Blinder Fleck": "Everything was askew at the Trump assassination attempt
Experts attest that the authorities failed on multiple levels after the attack on Donald Trump. A local policeman reportedly let the assassin brandish his AR-15 rifle in fear. The sharpshooters of the Secret Service, according to an analysis, had no clear line of sight.
After the attack on Donald Trump, criticism of the security agencies does not abate. It is unclear how the 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to place himself on the roof about 135 meters away, bring his semi-automatic rifle into position, and fire several shots at the former US president. Witnesses had alerted Trump's bodyguards to the assassin, but he was not taken into their sights until after the shots were fired.
According to Butler County Police Chief Michael Slupe's statements to the "Washington Post," a local police officer followed up on the witnesses' tips and climbed onto the roof. There, the assassin threatened the officer with his AR-15 rifle. The officer then left the roof, saying he did not want to be killed. Crooks then opened fire on Trump and was shot by the Secret Service.
Two Secret Service units, each with two sharpshooters, were supposed to provide protection at the event. They were positioned on rooftops to the left and right of the stage. According to an analysis by Sky News, it was likely due to a "blind spot." A tree reportedly obstructed the view of the closer unit, and the field of view of the second sharpshooter team may have been at least hindered. This would explain why the Secret Service agents did not intervene sooner.
"Trump might have been even luckier than we initially thought," writes data analyst Oliver Alexander on X. "Given the positions of the two sharpshooter teams and the shooter, it seems that only the southern team was not fully obstructed by a tree. Had the shooter been three meters further east, they would have been obstructed as well." However, it is inexplicable to Alexander that the Secret Service did not notice Crooks. "The roof of the Secret Service is higher than the shooter's roof. They should have been able to see something."
As CNN reports, in addition to the Secret Service sharpshooters, there were also two local sniper teams present. One of the teams was responsible for overseeing the building that the shooter had taken cover in, according to an anonymous source.
Was there a hidden wall obstructing the weapon?
Former FBI agent and sharpshooter Steve Moore told CNN that the agents could have been informed of the shooter's location but had a "very limited view." "You can't just say, 'Oh, there's someone on the roof' and shoot them," Moore said. "What they do is to look, wait, until they see a weapon. The problem is that there could be a low wall in that area of the roof that hid him."
"Even the fact that the protectee was outside the secured perimeter causes confusion among experts. As this map shows, the buildings that are clearly within shooting range are indicated, as former deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe told CNN. It is one of the foundations of site security to shut down all lines of sight to the protectee, especially at outdoor venues.
In planning security for such events, the Secret Service routinely relies on local authorities, as a spokesperson for the "New York Times" noted. Agents of the Secret Service reportedly conducted a walkthrough of the area before the event, according to the report. NBS News reported that the Secret Service had identified the roof as a security risk several days before the event. An anonymous source was quoted as saying, "Someone had to be on the roof or secure the building so no one could get on the roof." Why this wasn't done is a central question in the investigations.
"Unbelievable security failure"
"What kind of zone is that?", asked Richard Painter, a former White House employee and law professor at the University of Minnesota, in an interview with the AFP news agency. If a roof is within the range of a rifle for a President or presidential candidate, "then it's the Secret Service that should be there," Painter said. He sees this as "an unbelievable security failure."
However, even after a bullet had pierced Trump's earlobe, the Secret Service behaved irresponsibly, according to political scientist Thomas Jaeger. The image of Trump, bloodied and surrounded by agents, went around the world. At the same time, it was "disturbing in several ways." "The Secret Service behaves recklessly and completely unprofessionally in this situation. It's really incomprehensible that the President can stick his head out and that he can do that when it's still unclear whether there's a second or third shooter, whether the shooter was killed," Jaeger told ntv.de.
The debate about possible security gaps in the Secret Service could once again be complicated, but it is not new. Already in late May, Congressman James Comer warned of "potential risks for national security" that could arise from weaknesses within the agency. The Republican launched an investigation into the attack. However, the Secret Service does not have much time to breathe. At the Republican Party convention in Milwaukee, Trump is to be officially named the Republican candidate for the US presidential election in November. There, they will ensure "highest level security," the agency announced.
In light of the criticism, Donald Trump's 2024 United States Presidency Election campaign team may face questions about the adequacy of their security measures, given the incidents during the previous event. The inability of the Secret Service sharpshooters to intervene earlier due to a potential blind spot and the reported lack of action by local authorities could raise concerns about the readiness of the security forces to protect the former president.
Meanwhile, experts have highlighted the confusion that arose due to Trump's presence outside the secured perimeter. Former deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe pointed out that this was a fundamental breach of site security at outdoor venues, especially when it comes to protecting high-profile figures like the President.
Moreover, the fact that a low wall on the roof could have potentially hidden the assassin from view further complicates the situation. Former FBI agent and sharpshooter Steve Moore emphasized that the Secret Service agents would have to wait to confirm the presence of a weapon before taking action, thereby increasing the risk.
These incidents underscore the importance of meticulous planning and execution of security measures for high-profile events and individuals, particularly during political campaigns like the United States Presidency Election 2024.
