alt Hacker News> 14th century
While this death may be the first confirmed from a trebuchet, is that really the first death by a trebuchet? Plus, I'd say catapults are almost identical to a trebuchet in workings, for the most part. I don't quite believe that this was really the first death by catapult.
Catapults store energy using elastic deformation, like a bow; counterweight trebuchets store energy using gravity.