In the aftermath of Saturday’s attempted assassination of presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, videos and eyewitnesses led many people to question how the shooter was able to get past security.
A Whole Bunch Of Questions.
Why was the shooter on the roof for "three to four minutes" before assassination attempt? pic.twitter.com/TU9ZRche10— Darrin McBreen (@MediaRival) July 14, 2024
Footage of snipers guarding Trump during the incident had popular conservative comedians the Hodge Twins asking, “Why didn’t they shoot him first?”
Watch Secret Service snipers engage the shooter
Question is, why didn’t they shoot him first?????
pic.twitter.com/vpukPROYmx— Hodgetwins (@hodgetwins) July 14, 2024
An eyewitness shockingly told BBC News he saw the shooter carrying a long rifle and climbing onto the top of a building about four hundred yards away from Trump’s stage.
“We noticed the guy bear-crawling up the roof of the building beside us. We’re pointing at the guy crawling up the roof. He had a rifle. The police are down there running around on the ground and we’re like, ‘Hey, there’s a guy on the roof with a rifle.’”
The witness said he tried to get the attention of nearby police officers and started wondering, “Why is Trump still speaking? Why haven’t they pulled him off stage.”
According to the man, the shooter was on the roof for “three to four minutes” before firing five shots.
The guy asked why there wasn’t Secret Service protection “on all of the roofs” near the speaking stage.
BREAKING: Eyewitness tells BBC that he informed police, Secret Service about a suspicious man on a roof with a rifle.
He was ignored. pic.twitter.com/Cvfb7znZtZ
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) July 13, 2024
Someone shouted, “He’s got a gun!” in another video just before shots rang out.
#BREAKING: NEW footage shows the crowd spotting the shooter BEFORE secret service take action.
“HE’S GOT A GUN!” multiple people yell.
Wow… pic.twitter.com/3vgxPZD6fV
— Censored Men (@CensoredMen) July 14, 2024
A video obtained by TMZ shows the shooter lying on the roof just before opening fire as people shouted, “He’s got a gun on the roof!”
Video shows the deceased shooter’s body lying on the roof mentioned by the eyewitness.
NEW: Video purportedly shows deceased shooter on roof near Trump rally pic.twitter.com/P0TtiQ0eaI
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 13, 2024
X owner Elon Musk agreed with a post that asked, “How the hell was such an obvious line of sight not secured?”
Exactly https://t.co/9dxmQbHFQb
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 14, 2024
A graphic shared by military veteran Matt Bracken shows the angle and distance between Trump and the shooter.
But not tonight. WHY? pic.twitter.com/PH1V1yxjVs
— Matt Bracken (@Matt_Bracken48) July 14, 2024
“How was a sniper with a full rifle kit allowed to bear crawl onto the closest roof to a presidential nominee?” asked Human Events Senior Editor Jack Posobiec.
How was a sniper with a full rifle kit allowed to bear crawl onto the closest roof to a presidential nominee
— Jack Poso
Journalist James O’Keefe wrote that he spoke with a Secret Service insider who confirmed teams are supposed to “cover ALL vantage points — rooftops most obvious.”
DEVELOPING…Shooter found dead on rooftop with vantage point to stage.
Secret Service tasks counter assault teams to cover ALL vantage points — rooftops most obvious.
Counter assault teams are outsourced professionals. Unlikely they make these mistakes, even “B” team tasked to…
— James O’Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) July 13, 2024
Podcast host Patrick Bet-David questioned whether there’s “a potential leak in Secret Service.”
To those saying the election is over and Trump will win by a landslide, you’re being naive.
Here are my concerns:
1. He must first stay ALIVE in order to win
2. There’s a potential leak in Secret Service and protection of the president.
Too many blind spots. There needs to…
— Patrick Bet-David (@patrickbetdavid) July 14, 2024
Musk called on people to be fired over the shooting.
Extreme incompetence or it was deliberate. Either way, the SS leadership must resign. https://t.co/0vYGrj6yuH
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 14, 2024
Former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino claimed the director of U.S. Secret Service has “repeatedly turned down requests for a larger security footprint around President Trump.”
I want to repeat, and can absolutely confirm, the USSS Director Kim Cheatle has repeatedly turned down requests for a larger security footprint around President Trump. Despite knowing the threat level is catastrophic.
Resign tonight. https://t.co/v3UQyTt1dK— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) July 14, 2024
Others criticized the security failure as well:
This is one of the biggest security failures I have ever seen.
– Shooter on an unsecured rooftop just 400ft away from Trump with a clear line of sight.
– Bystander sees shooter crawling on roof with rifle minutes before and tries to warn law enforcement.— Oliver Alexander (@OAlexanderDK) July 13, 2024
How could this happen?
The shooter was able to get to an unsecured rooftop.
People alerted police to a suspicious man with a rifle on the roof.
Trump reacted faster to the shooting than his security.
— PeterSweden (@PeterSweden7) July 14, 2024
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