When I see a blatant error in specifics in the first few lines of an article, I tend to balk a bit. The 5.7 and 556 both have a bullet diameter of .224 nominal and a groove diameter of .218, the 5.7 is a 22 caliber as is the 556/223 Rem.
Okay, so on to the next issue. The velocity 556-(somewhat, if fired from a carbine 14.5 or 16 inch bbl, the MV of which would be more in the range of 2700-285, compared to the MV of a 20 inch bbl M16 A2/4 firing M855 ball (3150 fs). The carbine loses the ability to fragment ball bullets at about 90m, the rifle maintains that ability to about 200m. Of course, most LE would not be using mil ball ammo, but boutique LE ammo loaded with modern bonded dual metal ( gilding metal jacket, lead alloy core) or monometal gilding metal BTHPs of usually 55-77 grains. These bullets do not behave like ball FMJ, rather than penetrating a few inches, then yawing due to media change( the bullet is stabile in air, not flesh etc) then breaking or fragmenting into multiple parts, normally two core sections and fragments which penetrate to a few more inches-maybe 12-18” in gelatin, these LE or hunting bullets “mushroom” and stay oriented forward, destroying tissues via expansion. They likely would fragment if striking bone.
If fired from a “sniper” rifle, I expect the velocities to remain high-higher than from a 14.5/16 or 20 inch platform- common LE sniper rifles wear bbls from 20 to 26 inches in length, with each inch adding more velocity as powder burn/pressure efficiency increases. From high velocity platforms, expect more violent expansion/disruption of the bullet regardless of the construction.
If the rest of the article is correct, and wounds were found to be mainly small caliber/high velocity as expected from rifles of 22 caliber, then I very much doubt that bikers were wearing a bunch of M4 carbines/FnP90s and were wearing concealed stilts to inflict downward wound trajectories that magically disappeared after the bodies hit the floor and the police “secured” the scene. Not in this reality anyway.
When you hear hoof beats, think horses, not Zebras, unless you are in Africa......
Good idea given the conspiracy theory nuttiness surrounding this event.
Yikes! Made a tech error myself- bore diameter of .218, groove/bullet diameter of .224
skulking emoticon inserted here.