Local Counter-Sniper Team Was Inside Building Trump Shooter Opened Fire From: Report

Original article here

Shocking new details have emerged about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday.

The New York Post reported that law enforcement sources say a local police counter-sniper team was stationed inside the AGR International Inc. factory; the very building from which the gunman, Thomas Crooks, launched his attack.

X users swiftly weighed in with theories and concerns as this news broke, with Laura Loomer blasting the whole ordeal as “unacceptable.”

“So basically law enforcement let the shooter get on the roof, knew about him being there before Trump got on stage, and then they let him open fire on President Trump and his supporters,” she wrote before suggesting the local snipers “need to be charged.”

“This is UNACCEPTABLE,” she continued, adding that she believes “this was an inside job” because “[local snipers] basically let it all happen.”

The Post reported that the factory, located just 130 yards from where Trump was speaking, was being used as a “watch post” for police snipers to scan for potential threats.

In a startling revelation, local news outlet WPXI reported that Crooks was spotted on the building’s roof a full 26 minutes before opening fire.

Even more alarming, an officer from the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit reportedly took a photo of the gunman prior to the shooting.

The shooting unfolded rapidly, with Crooks firing eight shots from an AR-style rifle.

Crooks grazed Trump’s ear and caused casualties among the crowd.

Questions now loom over whether local officers were able to warn Secret Service agents about the impending danger, per the Post.

The complex web of security responsibilities has also come under scrutiny.

A Butler Township Police officer attempted to investigate the roof by climbing on a colleague’s shoulders moments before the shooting.

The officer, however, retreated when Crooks pointed his rifle at him.

The Post noted that the Secret Service was in charge of the immediate area around Trump, meanwhile local agencies were tasked with securing the perimeter.

Anthony Gugliemi, a Secret Service representative, emphasized that local agencies were responsible for the area where the shooter opened fire.

Law enforcement sources revealed that the building had been swept by police before the event and was being used as a staging area. However, the local sniper team did not position themselves on the roof.

This could possibly be because they wanted to avoid interfering with Secret Service snipers, the Post suggested.

Neighbors adjacent to the event grounds reported that they were never contacted by law enforcement to establish security measures in the days leading up to the rally.

Photos showed gates to the facility where the shooter gained entry secured only with zip ties.

The Pennsylvania State Police, who typically assist with political visits, stated that the Secret Service always takes the lead in securing such events.

Footage from the rally, however, appeared to show Secret Service counter-snipers training their rifles on Crooks before he fired, though it remains unclear if they had identified him as a threat.