About the bullet... I'm not aware of any credible reporting about what kind of loads he used. The media are collectively ignorant about firearms. I think (that means I'm not sure but I'll go with what I heard, I think it may have been from Hannity) he used an SKS rifle.
The SKS predates the AK-47, but is chambered in the same caliber, 7.62x39, which was notoriously used against American servicemen in Vietnam and was the mainstay of the communist and third world for decades. It's still around, obviously...
Anyway most of the ammunition that one commonly finds for this cartridge is "ball" ammo, with metal jacketed bullets that are probably similar to what one would have found in a Soviet armory. Hollow point or soft nose bullets are probably commercially available but not with the ubiquity as the military-type metal jacketed bullets.
Fortunately this guy in addition to not being particularly competent with his weapon chose, if I heard correctly, the less lethal loading for it if he chose metal-jacketed, or "ball" ammo.
I would speculate that the bullet fragmentation, if the Dr. mentioned it, might have been the copper jacket separating from the bullet rather than a bullet disintegrating as some hollow point bullets might do.
Not to minimize the situation, mind you. Thanks to G-d almighty for answered prayers and credit to the talented team of physicians working on him. That's the only way he's still alive.
It's also helpful that the dead @$$#01e didn't have just a plain ol' Winchester .30-30 from the early 20th century with soft nose hunting bullets in the magazine, and some talent and practice in its use. Otherwise, as others have observed, the cops probably would have been casualties too and the situation would be much different.
I have a Norinco SKS in that caliber, you have to be a spastic to miss a target from 200 yards in.
Thank God this idiot couldn’t shoot straight.
Agreed.
I dont know if this yokel had an experience firing this type of weapon, but many FReepers are quite good with a weapon and someone of their quality could have done much worse damage.
But as it turns out, someone of their quality usually is a law abiding SANE citizen.
I’ts nuts like this that go over the deep edge.
But HUNDREDS of fragments? That’s what the doctor said. Or at least a hundred, I think
That sounds like a lot!