Trump was not shot with a BB gun in assassination attempt that killed one person

What is the claim?

After former U.S. President Donald Trump was grazed by a bullet in an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, some users on social media claim that the incident was staged and there was no real firearm involved. 

"I'm telling y'all… that either was a BB gun or an Airsoft gun. How come that man is bleeding from his ear and he didn't die or someone behind didn't get struck by the alleged bullet?!!! THIS SHIT WAS STAGED," reads one X post that has been viewed 2.7 million times. 

However, the FBI has identified the weapon used in the assassination attempt as an "AR-style rifle." Several people were hit by the stray bullets. One was killed, and two others were critically injured.

In fact

After the perpetrator was shot dead, law enforcement recovered an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle at the scene. 

The FBI told reporters Sunday that the perpetrator had used an "AR-style 556 rifle," meaning the rifle fired 5.56mm rounds.

In a statement, the bureau said, "The firearm used in the shooting was purchased legally."

Firearms historian T. Logan Metesh told Logically Facts that the sound of a BB gun would have likely been inaudible at the distance from where the filming took place. "A BB gun propels a BB that weighs approximately 5 grains by way of compressed air at approximately 350 feet per second and has an effective range of, at best, 25 yards in the hands of a capable shooter," he said. 

Conversely, an AR is loaded with a self-contained metallic cartridge that fires a bullet that weighs approximately 55 grains, propelled by way of smokeless gunpowder at speeds of approximately 2,500 feet per second and has an effective range of more than 500 yards in the hands of a capable shooter, Metesh said: "The sound made by an AR-style rifle is the supersonic crack from the bullet breaking the sound barrier, which is what people hear in the video."

The X post is also wrong that nobody behind Trump at the rally was hit by a bullet. One of the people in attendance was killed, while two others were critically injured. 

The two people who were injured were reported to be in stable condition, according to a Pennsylvania State Police press release published Sunday. 

The deceased was identified as Corey Comperatore, 50, a volunteer fire chief, who was reportedly hit as he dove onto family members to protect them. 

The verdict

The FBI has identified the firearm used by the perpetrator of the attempted assassination as an "AR-style 556 rifle," not a BB gun. One person was killed in the incident, while two others were injured. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.