There was a lot of controversy over whether he was putting his hands up or reaching for something. His hands were going up & then he grabbed at his chest, probably something you would do if you were shot in the back. They wanted to kill him & they did.
“They wanted to kill him”
So you know their thoughts too?
It looked to me like Vinicum was showing his hands but still moving out of the deep snow...not the easiest thing to do, especially on uneven terrain. I don’t think he saw the shooter creeping up behind him.