This summary of the video was created by an AI. It might contain some inaccuracies.
00:00:00 – 00:22:48
The video details the tragic incident at the Dallas Pistol & Revolver Club in 1991, where fourteen-year-old Trey Cooley was accidentally killed by a stray bullet during a shooting competition. Trey, involved in various activities such as playing cello, baseball, and scouting, had accompanied his father, Butch Cooley, to the club on that fateful day. Despite immediate emergency efforts and medical intervention, Trey succumbed to the injury.
The investigation focused heavily on tracing the bullet's origin, employing ballistics, lasers, and forensic animation. Investigators discovered that the fatal bullet was a handmade .45 caliber, often used by competitive shooters, and identified it by a unique red wax used by shooter Dan Smith. Despite Smith's claims of hitting all targets, the bullet's trajectory suggested otherwise.
The Dallas Pistol & Revolver Club’s safety measures, such as berms and baffles designed to catch stray bullets, were scrutinized. Safety expert Ken Buster found multiple flaws in these safety systems, indicating structural vulnerabilities that allowed bullets to escape the range. Laser technology and three-dimensional modeling by accident reconstructionist Steve Irwin revealed the bullet's path through the air gun building's ceiling tiles and walls, showing a failure in the range's safety protocols.
Further analysis involving forensic animation by Kirk Parks showed that the gun, modified for competitive use, had a tendency to double fire, sending an unintended second shot off course. This doubled round, coupled with insufficient range safety measures, ultimately led to Trey's death. The Cooley family pursued a negligence lawsuit against the gun club and competition organizers, relying on the forensic evidence presented.
The incident underscores the importance of strict safety protocols at shooting ranges and the profound emotional impact such tragedies have on the affected families. Despite the forensic clarity brought to the incident, it remains a point of sorrow for Trey’s father, Butch Cooley, who reflects on how the accident might have been prevented with better safety measures.
00:00:00
In this part of the video, the narrative centers around a tragic incident at the Dallas Pistol & Revolver Club in 1991, where fourteen-year-old Trey Cooley was accidentally killed by a stray bullet while watching a shooting competition. Trey, described as an all-American boy, was involved in various activities such as playing the cello, baseball, and being a Boy Scout. On the morning of the incident, he decided to accompany his father, Butch, to the club where Butch was judging a competition. During the event, Trey stayed inside an air gun building to avoid the heat and helped run results from judges to the official scorer. While sitting peacefully, a stray bullet struck him, leading to his sudden death. The video discusses how ballistics, lasers, and forensic animation were used to solve the mystery of the stray bullet.
00:03:00
In this segment of the video, Butch Cooley, a former state trooper, discovers his son Trey has been shot and finds him without a pulse. Despite his emergency training, Butch is unprepared for the tragedy unfolding. Trey is rushed to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas but is ultimately declared dead six hours later. The video describes Butch’s emotional response, highlighting Trey as his oldest son and best friend. The incident, initially believed to be an accident, prompts investigators to determine the origin of the bullet that killed Trey, pondering whether it was accidental or intentional. They consider various possibilities, including the involvement of potential enemies from Butch’s career, nearby shooting ranges, or kids from a nearby railroad track. The bullet, about half an inch long and in remarkably good condition despite being lethal, offers crucial but limited insights into the investigation.
00:06:00
In this part of the video, the focus is on the investigation surrounding the bullet that killed Trey Cooley. The bullet in question was a handmade .45 caliber, often used by competitive shooters for cost savings. These bullets, loaded with extra gunpowder, travel faster and farther, causing more significant damage. Larry Fletcher, an investigator, faced challenges matching the bullet to a specific gun due to the high temperatures melting distinguishing marks. However, he identified the fatal shot’s gun by detecting a unique red wax used only by one shooter. The shooter, Dan Smith, claimed all his shots hit the target, but inconsistencies remained. Despite concerns from Butch Cooley, an experienced marksman, about shooting range safety, police concluded Trey Cooley’s death was an accident.
00:09:00
In this segment of the video, the report states that the fatal bullet came from a gun fired from an outdoor range during a competition. Despite assurances from the gun owner that he did not miss any shots and the range’s design to contain stray bullets, a fatal incident occurred. The range features a 12-foot high berm and multiple baffles to catch stray bullets. Safety expert Ken Buster highlights the importance of these safety measures.
Butch Cooley, whose son was killed, began a personal investigation, hiring attorney Mike Schmidt and accident reconstructionist Steve Irwin. Irwin used laser technology and three-dimensional modeling to trace the bullet’s path, uncovering its trajectory through various structures, including the air gun building’s wall and ceiling tiles, to determine the safety system’s failure point.
00:12:00
In this part of the video, the investigation reveals that a bullet trajectory from a ceiling tile through an aluminum siding hole led directly to a shooting range where Dan Smith was shooting. However, the bullet’s path did not align with the firing line, landing instead 10 yards in front. Ken Buster, brought in to investigate, criticized the shooting range’s safety features, noting insufficient berm heights, substandard baffles, and separated wooden planks that allowed bullets to pass through. Buster highlighted that plugged bullet holes in the back of the building suggested awareness of bullets escaping the range. A laser analysis indicated the fatal bullet was fired from a 15-yard line during a competition, revealing shooters moved in front of protective baffles, making the air gun building visible and thus a potential target.
00:15:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses an investigation into an unusual shooting incident at a firing range. They discovered that a projectile went under a baffle, over a berm, and into a building, indicating a severe miss by a trained marksman who was only 15 yards away. The investigation revealed the gun had been modified for competitive shooting, making it prone to “doubling” where it fires two rounds quickly due to sensitive trigger modifications. A forensic animation, created by Kirk Parks with video footage of similar .45 caliber guns, illustrated the gun’s recoil pattern and suggested the gun may have doubled due to uncontrollable recoil. This animation helped explain the trajectory of the bullet and the events of September 29, 1991, at the Dallas Pistol & Revolver Club, highlighting a significant safety issue at the range.
00:18:00
In this part of the video, an incident at a gun range is detailed where a modified gun inadvertently fires a second shot during the recoil phase, causing the bullet to miss the target and travel unpredictably. The path of the bullet is described in detail, including its trajectory through walls and a ceiling tile before ultimately striking Trey Cooley in the head. Following the incident, the Cooley family filed a negligence lawsuit against the gun club and those involved in the competition. The judge in the civil case praised the professionalism and effectiveness of the visual and computerized evidence presented. The forensic animations significantly contributed to understanding the incident, both in court and for Trey Cooley’s father. Despite this understanding, Trey’s father expresses that the tragedy could have been averted if changes had been made at the range.
00:21:00
In this part of the video, it discusses the potential reasons behind a gun malfunctioning, such as double firing or slam firing, and how bullets’ behavior can be unpredictably affected by various conditions. Different factors such as the type of bullet, the shooter’s position, and the materials the bullet interacts with (like softer vs. harder surfaces) are examined for their impact on the bullet’s trajectory. Specifically, it’s highlighted that a fatal bullet’s unexpected change in direction after hitting a soft ceiling tile is a source of haunting thoughts for Butch Cooley, bringing into focus the emotional pain and inexplicable nature of such accidents.