Hopefully, it was an accidental weapons discharge.

Because otherwise, this is a grim escalation.

Recall the delighted willingness of "antifa" [sic] protesters in Portland to injure federal officers.

And also recall that the Beltway terrorist assassins plied their trade in the same region.

And remember this is 2020, not exactly the Year of Hope or Happy Outcomes.

A US Air Force helicopter was shot at near Manassas, Virginia, on Monday, injuring one of two pilots on board, according to an Air Force official.

The UH-1N was flying 10 miles northwest of Manassas on a routine training mission at an altitude of 1,000 feet when the incident occurred. It landed safely at Manassas Regional Airport west of Washington, DC, and the pilot was taken to hospital where they were treated and released, the official said.

 

The incident is now under FBI and Air Force investigation to determine if the helicopter was deliberately shot at or if someone was randomly shooting into the air. The aircraft will be closely inspected for other damage, the official added.

Hitting the pilot of a moving helicopter at 1000 feet is technically-impressive. But as John Allen Muhammad demonstrates, such skills are not absent from the American populace. 

Neither is the pure malice.

Fred Thompson said it best in The Hunt for Red October.