women and children run inside and hide...some form of signal begins from surrounding residences announcing the approaching Americans...bomb goes off...

Patrol approaches village...women and children are still around smiling and waving...no signals are put out...patrol passes through unscathed...

There is no doubt in my mind that the Marines let their emotions take over because they knew that the locals had foreknowledge of the impending attack; there is still no excuse for shooting unarmed civilians.  They are more than likely just puppets of the insurgency; if they do not do what the insurgents say, their whole family will be killed. 

BammerFan's IED attack rules:

#1 Collect your dead and wounded, all sensitive gear and weapons, and get the #badword# out of dodge.  Being stationary is bad juju in a kill zone.

#2 Never, ever, under any circumstances should you dismount your vehicles in a kill zone to go kicking in doors to houses unless you have positive ID on the detonator; even then you should get out of the kill zone and engage with heavy weapons or CAS

#3 Unarmed civilians are not a target, regardless of the belief that they were complicit in the attack.  Children are never a target unless they have an RPG aimed at you.

#4 People die in war, kick yourself in the ass and move on; if you are in charge, kick your men in the ass and keep them pressing on.  Emotions have no place in a combat zone.  There will be time to mourn and be pissed off later.