There are plenty of tell-tale signs that someone is carrying a gun, and the US Secret Service knows many of them.
As the guardians of the president, Secret Service agents are constantly scanning in the crowd. Since guns and knives can easily be concealed inside of a pocket, it's especially important to look for indicators that reveal someone may be armed.
Here's how they do it, according to a training guide obtained by the website Public Intelligence.
The first thing agents want to do is figure out whether someone is right or left-handed.
By determining the "strong side," agents can then look closer to see if the person is carrying a weapon on that side of their body. The guide says the presence of rings or watches, or how a person lights a cigarette are all indicators of what their dominant side is.
People who carry weapons will often periodically touch them as a "security feel" to make sure they are still there, either consciously or subconsciously.
And if all else fails and an agent cannot determine what side is dominant, it's a good bet the person is right-handed. The guide states that 88% of people in the US are righties.
Watch out for abnormal body movements
When someone is carrying a gun — especially when it's not in a holster — they will likely make sure it doesn't move around too much. To the trained eye, this is a pretty easy thing to spot.
Tell-tale signs may be things like keeping an arm stiff on the gun side, or placing an elbow on the gun to keep it secure. "While walking or running, you will notice a short or stiff arm swing and short leg stride," the manual states.
Indicators of a gun are especially pronounced when sitting down, leaning, or getting in or out of vehicles, which may lead to "security feels" to make sure the gun doesn't slip. People may also pull their pants up or pull clothing down to make sure it remains concealed.
Be suspicious of clothing choices that stand out in the crowd
Strange fashion choices might mean someone is not in style — or they're packing.
The guide warns of loose or baggy clothing, which could mean someone is hiding a weapon. And clothing should match and fit the season, so if a person is wearing a heavy jacket in the summer, that may be a bad sign.
"Firearms have weight," the guide says, so agents should also be looking for uneven dips in clothing or bags, since gravity would pull the weight of a gun down.
