Hi EEE:

I wrote a reply stating you make a very reasonable argument but it didn't post.

"My own initial thought is this was a huge, incompetent bout of "friendly fire" and those involved knew what they had on their hands (the negligent killing of an American hero) and decided to try and contain it in the most rotten of ways rather than just telling the truth."

No doubt you have more experience in these matters. So be assured I am greatful for your thoughts.

That said, in the meantime, since that errant reply, a thought came to me. And mind you I'm asking, as I am not an expert marksman, per the perfectly apt Army Ranger example, and would not know the answer. That thought being, wouldn't such an expert, who could make the purported suspiciously tight shots, at such great distances, employing his scope, be able to identify his famous Brother in Arms(before pulling the trigger once, let alone three times)?

Too, other question comes to mind, like exit trajectory, as in were they just as tight spacing. Or does that sort of thing prove anything, say if the first shot caused the target to present itself differently to the marksman/marksmen. Or, would a 3 shot burst, even be possible with a sniper rifle? I really don't understand the dynamics well enough but it occurs that even if such a burst is possible, that the exit wounds would not be as tightly spaced assuming the target(head in this case) would move at least a bit more with each impact(thinking the Kennedy footage). And how would that effect the entry wounds. What made the doctors suspicious. Ah, it'll probably remain an unanswered suspicious incident.

But I would be curious whether it is possible to identify a familiar personage through a snipers scope, if you know. Perhaps it would be easier to ask if there is a distance where one could not identify the identity of your target, inside 100 meters?

thanks again, peaceably