A detailed examination of security footage released by the FBI late Thursday suggests the suspect in the White House Correspondents' Association dinner attack opened fire before a Secret Service officer discharged his weapon in response.
The Times reviewed the video and determined that the sequence of events shows the assailant initiating the gunfire, with the protective detail returning shots afterward. The footage was made public by federal investigators as the case continues to develop.
The analysis marks a significant finding in understanding the timeline of the incident. Establishing who fired first carries legal and tactical implications for how the confrontation is evaluated and how the Secret Service response is assessed.
Details surrounding the broader circumstances of the attack, including the suspect's motive and the exact location where the exchange occurred, remain part of the ongoing investigation.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "This video analysis resets the narrative on what happened that night, and it matters for how we understand both the threat and the response."
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