The Secret Service did not sweep the building Donald Trump's shooter used to open fire from, latest reports claim.
According to new reports from CBS, the Secret Surface failed to sweep the building where 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks used the rooftop to fire at the former president. Despite the building having a direct line of sight to the stage where Trump's campaign rally was held the building was allegedly "outside of the security perimeter."
The building where the gunman attempted to assassinate the 78-year-old politician was the AGR International Inc. factory in Butler, Pennsylvania and was located 130 yards (118 meters) away from the venue where the rally was held. It was also revealed that there was a counter-sniper team stationed inside of the building at the time of the attack.
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The rooftop where Crooks attempted to assassinate the former president reportedly being used by local police as a "watch post" during the campaign event. Law enforcement sources informed the New York Post that the building was filled with snipers scanning for potential threats to the 78-year-old businessman, but were unaware that anyone had scaled the building and climbed onto the rooftop.
Despite there being a law enforcement presence inside of the building and multiple accounts of officers encountering the gunman, all failed to intervene before eight shots were fired into the rally. During the attack, Trump's ear was grazed by a bullet which resulted in blood spilling down his face in front of the crowd as Secret Service rushed to shield him.
In the process of attempting to strike the politician, Crooks shot and killed 50-year-old Corey Comperatore who was in the crowd with his wife and children and left two other victims hospitalized and in critical condition. Immediately after the shooting Secret Service snipers took aim and killed Crooks on the rooftop.
R.T. Smith, Former Deputy Director of the US Secret Service, spoke out on the issue and gave a potential reason behind why there was a lack of communication ahead of the incident. In an interview with CBS, he said: "I think entities - state and local they are largely maybe operating on a different radio channel than the Secret Service."
The shooting is currently being investigated as an attempted assassination and an act of domestic terrorism, according to the FBI. Law enforcement officials are still working to uncover more information about young would-be assassin and what motivated him to carry out the heinous act.
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