Some Secret Service snipers put in place to protect former President Donald Trump during Saturday’s rally were positioned so that a tree may have screened Thomas Crooks from them as he rained bullets on Trump’s rally, according to a new report.
CBS said that based on lines of sight at the Butler, Pennsylvania, venue where the rally was held, a tree near the building where Crooks positioned himself may have screened him from one of two sniper teams who were positioned to respond to threats such as the one Crooks represented.
The sniper team to Trump’s right did not fire the shot that killed Crooks, CBS reported, citing two federal law enforcement officials it did not name.
The second sniper team was behind Trump. A sniper located there fired one shot that killed Crooks.
CBS reported that the team that took down Crooks had initially been directed to focus on another area of the venue, which meant the snipers had to reorient themselves before taking the shot.
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A local tactical team sniper photographed Crooks looking through a rangefinder, CBS reported, noting that cellphone video showed rallygoers tried to alert authorities that Crooks was on a rooftop with a rifle about two minutes before shots were fired.
I just got off a briefing with the Secret Service and FBI. I am appalled to learn that the Secret Service knew about a threat prior to President Trump walking on stage.
I have no confidence in the leadership of Director Cheatle and believe it is in the best interest of our…
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) July 17, 2024
On Wednesday, Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming confirmed that Crooks had caught the attention of law enforcement more than an hour before he wounded Trump, killed one attendee and wounded two other people, according to Fox News
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“He was identified as a character of suspicion because [he had] a rangefinder as well as a backpack. And this was over an hour before the shooting actually occurred,” Barrasso said.
“So, you would think over the course of that hour, you shouldn’t lose sight of the individual. Somebody ought to be following up on those sorts of things. No evidence of that happening at all,” he said.
Barrasso said the Secret Service was aware of the threat that Crooks potentially represented before Trump took the stage.
Barrasso said a Secret Service agent he described as in charge of security for the rally was on the phone with local authorities when Trump was shot.
Someone has died. The President was almost killed. The head of the Secret Service needs to go. pic.twitter.com/Bed6NnuS00
— Sen. John Barrasso (@SenJohnBarrasso) July 17, 2024
Barrasso said Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle must resign.
“The American people shouldn’t feel comfortable with this,” Barrasso said, according to Fox News. “This is a total failure [on behalf of] the Secret Service. We need replacement at the top.”
