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| Butler PA: Obstructed View May Have Delayed Sniper Response |
| 2024-07-17 |
| [MSN -WashingtonPost] Within seconds of 20-year-old Pennsylvania resident Thomas Matthew Crooks opening fire at former president Donald Trump’s rally in Butler on Saturday evening, he was fatally shot by the Secret Service. But how did a specialized team of countersnipers fail to prevent its worst security lapse in decades? A Washington Post analysis, based on more than 40 videos and photos, as well as satellite imagery and terrain analysis used to build a 3D model examining the rally site and shooter’s position, found that the two Secret Service countersniper teams may have initially been hindered in their ability to see the shooter as he crawled up the roof due to its slanted sides. Trees near the rally probably played a part in obscuring the shooter from at least one team assigned to detect and neutralize would-be snipers. The Secret Service is responsible for the overall coordination of security measures during an event. The agency’s director said it tasked local law enforcement with securing the building from which Crooks opened fire and that officers failed to prevent him from accessing the roof. The Secret Service declined to comment when asked whether the slant of the roof or the trees would have impacted the teams’ ability to respond. The Post’s assessments were reviewed and corroborated by three former law enforcement officials, including two retired snipers and a former Secret Service agent, as well as a former Marine sniper. |
| Posted by:Gromble+Dribble4342 |
| #6 The Butler Township cops are pushing back on the idea that they were the ones that screwed the pooch My personal theory at the moment is incompetence, combined with indifference to doing the job, seasoned with some actual malice. Whether the shooter was led along similar to the Gretchen Whitmer fednapping plot remains open. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2024-07-17 22:45 |
| #5 Also, it was a pick-up team with an inexperienced coordinator. Lots of dropped balls that day. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2024-07-17 21:42 |
| #4 ^ No one available to operate them. Jill and Kamala were in Pittsburg using up Secret Service resources. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2024-07-17 17:54 |
| #3 My understanding was that 2 drones are part of the basic loadout. There were plenty of drones in action after the fact based on the photo angles |
| Posted by: Gloluns Turkeyneck4904 2024-07-17 17:36 |
| #2 Can't understand why the Secret Service didn't use surveillance drones. They are not expensive and easy to use and you can attached AI modules to ID 'possible' danger. Maybe there is a law that prevents this but I have looked a bit and can't find any. |
| Posted by: Lord Garth 2024-07-17 12:26 |
| #1 And the "Maybe's" and excuses start. How long before one of the LSD groups announce they have purchased the building and are turning it into a shrine for the shooter. |
| Posted by: NN2N1 2024-07-17 09:17 |