In connection with the attempted assassination of former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, the investigation into the security operation by U.S. authorities is still ongoing. A local official stated that on the day of the incident, the sniper’s position was such that he couldn’t see Thomas Matthew Crooks, the shooter who targeted Trump. This contradicted the testimony given by the Secret Service (USSS).
Patrick Young, head of the emergency services team in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, told CNN in an interview on Wednesday, July 31st, that the sniper from the Secret Service was stationed in a building near Trump’s rally, located “on the far right side of the AGR (American Glass Research) building. They couldn’t see Crooks within their line of sight without sticking their heads out of the window and looking back.”
He further added, “The videos and exhibits submitted to Congress were completely different from what they actually saw.”
However, Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe Jr. testified on Tuesday, July 30th, at a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committees, stating that the sniper could have seen Crooks if he looked in a certain direction.
Rowe told senators, “I don’t understand why there wasn’t better coverage, or at least someone looking at the roof, since they were deployed there.”
He showcased photos of his team’s deployment at the rally site in Pennsylvania on the day of the incident, July 13th. He claimed that the snipers deployed could have seen the gunman if they looked to the left.
According to information released by the Secret Service, the snipers were situated in a room on the second floor, overlooking the rooftops of several surrounding buildings, including the roof of the AGR building, from where Crooks fired eight shots.
It is believed that before the incident, at least one sniper had left his post to search for Crooks. Crooks was reportedly wandering near the venue at that time and was later identified as a suspicious individual after using a range finder.
Young also informed CNN that the snipers were instructed to remain concealed, therefore they couldn’t stick their heads out of the room’s windows. Photos shown by Rowe during the hearing depicted the windows as closed during the rally, but they were open after the shooting occurred.
Beaver County District Attorney Nate Bible confirmed to FOX News in an interview that the windows behind which the snipers were stationed had screens installed, making them undetectable by observers.
He mentioned, “Our people were in a concealed sniper’s position. They were several feet away from the windows. So, to see what was happening on the roof, they would have to patrol outside, which would mean leaving their positions.”
Local officials in Beaver County also disclosed that the Secret Service had not contacted them before Rowe’s testimony to Congress. Republican U.S. Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky stated that he learned about this situation when he visited the site of the shooting, finding the revelations shocking.
The Secret Service did not respond to requests for comments from the English-language Epoch Times.
After the shooting incident, Trump, who sustained a bullet graze to his ear, made a series of public appearances, including a campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday, July 31st.
Two other individuals were injured in the shooting incident: James Copenhaver and David Dutch were discharged from Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh at the end of July. Former firefighter Corey Comperatore was fatally shot in the head during the event.
The Secret Service reported that a counter-sniper positioned on a building closer to the stage at the rally fatally shot Crooks after he fired multiple shots.
Rowe admitted that he cannot defend the security lapse in this incident, and the agency is making changes following the attempted assassination.
The original article titled “Snipers Positioned in Way That They Couldn’t See Trump Shooter: Officials” was published in the English-language Epoch Times.