the target a shooter (unintelligible)?

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #3: Determined that suspect got back very far into a terminal. There’s a Burger King that is quite a ways away from the screening station and he was able to get back there. I appreciate, I appreciate all the questions. We’ll have more information here shortly. Thank you.

(SOUNDBITE OF REPORTERS TALKING AT ONCE)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #3: Thank you. I know a lot of people want to have other questions. We’re going to say something briefly in Spanish by the Spanish press that’s here. Other questions, folks can go offline. We will – I promise you, give you as much information…

HOBSON: OK. Let’s cut away from that. We’re joined from Los Angeles by Steve Chiotakis of KCRW. Steve, what more do we know based on what’s been said at this press conference?

STEVE CHIOTAKIS, BYLINE: Well, what we’ve heard, Jeremy, today is that at least six people were injured. LASD is saying that six people, maybe seven being treated on the scene, and then six of them transported to hospitals, one of whom is in critical condition. One other person not transported; we don’t know the condition of that person.

And there’s a lot of confusion right now about whether or not the suspect was killed. There are reports – the L.A. Times reporting earlier today that the suspect was shot and killed. Now, we’re hearing reports from the LAPD that the suspect was shot but not killed and is in custody.

HOBSON: And Steve, we’re also hearing that a TSA officer was killed. Tim Kauffman, a spokesman for the American Federation of Government Employees in Washington confirmed that But we haven’t heard that from officials giving this press conference. Right?

CHIOTAKIS: Yeah. They’re tip-toeing around this. So, I think they’re trying to make sure that all caution is taken in this situation, so erroneous information, you know – and also reporting to next of kin. I mean, you have to think about that all well. So, I suspect that that confirmation will come. But police not saying that at this moment.

HOBSON: And what about the airport? This is one of the busiest airports in the country. There was a ground stop today because of this shooting. What is happened now?

CHIOTAKIS: So, the airport is allowing some flights to land. They’re using the south airfield. LAX is this sprawling mass of, you know, aeronautic dynamics. So, you’ve got different runways. I think at least four or five of them, and the south runways are the ones that are operating right now. The north runway, which is adjacent to where Terminal 3 was – this is where the incident took place earlier – we’ve got a full investigation taking place there.

So no planes are allowed in on those runways, the northern runways. But the southern ones are being allowed to be used. And so we’ve got some flights coming in.

We just heard from the chair of the Los Angeles World Airports, which oversees not only LAX but a couple of other airports in the area as well, and she said, for the most part, look, if you have a flight coming in or out of L.A. today, it’s going to be late.

YOUNG: Yeah. Steve, It’s Robin here. And we heard in this press conference that this all started about 9:20 your time and that this shooter came into Terminal 3, pulled an assault rifle out of his bag – this is according to officials – and began to open fire in the terminal and kept going, proceeding into the screening area and continued shooting. And that officers from the L.A. airport then had to track the alleged shooter through the airport, engage him in gunfire. How were the passengers – this must have been just a phenomenal situation there.

CHIOTAKIS: A chaotic, a chaotic situation, Robin. I mean, when you’ve got passengers onto the tarmac of the airport. Now, think about that. I mean, only secure people are allowed onto the tarmac. And airport officials were sending people there to get away and out of harm’s way. Apparently, if you heard from the police spokesperson just a moment ago on your air, he did penetrate the terminal, got past the – there were reports that this was an AR-15. This was a semiautomatic assault rifle.

HOBSON: Steve Chiotakis from KCRW in Los Angeles, updating us on a shooting that occurred there around 9:20-9:30 A.M. Pacific Time this morning. Police saying multiple injuries, and there is a report that a TSA officer was killed. And officials saying just moments ago that the suspect is in custody. Steve, thanks so much.

CHIOTAKIS: You bet, Jeremy. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Suspect Paul Ciancia was suicidal, father says – The Mercury News

A reportedly suicidal man carrying an assault rifle stormed into a Los Angeles International Airport terminal on Friday, killing a Transportation Safety Administration agent and wounding six other people until police officers critically wounded him.

Paul Anthony Ciancia, 23, reportedly carried a handwritten rant about killing TSA workers, and carried dozens of rounds of ammunition.

“There were more than 100 rounds that literally could have killed everybody in that terminal,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said.

The TSA agent, identified late Friday as Gerardo I. Hernandez, 39, was the first to die in the agency’s history.

FBI and Los Angeles Airport police officials released few details about the gunman’s intentions and did not confirm reports he was suicidal.

A law enforcement official, who was briefed at LAX on the investigation but not authorized to speak publicly, told The Associated Press that Ciancia was wearing fatigues and carrying a bag containing a note that said he “wanted to kill TSA and pigs. ” The official requested anonymity.

According to a doctor who treated one of the victims, the gunman asked people in the terminal if they were TSA workers.

Ciancia, a U.S. citizen and Los Angeles resident with strong anti-government views, is a native of New Jersey, with residences in Pennsville and Sea Island City.

Pennsville Police Chief Allen Cummings told The Associated Press that Ciancia’s father called him early Friday afternoon saying one of his children had received a text message from Ciancia “in reference to him taking his own life.” Cummings said the father asked him for help to find Ciancia.

Cummings said he called Los Angeles police, who sent a patrol car to Ciancia’s apartment. His two roommates said they saw him Thursday and he was fine, the AP said.

Calls to the father’s auto body shop, Salem County Auto Repair, in Pennsville, went unanswered and unreturned.

Police in Los Angeles said the gunman acted alone. Although some early reports incorrectly indicated he had been killed, the gunman was critically injured and taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Westwood. Also there were two victims in fair condition, one whom had been shot and the another who was otherwise injured.

The only fatal victim of the rampage was a man in his 40s who died of gunshot wounds at County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center near Torrance at 11 a.m., coroner’s officials said.

FBI Special Agent David Bowdich confirmed that man was a TSA worker. A TSA union official confirmed the deceased man was an agent who recently started working at LAX. His name was not released.

Another TSA employee was among the injured, Bowdich said.

In all, Fire Department officials reported that six people were taken to area hospitals. One other person also was injured.

Dr. David Plurad of County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center said the deceased TSA worker had no vital signs at the airport, and arrived at the hospital without a heart beat or pulse. Emergency room doctors worked on him for an hour before pronouncing him dead. The man had wounds in his chest and abdomen, but might have been shot just once. The bullet apparently fragmented inside his body, causing major internal injuries. He suffered extensive blood loss.

Another victim treated at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center was struck in the shoulder, either once or twice. Plurad described his injury as a flesh wound, and said the man would be released later Friday.

Police officials said they were early in the investigation into the shooting rampage, which they would be extensive.

“We are still trying to determine how he got in there,” Bowdich said. “We are still getting to the bottom of it.”

Los Angeles World Airports Police Chief Patrick Gannon said Ciancia walked into Terminal 3 at 9:20 a.m., pulled an assault rifle out of a bag and opened fire. He then moved into the screening area and kept shooting.

Airport police officers responded within seconds, tracked the man through the airport, caught up with him at the rear of the terminal and “engaged him.” An officer-involved shooting occurred and the man was taken into custody, Gannon said.

“This individual was shooting as he went into the terminal,” Gannon said. “The officers didn’t hesitate. They went after this individual and they confronted this individual in our airport. Unfortunately, it involved an officer-involved shooting, but that was what needed to be done and that was heroic.”

Marshall McClain, president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association, said in a statement that the department’s highly trained officers “did exactly what they were supposed to do.”

The gunfire virtually shut down the airport, forcing the evacuation of the Terminals 1, 2 and 3. Some passengers were ushered onto the tarmac and eventually onto buses.

“There were shots fired and everyone jumped to the ground — hiding and scrambling under the tables,” said Audrey Henry, looking down and noticing she was missing a shoe. “People started flooding through the screening gates and we just started running and we went down onto the tarmac.”

Leaving Terminal 3, Henry said she left her other shoe at the security checkpoint while preparing to fly to Chicago on Virgin America. She said she was about 100 feet from the shooter.

“I’m shaking,” Henry said. “My mouth is dry. I’m having hot flashes.”

Henry’s husband, Mark, said it was terrifying.

“We just all hit the deck,” Mark Henry said. “It was real obvious what was going on.”

Zelda Roland, a 27-year-old Los Angeles resident, was in Terminal 3, standing next to a news kiosk when she heard the gun blasts. She stepped behind the newsstand and pulled her suitcase close. She said people started walking and running toward her.

“They looked at me and said, ‘just run,’ ” she said. “I ditched my suitcase and just started running.”

The stampede moved onto the tarmac, and then into Terminal 2, where people were not yet aware of the drama unfolding. Eventually, everybody was corralled into Terminal 1.

The next thing Roland knew, she and a throng of people were wandering along Sepulveda Boulevard.

“It was like a scene out of ‘Night of the Living Dead,’ ” she said. “A lot of people, surprisingly, were trying to get into the airport and catch flights. … It was just kind of a mess.”

Nick Pugh, 46, called the scene in Terminal 3 chaotic.

“Everybody dropped to the ground,” Pugh said. “Almost instantly, people starting wiggling around like army men.”

Then, Pugh and others got out of the area.

“I was scared,” he said. “There was adrenaline, you know? You run like hell.”

Almost immediately, social media erupted with Tweets and Facebook posts about the chaos.

“After initial burst of gunfire and hiding, people started jumping over one another, jumping off chairs and hiding, pushing,” Fox sports columnist Bill Reiter tweeted from the terminal.

“Heard gunshots then everyone starting running for the door. Not sure if anyone was hurt,” tweeted Tory Bellecci, star of Discovery Channel’s “MythBusters.”

Dozens of Los Angeles police officers, along with officers from Hawthorne, El Segundo and other departments, rushed into the airport.

As LAX operations were shut down, flights from other airports destined for Los Angeles were held up. A couple flights were diverted to LA/Ontario International Airport. LAX reported on Twitter: “Other than arriving flights, flight operations have been temporarily held.” Federal Aviation Administration officials lifted the hold at 4 p.m.

Passengers waiting for outgoing flights either left the airport or remained in terminals. Some hotels near LAX were busy as people with delayed flights began to check in for an overnight stay.

“We’re at high occupancy right now,” said a front desk clerk at Courtyard by Marriott LAX about noon Friday.

Outside the airport, traffic was brought to a standstill on streets. Some people on Century and Sepulveda boulevards abandoned their cars and walked toward LAX with their luggage. The CHP shut down exits for the airport on the 105 and 405 freeways.

By late afternoon, LAX officials were working to get employees back into their positions to slowly resume operations.

“It is a tremendous testament that today, a day that started with horrific attacks, is ending with Los Angeles International Airport beginning to open,” Mayor Garcetti said.

Los Angeles World Airports General Manager Gina Marie Lindsey said 746 flights were affected. She encouraged passengers to check with their airline before coming to the airport for their flights and to follow the Twitter account @lax_official for up-to-date information on the airport.

Staff writer Rob Kuznia contributed to this report.

90,000 Two people tried to break through the checkpoint in the Donbass. One of them died as a result of the shooting | Hromadske TV

This was reported by the press service of the Joint Forces Operation headquarters.

So, at about 12:00 pm, a civilian car VAZ 2105, in which there were two people, approached the checkpoint. According to the headquarters, the driver did not react at the request to stop – on the contrary, he only increased the speed.

The soldier fired a warning shot upwards, but this did not stop the driver.Then the soldier opened fire to kill.

As a result, the driver and passenger were injured. The doctors provided them with first aid and transported them to the hospital. However, the driver could not be saved – he died on the way to the medical facility.

Representatives of the military service of law enforcement and law enforcement agencies are currently working at the scene of the incident. The circumstances of the incident are being investigated.

Situation in Donbass

Over the past 24 hours, on February 8, the militants violated the ceasefire seven times in the combat zone in Donbass.As a result of the shelling, there are no wounded or dead among the Ukrainian military.

From the beginning of the “truce” in July 2020 until the evening of February 7, 2021, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission counted 8,461 violations of the silence regime – in particular 3,179 explosions, 1,074 undefined projectiles, 101 muzzle flares, 60 flares and at least 4,047 bursts and shots.

In the OSCE, every shot or explosion is considered a violation, and in the headquarters of the Joint Forces Operations shelling of one position is considered one fact of violation.

“Truce” in Donbass

The new ceasefire regime in Donbass began to operate on July 27, 2020. For more than a month, his main achievement was considered to be that there were no casualties among the military, but so far during the “truce” from the shelling of militants, eight Ukrainian soldiers were killed . In addition, our servicemen are regularly blown up by explosive devices. In particular, on February 6, two army soldiers were killed because of this.

PRACTICAL SHOOTING: strong and weak hand (Part IV)

(Continued.Beginning in the articles “PRACTICAL SHOOTING ( Part I ), ( Part II ), ( Part III )”)

When, being in the USA, I asked my friend and trainer Michael Voight: “Why were shooters previously taught to shoot with one hand, although it is difficult and inconvenient?” – Michael answered with his usual humor: “The shooter had to shoot with one hand, because he was holding the horse by the bridle with the other. ”

Why are employees in the army and law enforcement agencies being taught to shoot with one hand now?

The shooter holds the pistol with a strong hand in the frontal stand

Such a shooter will get up more comfortably, bend back.He will lead his weak hand behind his back. He slowly raises the pistol and, squinting, begins to aim. Well, just A.S. Pushkin in a duel. I can imagine such a picture on the battlefield: bullets whistle, shells burst, the enemy went hand-to-hand, and our “Pushkin” bent his back and took aim. This is exactly what they teach here. As if preparing the perfect target for the enemy.

Now seriously. I probably won’t reveal a secret if I say that it is much easier to shoot a pistol with two hands than with one. Try chopping wood with one hand.Those readers who have tried chopping wood will agree with me that it is more convenient to hold an ax with both hands.

The sporty one-handed grip of the pistol is unstable and does not allow a quick second shot. Shooting with one hand is an additional complication for the athlete. The double grip and aggressive stance make it possible to confidently control the pistol and quickly hit multiple targets. Therefore, a double grip is obviously more effective than a one-handed grip. If anyone else doubts this, let them try the Bill-Drill exercise with one hand, and then with two hands (Bill-Drill is 6 shots at a target from 7 m, see.(see chapter 13). And then he will compare the time and quality of shooting. Even an athlete shooting Olympic disciplines with one hand will hit the target more closely and faster with both hands.

According to the rules of practical shooting, athletes shoot freestyle in competitions. This means that the shooter can shoot with at least one hand, at least with two, if there are no special instructions. To achieve the best result, athletes, of course, shoot while holding the pistol with both hands.

In order to evaluate the shooting skills of athletes, at IPSC competitions there are always exercises where it is necessary to shoot with one hand.These can be exercises only for the strong arm or only for the weak.

Therefore, the shooter must be able to hit targets while holding the pistol with one hand.

There are two stand options for one-handed shooting.

Stand for shooting with one hand at difficult targets

The shooter holds the pistol with a weak hand in the frontal stand

towards the direction of fire.

The hand with the pistol is extended towards the target. The pistol is held in the usual way. Most experienced shooters have a slightly bent arm at the elbow. This is done so that at the time of the shot, the arm, bending at the elbow, works as a shock absorber to compensate for the recoil. In this case, the body remains stationary. If the arm is extended and fully extended, then the recoil impulse will pass from arm to shoulder and displace the body from its original position. For a second shot, you will have to align the body and re-align the sights.(I hope you remember that in practical shooting, only pistols with a tangible recoil are used – caliber 9 mm or more.)

With this stand, the body should be tilted slightly forward. The tilt of the body makes it easier to compensate for the recoil of the weapon and to produce a quick re-shot. The free hand is usually pressed against the chest or abdomen so that it does not interfere with movement.

Sometimes in competitions, according to the conditions of the exercise, the shooter must hold the props with one hand and shoot with the other.Therefore, one-handed shooting technique must be practiced with all sorts of options that may be encountered in competitions.

When shooting with a weak hand, it is sometimes more convenient to tilt the pistol slightly to the strong side. This will reduce wrist flexion, which is physiologically much more comfortable for holding the pistol. It is necessary to practice the skill of aiming with a tilted pistol. This skill can also come in handy when shooting with a double grip in awkward positions.

Stand for shooting with one hand at short and medium distances

When hitting open targets at short and medium distances with one hand, the front stand is used.

This stance is easy to handle while in a conventional double grip front stance. To do this, you need to remove one hand and press it against the body. The pistol held with the other hand should remain on the sighting line as if you were in the same stance. In this case, the body and legs will be perpendicular to the line of fire. The hand with the pistol is bent at the elbow.

In such a stance, when the body is perpendicular to the line of fire, it is easy to transfer the pistol from one hand to the other.This stance can be used on a drill where you need to shoot from behind cover on the right side with your right hand and / or from the left side with your left hand. The front stance is also used when going from a two-handed grip to a one-handed grip and vice versa.

Snatching the pistol when shooting with a strong hand

If you have mastered the snatching when shooting with a double grip, then snatching with a strong hand will not be too difficult. Start position. The shooter stands facing the targets, relaxed, hands down.The pistol is in the holster, the cartridge is in the chamber, on the safety lock.

FOR CONVENIENCE WE DEPLOY THE EXTRACTION PROCESS INTO STAGES:

The arm bent at the elbow works as a recoil absorber,
helping the athlete to control the weapon
in high-speed shooting at close range.
World Championships, Ecuador 2005

1. The shooter faces the targets.
2. At the signal of the timer, both hands are simultaneously raised and begin to move towards the pistol.A strong hand is placed on top of the grip and rests tightly with the fork between the thumb and forefinger in the vertical bend of the rear side of the pistol frame. Three fingers of the hand – middle, ring and little fingers – grasp the handle. The index finger is straight, the thumb is applied to the safety catch, if the holster allows. The weak hand is pressed against the chest.
3. With a confident movement, the pistol is removed from the holster and the barrel turns towards the targets, starting up and forward movement.The thumb disengages the fuse. The pistol is brought to the “eye-target” line along a trajectory similar to the letter “G”.
4. As soon as sights appear in the field of view, the index finger begins to select the free travel of the trigger.
5. When the pistol moves in the end section of the trajectory, the sights are aligned and aligned with the center of the target. The index finger gently squeezes the trigger.

During withdrawal, the body and head remain stationary.Only hands work. Do not forget to raise both hands at the same time.

Pistol withdrawal when firing with a weak hand

Starting position. The shooter stands facing the targets, relaxed, hands down. The pistol is in the holster, the cartridge is in the chamber, on the safety lock. For convenience, we will decompose the process of snatching into stages:

The method of snatching when firing with a weak hand is quick and convenient if the pistol has a double-sided safety catch (for example, “Viking MP-446”).In the case of a one-sided safety catch, at the 2nd stage of the draw, you will have to make a full grip with a strong hand in order to disable the safety catch with your thumb, then shift the pistol to your weak hand.

In most competitions, one-handed shooting is done with short rounds where there are no more than 9 scoring shots. Often in such exercises, the pistol may lie on a flat surface or in some kind of box. Such exercises do not require recharging the magazine.In the event of a misfire or delay in the weapon, the shooter has the right to fix the problem and reload the magazine using the other hand. In all other cases, contact with the free hand of the weapon or the hand holding the pistol is punishable by a fine.

METHODS OF TRAINING IN SHOOTING WITH THE USE OF STRONG AND WEAK HANDS

TRAINING EXERCISE No. 12A. PULLING THE PISTOL WITH A STRONG HAND.

Idle running. No timer. Practicing the technique of drawing a pistol with a strong hand and making the first shot.It is recommended to do this exercise before starting your workout as a warm-up. The target is located at a distance of 10 -15 m.

Starting position. The shooter stands relaxed facing the target. Unloaded pistol in a holster with a safety catch. Hands are down.

Execution procedure. The shooter slowly draws out the pistol, aims it at the target and fires a shot. Then he puts on the safety catch and places it in the holster. Takes a starting position and repeats the exercise.

It is necessary to control all your actions, according to the steps in the section “Pulling the pistol when firing with a strong hand”.All movements of the arrow are continuous and smooth. The task of the shooter is 10 times calmly, technically correctly, to grab a pistol and fire a shot.

If you feel that the exercise is working out, then repeat the pull 5 times faster. Make sure that the increase in speed does not harm the quality.

If you have a double-action pistol, then self-cocking.

After pulling out the weapon 15 times, change the starting position. It is necessary to do this exercise in the starting position “hands up”.See Exercise # 10.

TRAINING EXERCISE # 12. DRAWING AND SHOOTING WITH A STRONG HAND.

Performed with cartridges and timer. Practicing the technique of drawing the pistol and firing the first shot with a strong hand. Exercise is similar to exercise number 12a. It is better to use a gong as a target – a plate measuring 30 cm, located at a distance of 10 -15 m.

The shooter must have 2 magazines with him. Each magazine must be loaded with 10 rounds.The magazines should be located in pouches on the shooter’s side. The exercise is best done after exercise # 12 a.

Start position. The shooter stands relaxed facing the target. A loaded pistol in a holster, a cartridge in the chamber with a safety catch. Hands are down.

Execution procedure. The shooter sets the timer to the “Random” position – random activation (if there is such a function). This means that the timer, after pressing the “Start” button, will beep in the interval between 2 and 5 s.

The shooter loads the pistol – inserts the magazine and sends the cartridge into the chamber. If the pistol is double-acting, then it is necessary to uncock the trigger, turn on the safety catch and place the weapon in the holster (see “Commands. Unloading and loading”). As you remember, the first shot in an exercise in a serial pistol class must be self-cocked.

The shooter takes the starting position, presses the timer button. After the sound signal, without haste, draws out the pistol with a strong hand and fires a shot at the target.The shooters draw, aim and fire a shot, carefully controlling all stages of execution, according to the section “Drawing a pistol when firing with a strong hand”. After firing, the shooter removes the trigger from the combat platoon, turns on the safety catch, places the pistol in the holster and takes the starting position.

The draw is done 5 times at a slow pace. Then 5 times at a fast pace, but without compromising the quality of execution.

Having fired ten shots, the shooter unloads the pistol.He inserts a new magazine, sends the cartridge into the chamber, puts the safety on and places the pistol in the holster. Then he assumes start position 2.

Start position 2. The shooter stands relaxed, facing the target. A loaded pistol in a holster, a cartridge in the chamber with a safety catch. Hands are raised. Brushes above the shoulders.

Execution procedure.

The shooter fires 10 shots in the starting position 2.

During the training, the trainee decides how many cartridges to use for each starting position.

After training, you must fire five test shots at the gong at each start position. Enter the results in the table.

TRAINING EXERCISE No. 13A. REMOVING THE PISTOL WHEN FIRING WITH THE WEAK HAND.

When hitting the target with a weak hand
, it is more convenient to tilt the pistol a little
to the strong side

Run idle. No timer. Practicing the technique of pulling out a pistol and making an aimed shot when firing with a weak hand.The target is located at a distance of 8-10 m.

Starting position. The shooter stands relaxed facing the target. Unloaded pistol in a holster, safety catch on. Hands are down.

Execution procedure. The shooter slowly grabs the pistol with a strong hand, shifts it to a weak one, aims at the target and fires a shot. Then he puts the weapon in a strong hand, puts it on the safety and places it in the holster. The exercise is carried out as described in the section “Drawing the pistol when firing with a weak hand”.The double-sided fuse is turned off with the thumb of the weak hand. One-sided – with the thumb of a strong hand.

The task of the shooter is 10 times calmly, technically correctly, to grab a pistol and fire a shot.

If you feel that the exercise is working out, then repeat the pull 5 times faster. Make sure that the increase in speed does not harm the quality.

If you have a double-action pistol, then self-cocking.

After you have drawn the weapon 15 times, change the starting position.It is necessary to do this exercise in the starting position “hands up”.

TRAINING EXERCISE No. 13. DRAWING AND SHOOTING WHEN FIRING WITH THE WEAK HAND.

Performed with cartridges and timer. Practicing the technique of pulling out a pistol when firing with a weak hand. The exercise is similar to exercise 13a. It is better to use a gong as a target – a steel non-falling saucer with a size of 30 cm, located at a distance of 10 -15 m.

The shooter must have 2 magazines with him.Each magazine must be loaded with 10 rounds. The magazines should be located in pouches on the shooter’s side. The exercise is best done after exercise # 13a.

Start position. The shooter stands relaxed facing the target. A loaded pistol in a holster, a cartridge in the chamber with a safety catch. Hands are down.

Execution procedure. The shooter sets the timer to the “Random” position – random activation (if there is such a function). This means that the timer, after pressing the “Start” button, will beep in the interval between 2 and 5 s.

The shooter loads the pistol – inserts the magazine and sends the cartridge into the chamber. If the pistol is double-acting, then it is necessary to uncock the trigger, turn on the fuse and place the weapon in the holster.

The shooter takes the starting position, presses the timer button. At the sound signal, without haste, he grabs the pistol with his strong hand, shifts it to the weak one and fires a shot at the target. The shooters draw, aim and fire a shot, carefully controlling the stages of execution.After firing, the shooter removes the trigger from the cocked (if the pistol is double-acting), puts the pistol on the safety, places it in the holster and takes the starting position.

The draw is done 5 times at a slow pace. Then 5 times at a fast pace, but without compromising the quality of execution.

Having fired ten shots, the shooter unloads the pistol. He inserts a new magazine, sends the cartridge into the chamber, puts the safety on and places the pistol in the holster. Then it assumes start position 2.

Start position 2. The shooter stands relaxed, facing the target. A loaded pistol in a holster, a cartridge in the chamber with a safety catch. Hands are raised. Brushes above the shoulders.

Execution procedure.

The shooter fires 10 shots in the starting position 2.

During the training, the trainee decides how many cartridges to use for each starting position.

After training, you must fire five test shots at the gong at each start position.Enter the results in the table.

TRAINING EXERCISE No. 14A. PISTOL TRANSFER FROM ONE HAND TO ANOTHER.

Idle running. No timer. Practicing the technique of transferring a pistol from one hand to another, hitting the target with each hand. It is necessary to set two targets at a distance of 10-15 m. The distance between the targets is 2-3 m.

Start position. The shooter stands relaxed facing the target. Unloaded pistol in a holster with a safety catch. Hands are down.

Execution procedure. At the sound signal, the shooter draws out a pistol, removes it from the safety and, aiming, imitates a shot with a strong hand. Then he shifts the pistol from a strong hand to a weak one and simulates a shot with a weak hand. After that, he puts the pistol back into his strong hand and once again imitates a shot. This is the exercise several times. Feeling tired, the shooter turns on the safety and places the pistol in the holster. When shifting the pistol from one hand to the other, try to make the pistol make as little hesitation as possible.The pistol must remain in place, only the hands are changed.

TRAINING EXERCISE № 14. TRANSFER OF THE PISTOL FROM ONE HAND TO ANOTHER HANDLING WITH TARGETS.

Transfer of the pistol from a weak hand to a strong one

Performed with cartridges. With a timer. Practicing the technique of transferring a pistol from one hand to another, hitting the target with each hand. It is necessary to set two gong-type targets at a distance of 10 -15 m. The distance between the targets is 2-3 m. The shooter must have a magazine equipped with 10 rounds.The exercise is best done after doing exercise # 14a.

Start position. The shooter stands relaxed facing the target. A loaded pistol in a holster, a cartridge in the chamber with a safety catch. Hands are down.

Execution procedure. At the sound signal, the shooter draws out a pistol, removes it from the safety and, taking aim, fires a shot with a strong hand. Then he shifts the pistol from a strong hand to a weak one and fires a shot with a weak hand. Then he puts the pistol back into his strong hand and fires another shot.The pistol moves from one hand to the other until the magazine runs out of cartridges. The shooter then unloads the pistol and places it in the holster.

TRAINING EXERCISE № 15. “STEP-SHOT” WHEN FIRING WITH STRONG AND WEAK HANDS.

Do Exercise # 2 Step – Shot in Chapter 10 Firing a Shot, hitting targets with your strong hand only. Then do the same exercise, hitting the targets with your weak hand only. Be careful. While moving, pull the pistol to your chest and remove your finger from the trigger.Do not hurry. Observe safety rules.

(Continued and ended in the articles “PRACTICAL SHOOTING ( Part V ), ( Part VI ), ( Part VII ), ( Part VIII ), ( Part IX ), ( Part X ), ( Part XI ) “)

Vitaly Kryuchin
Photo from the archive of the author
Brother 06-2008

firing AN-94 – RT in Russian

On August 11, 1950, the famous Russian gunsmith Gennady Nikonov, the creator of the unique AN-94 assault rifle, was born in Izhevsk.The peculiarity of this weapon lies in the scheme in which the barrel rolls back during firing. The use of such a mechanism and the ultra-high rate of fire in short bursts made it possible to significantly increase the accuracy of fire. Nikonov’s brainchild did not become widespread in the Russian troops due to the complexity of the design, but it entered the arsenal of special forces of the power departments of the Russian Federation. According to experts, the Izhevsk gunsmith managed to create a worthy competitor to the legendary Kalashnikov assault rifles.

70 years ago in Izhevsk, a famous domestic gunsmith, creator of the unique AN-94 machine gun Gennady Nikolayevich Nikonov was born.

While studying at an industrial technical school, he became interested in the manufacture of underwater guns. For the creation of one of the samples, the young designer received a second degree diploma at the All-Union exhibition of technical creativity held in Perm.

Nikonov’s professional career began in 1969 at the legendary Izhmash (now part of the Kalashnikov concern.- RT ), with whom he linked his life. In the early years of his work, he participated in the creation of sports air rifles to replace the German models.

In 1975, Nikonov received his higher education, and the following year, the designer successfully completed the development of a multi-charge hunting rifle with a powerful Izubr cartridge.

Also in the mid-1970s, Nikonov participated in the creation of a new experimental rifle “Biathlon” with a locking mechanism that provided fast reloading.Upgraded versions of Izhmash rifles are still produced for Russian athletes.

• Gennady Nikonov
• © topwar.ru

“Surpass the standard assault rifle”

Nikonov became really widely known thanks to his participation in the competition of the USSR Ministry of Defense for the creation of a scheme for increasing the effectiveness of fire for promising assault rifles. Research and development work (R&D) under the name “Abakan” was opened in the late 1970s at the leading Soviet arms factories.

The military considered various ways to eliminate the “generic” disadvantage of the Kalashnikov assault rifle – low accuracy of fire in bursts from unstable positions.

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“Convenient, powerful and unpretentious weapon”: General Designer of the Kalashnikov Concern – on the evolution of the AK-47

Mikhail Kalashnikov managed to implement the most optimal technical solutions of his time in the AK-47 assault rifle, which made this one…

Eminent engineers of the Tula Central Design and Research Bureau of Sports and Hunting Weapons (TsKIB SOO) Igor Yakovlevich Stechkin and German Alexandrovich Korobov became Nikonov’s rivals. They presented TKB-0146 and TKB-0111 experimental submachine guns for the competition, respectively.

“The dream of fame did not warm me. The designers (participants in the competition of the Ministry of Defense – RT ) were given a very specific task – to surpass the standard machine gun in efficiency by 1.5-2 times… The military waited for a new sample, fiddled with, adjusted – in general, they did not let them relax, ”Nikonov later recalled.

In 1979, a designer from Izhevsk developed an experimental NA-2 assault rifle, which served as a test platform for testing the system with accumulated recoil impulse. Its essence is that when firing, the barrel and the gas vent mechanism roll back into the body of the weapon.

Thus, the energy from the recoil, which is formed after firing, goes into the shoulder of the fighter, and the barrel practically does not deviate from its original position.This scheme significantly improves the accuracy of the weapon when firing in short bursts. The fighter feels recoil only after the first two shots, and the barrel starts tossing up from the third round.

The weight of the NA-2 assault rifle was approximately 3.9 kg. The weapon was designed according to the “bullpup” layout, in which the trigger was brought forward and located in front of the magazine and the firing mechanism. The experienced machine gun had a pistol grip deflected forward, which provided the convenience of changing the magazine.

• Experienced assault rifle NA-2
• © kalashnikov.media

However, in the process of improving his brainchild, Nikonov decided to abandon the bullpup layout. The final version of the machine, which received the code AN-94, was made according to the traditional scheme, where the trigger is located behind the store.

As stated on the website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the mass of an empty Nikonov assault rifle was 3.82 kg (with a loaded magazine and an optical sight – 4.4 kg), magazine capacity – 30 rounds, effective firing range – 800 m, muzzle velocity – 900 m / s.

High accuracy of shooting from “Abakan” was achieved not only due to the implementation of the system with the accumulation of the recoil impulse, but also due to the installation of a thin front sight.

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In the materials of the Kalashnikov concern, it is reported that the AN-94 inherited from the prototype of the 1979 model the most important advantage over the other assault rifles – an ultra-fast rate of fire in short bursts. This figure is estimated at 1.8 thousand rounds per minute (the usual rate is 600 rounds per minute).

Kalashnikov armament tester Alexander Krasnopyorov notes that the manner of firing from the AN-94 is radically different from that of the AK family.In particular, the fighter must pull the trigger of the Nikonov assault rifle in a relaxed state, without resisting the recoil.

This feature is also highlighted by US Special Forces veteran Larry Vickers, who has run his own weapons blog on YouTube in recent years. According to his own feelings, when shooting in a more relaxed state, the spread of bullets from the AN-94 is halved and is five centimeters or less, which is an impressive indicator for a machine gun.

In his video blog, Vickers praised the engineering innovations used in the creation of the AN-94, and explained that the rate of fire of the assault rifle allows you to gain a certain advantage in battle.

According to Kalashnikov Media technical consultant Vladimir Onokoy, the AN-94 is “one of the most interesting and unusual examples of modern Russian small arms.” As the specialist says, a burst of two shots occurs so quickly that “the eye does not have time to notice it.”

A worthy competitor to Kalashnikov

In Russia, the AN-94 passed a full cycle of state tests and was put into service in the mid-1990s.However, as noted in “Kalashnikov”, the unique machine gun was not widespread among the troops due to the complexity of the design. From open sources it follows that now some special forces and individual army units are armed with the brainchild of Nikonov.

According to experts, the AN-94 deserves the highest marks for the accuracy of shooting and the novelty of the implemented technical solutions. However, the Izhevsk machine gun turned out to be expensive to manufacture and a structurally complex product. For this reason, he is in demand primarily in special formations.

“The second shot from the AN-94 occurs before the recoil goes into the shoulder and takes the weapon away. This is a truly unique weapon, in principle, I have never seen anything like that. But for a conscript, such a machine gun is definitely not suitable. For example, it will be very difficult for him to remember the assembly and disassembly scheme of the AN-94. This is a sophisticated weapon, “said reserve officer Vladimir Kurta, a fire training teacher in an interview with RT.

Military observer Viktor Baranets praised the AN-94 for its high accuracy and poor recoil.In a commentary on RT, the expert called Nikonov’s brainchild a worthy competitor to the AK-74M.

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“At first, the army was not enthusiastic about the AN-94.Then our special units of the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs took him for a test. After a while, the Nikonov assault rifle nevertheless appeared in the army, but at the special forces, and the soldiers never regretted having such a weapon in their hands, ”Baranets said.

The design solutions embodied in the AN-94 formed the basis for Nikonov’s doctoral dissertation, which he successfully defended in 2000.

On May 14, 2003, the famous designer died in Izhevsk. In memory of him in 2009, a museum fund was created in the Central State Archives of Udmurtia.

From the point of view of Viktor Barantz, for his contribution to the development of domestic small arms, Gennady Nikonov can be put on a par with such eminent designers as Mikhail Kalashnikov, Igor Stechkin, Vasily Degtyarev, Evgeny Dragunov and Alexey Sudaev.

“The number of produced AN-94 is relatively small, and by this indicator it cannot be compared with the AK. But in a number of tactical and technical characteristics, the brainchild of Nikonov still surpasses some of the Kalashnikov samples. This is undoubtedly an outstanding shooting product, ”Baranets summed up.

Ear pain – causes, symptoms and diagnosis, indications for seeking medical attention

Walking on a windy day, careless bathing, when water gets into the ear, ARVI – all this can cause a sharp pain in the ear. It is not always possible to see a doctor right away, and it is difficult to endure ear pain – it interferes with doing your usual things, sleeping. With the help of otolaryngologists at the Kutuzovsky Medical Center, we will find out why an ear can hurt, and what first aid can be provided at home.

The ear and its features

The human ear is a complex and functional organ. It not only allows us to hear sounds, speech, but also helps us to navigate in space, maintain coordination of movements, determine where the sound comes from, activates the cerebral cortex and brain centers in it. Hearing is an important feeling for communication, but more often we only become aware of it when it gets worse or is lost altogether.

There are three main divisions in the human ear:

• The outer ear is the auricle and the visible ear canal.
• Medium – A small depression in the skull where the tympanic membrane, the auditory ossicles, and the Eustachian tube are located. The middle ear plays a protective role, and also amplifies and further transmits sound signals.
• The inner ear – the so-called cochlea – is a labyrinth of auditory canals where hearing analyzers are located. There are also elements that are responsible for the work of the vestibular apparatus.

Such a complex structure of the ear increases the risk of injuries, infections and pathologies that cause pain syndrome – otalgia and can cause tissue edema and hearing impairment.There may be ear pain in a child or an adult.

Causes of ear pain

The ear can hurt for various reasons. The main reasons can be divided into three main groups:

• Inflammation or trauma to the outer ear.
• Diseases of the middle ear.
• A situation when the pain radiates to the ear due to the connection of the organ with the adjacent areas of the head. For example, this happens with neuralgia, diseases of the throat, nose and other conditions.

Problems can also occur in the inner ear, but their peculiarity is that there is no pain with them (as a rule).

There is another classification of causes: pain from external or internal exposure. Let’s consider the main options.

External causes of ear pain

The main factors that may cause discomfort or soreness in the ear are:

• Injury, shock, frostbite or burns – can damage cartilage and even the ear canal and can cause ear pain
• Differences in atmospheric pressure (when diving or flying)
• Prolonged squeezing (for example, from tight or uncomfortable headphones).
• The ingress of a foreign body into the ear, the accumulation of sulfur plugs in it, inaccurate cleaning of the ears is the cause of pain in the ear on one side.
• Ingress of water during swimming, bathing.
• Loud noise – from music, work in noisy rooms.

Internal causes of ear pain

Sharp, shooting pain in the ear often occurs for precisely such reasons as:

• Otitis media is the most common cause of ear pain.Depending on the place where the infection has penetrated, there are external, middle and internal otitis media. With them, a throbbing pain in the ear can occur, the eardrum becomes inflamed and even break through, discharge from the ear appears and the temperature rises. Symptoms of internal otitis media include headaches and dizziness, poor coordination of movements. Inflammation can occur in an acute form (with an increase in body temperature) or chronic (the patient complains of general weakness, while pain is weak or absent).Otitis media are dangerous due to hearing impairment, prolonged course, so you should not leave them unattended.
• Perichondritis is another ear infection that develops, most often from an ear injury or as a complication from the flu. The main symptoms of perichondritis are edema of the ear skin, an increase in ear size, purulent discharge, fistulas that do not heal for a long time.
• Mastoiditis is a complication of otitis media, in this case, the process of the temporal bone behind the ear becomes inflamed, and purulent cavities may form.
• Boils – abscesses in the ear or in the ear canal.
• Shingles or herpes, which can also appear on the auricle.
• Tumors of a different nature that compress the auditory tube.

There is also a secondary pain in the ear – for no reason directly in it. Problems arise in other ENT organs (throat, nose, sinuses) or adjacent areas on the head: lymph nodes, jaw, facial nerves.

The main causes of ear pain are:

• Lymphadenitis is an inflammation of the lymph nodes that are located near the ears.
• Diseases of the teeth – pulpitis, periodontitis and others.
• Injury or inflammation of the temporomandibular joint.
• Pathology of the upper vertebrae of the neck.
• Neuralgia of the occipital or trigeminal nerve (with unilateral pain in the right or left ear).
• Infections and other diseases of the throat, nose and its appendages, the mucous membrane of the mouth and even the esophagus. This pain appears in the ear when swallowing, chewing, or may be constant.
• Tumors in the head, neck.
• Injury.

How to understand the cause of ear pain

The pain in the ear causes unbearable discomfort. Tolerate it is not only difficult, but also dangerous to health. Regardless of what disease provoked the discomfort, it requires urgent treatment.There are many ways to get rid of ear pain at home on the Internet. However, their effectiveness is questionable. And even if you manage to eliminate the pain, the cause of the pain may persist. The result of self-medication can be the addition of infection, the appearance of purulent processes and other pathologies.

Often, after self-medication, patients still have to see a doctor, when the problem has to be solved already in an operative way. Treatment and recovery in such situations is quite lengthy, expensive and painful.

Medicine knows a huge number of cases when a patient hesitates to see a doctor. As a result, he partially or completely loses his hearing. Don’t become part of negative statistics. Come to the Kutuzov Medical and Diagnostic Center to receive quality medical care and prevent complications.

There are quite a few diseases, among the symptoms of which there is otalgia. It is better to understand the reason, to understand the patient’s complaints. In order to make a preliminary diagnosis, the otolaryngologist will be helped by additional information about:

• Rate of occurrence of complaints.So a sharp, shooting pain in the ear, which appeared literally suddenly, speaks of an acute infection, inflammation of the auditory tube or eardrum. A gradual increase in the intensity of sensations is characteristic of otitis media arising from a runny nose, nasal congestion.
• The nature and severity of pain. Dull, aching pains are signs of chronic diseases. Severe pain that appears and goes away on its own, recurs periodically, may indicate neuralgia. Pulsating and sharp pain occurs with acute inflammation of the ear canal, boils.
• Durations. Severe and persistent pain for several days is a symptom of acute inflammation. The pain from the injury will disappear after a few hours, and chronic processes, tumors make themselves felt as constant discomfort.
• Localizations. Otalgia can literally bother “from the inside” of the head – in this case, the middle ear is affected. With superficial pain, the cause is in the auricle, the ear canal.
• Mutability. The intensity of pain can change with pressure on the auricle, lobe, change in body position, swallowing.
• Additional symptoms. The doctor will certainly ask about other complaints – sore throat, nasal congestion, headaches, fever, discharge from the ears, skin changes, hearing impairment and others.

Determining the cause of ear pain begins with a specialist examination. In many cases, a doctor can diagnose a combination of symptoms. However, additional research is often required to determine the type of pathology and the degree of its development.In the Kutuzov diagnostic and treatment center, you can make examinations of any complexity. The clinic is equipped with high-tech diagnostic equipment. Thanks to the use of modern examination methods, we are able to accurately determine the cause of the pain and select the optimal treatment regimen.

By signing up for a consultation, you can do all the necessary procedures directly at the medical center. There is no need to waste time traveling to other medical facilities. We use safe and painless research methods.Come to an appointment at the Kutuzov Medical and Diagnostic Center to find out the cause of the pain and discuss treatment options.

All these symptoms help the doctor understand the nature and characteristics of the disease. You can confirm and clarify the diagnosis using more precise procedures:

• Otoscopy – examination of the ear using a special ENT instrument, similar to a funnel. The procedure is painless and allows you to examine the ear and take a sample of the discharge (if any) for laboratory analysis.
• Laboratory analyzes – bacterial inoculation of microflora, determination of the sensitivity of microorganisms to antibiotics.
• Ultrasound – used to assess the state of neighboring internal structures – lymph nodes and others.

What diagnostic methods will be needed in this or that case is decided individually by the ENT doctor.

How is ear pain treated

Treatment depends on the disease. So, the sulfur plug is removed by washing with a special solution immediately at the doctor’s appointment, and antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs will be needed to treat otitis media.It is important not only to relieve pain, but also to act on its cause. For this, drugs are used (tablets and local applications), physiotherapy (UHF, electrophoresis, and others). Self-medication is dangerous with complications – a breakthrough of the tympanic membrane, the spread of infection to other organs, partial or complete hearing loss.

If it is not possible to urgently consult a doctor (for example, severe ear pain occurred in the evening), you can:

• Take pain reliever.
• Make a compress – insert a cotton swab (not deeply) into the auricle (it can be soaked in boric or camfort alcohol).
• Instill nose drops, because often ear pain occurs from diseases and swelling in the nasopharynx

You can’t do it yourself:

• Warm up the ears – in case of infections, this can lead to even more inflammation.
• Use ear drops and ear candles from the home first aid kit – they may not work for this diagnosis, and opened ear drops cannot be stored for a long time.
• Attempting to flush the plug or remove a stuck foreign body may damage the eardrum.

Be sure to consult with your ENT doctor if your ear is worried or you notice a rash, itching, discharge from the ear canal, hearing distortions, or hearing impairment. We invite you to the Kutuzovsky Medical Center – a clinic where experienced and knowledgeable doctors work. Our otolaryngologists (and other specialists) are ready to see you daily by appointment.The clinic has all the necessary equipment to carry out the necessary diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, and in our center you can also undergo a check up of the body – a complete medical examination at an affordable cost. Do not tolerate pain – it can really be cured!

The content of this article has been checked and confirmed for compliance with medical standards by an otorhinolaryngologist Petrov Vadim Vyacheslavovich.

90,000 Why Democrats are weak to attack Donald Trump :: Politics :: Newspaper RBK

Democrats began impeachment proceedings against the backdrop of an obvious crisis in the party and in the absence of iron arguments that could split the Republican majority in the Senate

It would seem that the phrase “impeachment of Trump”, cherished for the opponents of the current American president, has finally found itself on the real agenda.Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi has issued a directive to six relevant House Committees to open an investigation against the President. The reason was the content of a telephone conversation between the presidents of the United States and Ukraine, in which Donald Trump allegedly promised to provide the republic with financial assistance in the amount of $ 250 million, provided that Volodymyr Zelenskyy would help him with compromising material on Joseph Biden, the leader among democratic candidates and so far Trump’s main rival in the presidential race 2020.

When he was vice president of the United States, Biden, according to him, demanded that the Ukrainian leadership dismiss Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin, threatening to refuse financial assistance, and Biden’s request was granted. The piquancy of the situation was that Shokin was investigating the activities of the gas company Burisma Holdings, whose board of directors included Biden’s son Hunter. It is this circumstance that Trump is hooked on, who insists that the true intention of Biden Sr. in this whole story was to cover up his son.Opponents of Trump from the Democratic camp ignore his arguments and mobilize the public with arguments about the inadmissibility of the US president using his powers to fight a political opponent, and even with the help of a foreign government.

Democrats false start

But impeachment is a rather lengthy and complicated procedure. The committees that will investigate must find sufficient evidence to expose Trump’s “political impropriety” and bring the issue to a House-wide vote.Of the 435 congressmen, at least 218 must support the impeachment – now the Democrats have 235 votes. If it is possible to carry out the procedure through the lower house, then the next step is the Senate, where two-thirds of the votes are required. The current balance of power in the upper house in favor of Trump is 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats and two independents, who, however, gravitate towards Democrats.

It seems that the Democrats hastened to enter the warpath, having only the inside information of a certain representative of the American intelligence community, who allegedly had secondary information about the content of the conversation, that is, he did not hear, but heard from someone who heard.And Trump, in response, took what was probably unethical towards his Ukrainian counterpart, but perhaps a saving step for himself – he released the transcript of the telephone conversation with Zelensky.

Similar to Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 US elections, the transcript of Trump’s conversation with Zelenskiy leaves room for Democrats to interpret Trump’s words in their favor, but largely nullifies one of the main arguments in favor of impeachment. Trump did not directly link Zelensky’s assistance in the Biden case to US financial aid to Ukraine, but only hinted that Kiev could show greater reciprocity in response to “very, very good US attitude.”Now this confrontation is shifting into the field of legalist interpretations and politicized media constructions. If impeachment stalls or fails altogether, Trump’s chances of re-election will greatly increase.

Battle for the Voter

“Throughout the entire presidential term, Trump was haunted by the topic of collusion with Russia, and impeachment began because of Ukraine” – a sarcastic refrain that is popular in Washington expert circles these days.

In fact, investigative journalism and high-profile scandals around Trump began as soon as it became clear that he would be presented as a Republican candidate in the 2016 elections.When Trump won a sensational victory, higher-level investigations began into his alleged relationship with the Russian government. Since then, the maximum task is to expel him from the White House before the end of his presidential term, the minimum task is to make Trump a president of one term.

A year ago, Washington was rocked by other scandals – around the figure of Bret Kavanaugh, the president’s proposed candidate for the US Supreme Court, the case of journalist Jamal Khashkadzhi, who was killed in the Saudi consulate in Ankara, and the problem of carrying weapons after another resonant shooting in a public place.These episodes were used to weaken Trump and Republicans ahead of important midterm congressional elections. As a result, the Democrats won back the House, but the Senate remained with the Republicans – a small victory for Trump, which may be useful to him now.

Internal polarization has accompanied both parties since the last presidential campaign. The leaven of this crisis has fermented in American society before, but most politicians stubbornly ignored this process, consoled by the continuity of the political course.So far, both parties have failed to present the “correct” leaders to the Americans. The Republicans never found a worthy potential replacement for the eccentric dealmaker. The situation is no better for the Democrats. The long bench of contenders does not translate into the attractiveness of specific candidates, and the old agenda does not work outside the traditional democratic electorate. In addition, the Democrats have their main political and considerable financial resources concentrated on the extreme left, which prevents victory on a national scale.

Against this background, the party establishment is more comfortable betting on Joe Biden. For all Biden’s danger to Trump, this candidate is more a symbol of the fact that the Democrats never learned from the defeat in the last election. They have not proposed a new agenda, and Trump is consistently pushing his own.

On the international stage, this is reflected in the revision of the current model of globalization and the revision of American commitments. Inside the United States, Trump has surrounded himself with loyalists in the administration, strengthened the representation of America First in the governor’s corps, and is gradually changing the composition of the Supreme Court in favor of representatives of the conservative wing.

In the absence of meaningful opposition to this pressure, political technological methods are used, including sex scandals or publications by anonymous insiders that talk about inappropriate behavior, corruption or banal ignorance of the president. A similar dynamic takes place at a lower level, from states to individual counties, and reflects an increasingly high degree of political confrontation in the United States, periodically sending discharges through domestic or international crises.So the whole world should get ready for a new stage in the struggle for the White House.

90,000 step-by-step instructions and professional advice

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Reflex sights are chosen for shooting at close and medium distances. They are often mounted on smooth-bore hunting rifles. Using the device, you will instantly catch the target and make an accurate shot.This quality was highly appreciated by experienced shooters, and today collimators are deservedly popular.

In practical application, the collimator presents no difficulties and is intuitive, but it can be a little difficult to set up. To quickly adjust the device, we offer advice and tips from the specialists of the Veber.ru online store.

1. Presetting the front sight

No matter how you use the gun, for example, offhand, as well as in a prone position, standing, sitting, a well-tuned collimator should always have the aiming mark pointing straight at the target.

So, before any actions, make sure that the scope is installed firmly, otherwise it may get lost when zeroing in and show different results all the time.

First, adjust the brightness by spinning the drum. It depends on the lighting: at dusk it can be lowered to prevent the target from being exposed. But whatever the brightness, it is still weak, so neither the enemy nor the animal will notice the point in the sight.

The shape of the front sight is chosen the most convenient: a point, a cross, a circle with a point, a cross with a point.

If the preliminary settings have been made, then proceed to adjusting the front sight.

2. Cold sighting collimator

We recommend doing cold zeroing first. It can be carried out at home at a distance of 3-5 meters. We will do this in order to make it easier for us to hit the target in real conditions and make further adjustments.

For cold sighting, a specially designed cartridge with a laser is used.It is inserted into the barrel of a gun. The laser marker immediately indicates where the bullet will hit when firing. Now, with the help of handwheels, we align the collimator beam point with the laser marker, while taking into account a slight decrease in the bullet trajectory, because in reality the shooting will be carried out at a long distance.

3. Choose a convenient distance

If you carried out a cold zeroing at home, then on the shooting range the target can be immediately set at a distance of 50 meters, and then at 100 meters.According to experienced shooters, if the collimator is professionally adjusted at a distance of 50 meters, then its settings will remain valid even at 150 meters.

In the absence of cold zeroing, first select the smallest distance, for example, 10 meters, and only then set the target at 50 and 100 meters.

4. We carry out the process of sighting

If you are an experienced shooter and your hand will definitely not flinch, then the weapon can be held in your hands, additionally using a stand.The ideal option is to secure it firmly in a vice.

The first time we make three shots, while you just need to hit the target. We look at the accuracy of fire. Focusing on it, we correct the point of the collimator beam vertically and horizontally. Our task is to align the collimator beam with the point of impact.

We repeat shots and evaluate. If the result is good, then we move the target to the next distance, again take three shots and correct.If everything is in order, then for reliability we check the accuracy by making 2-3 control shots at the last distance, for example, 100 meters. The last distance is considered the ideal one at which the shooting will actually be carried out, but, on the other hand, when it comes to hunting, it is rather difficult to determine.

A very detailed description of the last stage of setup can be found in a separate article “How to aim a collimator sight”.

Need to know: on collimators, the settings are saved even after repeated removal and installation of it on the weapon, so you do not have to reconfigure it several times.

If you have any questions or have a non-standard situation regarding the adjustment of the red dot sight, you can always contact the specialists of the Veber.ru online store. They know exactly how to properly set up scopes of any model from different manufacturers.

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Do QR codes for restaurant access have weak points?

The authorities are actively fighting scammers selling fake vaccination certificates.Is it possible to falsify QR codes that will be used in the capital to access “blind” bars and restaurants?

Photo: Alexander Shcherbak / TASS

A QR code is a black and white picture in which some information is embedded, in the simplest case, a link to a page on the Internet. You scan the code and the smartphone opens it in the browser. At the same time, a person is not able to determine by their appearance what exactly is contained in a QR code, which is what scammers use to generate codes with links to fake websites of banks and social networks.

Similarly, you can try to deceive a conditional waiter or security guard at the entrance to a Moscow bar. Continued programmer Grigory Bakunov:

Grigory Bakunov programmer

Anyone can generate a QR code, even not the most advanced user – the Internet is full of such programs, including free ones. It is more difficult to create a fake website, but this is also a solvable task. So we can probably expect the appearance of proposals for the sale of fake QR codes for free access to “blind” cafes and restaurants, as well as to all other places where, possibly, these codes will be required in the future.Another thing is that if the system is done correctly, it will not be possible to deceive it with the help of such a scheme, says Alexey Raevsky, CEO of Zecurion.

Aleksey Raevsky CEO of Zecurion

It was not possible to find out how the system of checking QR codes in the capital works. Business FM sent a corresponding request to the Moscow Department of Information Technologies, but did not receive a prompt response.