What were the main security concerns at Trump’s Pennsylvania rally after surveys?

New information continues to emerge regarding the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania. The incident resulted in the death of a supporter of the former president, with two other rallygoers in critical.

The FBI has identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old man from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. According to Secret Service reports, the shooter was positioned outside the Trump rally site on the roof of a building where local police had been patrolling. Authorities have also revealed that Crooks had requested Saturday off, the day the political rally was held, citing something important that he needed to attend.

Rallygoers saw Crooks climb onto the roof

In the weeks leading up to the rally, the Secret Service had evaluated the area and labeled the building from which Crooks fired his weapon as a “point of interest.” However, on the day of the rally, it appears that no additional resources were provided to bolster the security of the building, leading to the dramatic events.

One of the security team’s main failings was that many rallygoers saw Crooks walking around and climbing up the building, where he would eventually launch his attack. The fact that law enforcement was unable to respond to warnings from those present highlights a major security failing that the Secret Service will need to address as the investigation continues.

Crooks visited the rally site before

A briefing on what happened was held this Wednesday in the Senate of the United States Congress in which it was revealed that Crooks visited the rally site days before the event to explore the area, they said NBC News two sources familiar with today’s session.

On the other hand, informants told the outlet that Crooks was photographed as a suspicious person 62 minutes before opening fire, and snipers detected him 20 minutes before the shooting.

The FBI interviewed more than 200 people, reviewed more than 14,000 images, and reviewed Crooks’ cell phone, but the motive for the attack has not yet been found, but the agency clarified that there is no known connection. with foreign entities at this time. In one of the videos examined by law enforcement, Crooks is seen walking behind the rally area, scouting the place he will assume his position an hour before shots ring out.

Closer to the time of the shooting, when police began to respond to warnings from the crowd, one local police officer attempted to help another hoist themselves onto the roof of the building where the shooter was reported. When he peeked his head over, Crooks pointed a gun at him, leading the officer to drop back down to the ground. That is when Crooks began to fire his weapon towards the stage.