US - Shots fired at Donald Trump rally in Pennsylvania as former president is seen with blood across his face, 13 July 2024

[Gemmie]

So authorities spotted him while he was still on the ground (where was his gun???) and were concerned enough to keep on eye on him.

Then what happened? How did he slip out of sight? And, I repeat, where was the gun during all this?

And how did he know how to scale the building and get to the roof? Did he practice and if so, when?

jmo

Could he have left it on the roof days prior so as not to be seen with it the day of the event? That would be the smart thing to do, and not walk into a rally holding an assault rifle if you want to get at least one shot off.

 

[SMK777]

Could he have left it on the roof days prior so as not to be seen with it the day of the event? That would be the smart thing to do, and not walk into a rally holding an assault rifle if you want to get at least one shot off.

True, but wouldn’t rooftops be checked and under surveillance before a big presidential election rally? Really seems lax to me….

 

[indicolite22]

NEW: Thomas Crooks was rejected from the Bethel Park high school rifle team, per CBS News
A former member of the team who graduated with Crooks said he tried out freshman year. “He never returned to tryouts for the remainder of high school.”
Classmate said Crooks was a bad shot.
“He was not a member of the rifle team, he did not make even the junior varsity team after trying out freshman year. He never returned to tryouts for the remainder of high school.”

https://www.facebook.com/MeghanSchillerKDKA/posts/pfbid02FzGNoYevVWtDYcJswJTnMMeurFVxZ2wySkRrz1cxYptFrf5HeE3baFXaqbKTTGuCl

 

[MassGuy]

Could he have left it on the roof days prior so as not to be seen with it the day of the event? That would be the smart thing to do, and not walk into a rally holding an assault rifle if you want to get at least one shot off.

Witnesses said yesterday that they watched him cross an open field carrying a rifle.

 

[fred&edna]

Secret Service was still the lead on protection, though. The shooter should have never had access to the roof in the first place. And determining that perimeter and ensuring proper protocols are in place, even if relying heavily on local LE, were still the responsibility of the Secret Service.

Imo.

ITA.

I feel it's still on the SS to oversee total security and making sure everyone understands their job responsibilities and everyone works together.

jmo

 

[ReadySet]

Melanie’s full statement:

I am thinking of you, now, my fellow Americans.

We have always been a unique union. America, the fabric of our gentle nation is tattered, but our courage and common sense must ascend and bring us back together as one.

When I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron's life, were on the brink of a devastating change. I am grateful to the brave secret service agents and law enforcement officials who risked their own lives to protect my husband.

To the families of the innocent victims who are now suffering from this heinous act, I humbly offer my sincerest sympathy. Your need to summon your inner strength for such a terrible reason saddens me.

A monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine attempted to ring out Donald's passion - this laughter, ingenuity, love of music, and inspiration. The core facets of my husband's life - his human side - were buried below the political machine. Donald, the generous and caring man who I have been with through the best of times and the worst of times.

Le us not forget that differing opinions, policy, and political games are inferior to love. Our personal, structural, and life commitment - until death - is at serious risk. Political concepts are simple when compared to us, human beings.

We are all humans, and fundamentally, instinctively, we want to help one another. American politics are only one vehicle that can uplift our communities. Love, compassion, kindness and empathy re necessities.

And let us remember that when the time comes to loo beyond the left and the right, beyond the red and the blue, we all come from families with passion to fight for a better life together, while we are here, in this earthly realm.

“Dawn is here again. Let us reunite. Now.

This morning, ascend above the hate, the vitriol, and the simple-minded ideas that ignite violence. We all want a world where respect is paramount, family is first, and love transcends. We can realize this world again. Each of us must demand to get it back. We must insist that respect fills the cornerstone of our relationships, again.

I am thinking of you, my fellow Americans.

The winds of change have arrived. For those of you who cry in support, I thank you. I commend those of you who have reached out beyond the political divide - thank you for remembering that every single politician is a man or a woman with a loving family.”

I find this very interesting. The word choices and phrases are interesting.

 

[Cool Cats]

True, but wouldn’t rooftops be checked and under surveillance before a big presidential election rally? Really seems lax to me….

Yes. A 10 year old could do it.

 

[clorenc]

If the LE sniper had eyes on him and was waiting... what was he waiting on? Confirmation to shoot?

Based on the pics we’ve seen, the roof appears to have some kind of ledge or gutter that could have partially obstructed the snipers’ view, depending on their angle. They may have spotted him — especially if there was commotion from the officer trying to climb up — but the rifle might have been obscured.



Even with eyes on him, I don’t think they can just shoot any potentially unarmed person — he could’ve been an attendee trying to get a better view, or a photographer. Or can you imagine if they shot some kid who had gotten away from his parents and was just goofing around climbing on roofs??

Seems that they got him just moments after he lifted his weapon to shoot.

Tough job.

I’m no expert, but I imagine the blame will fall on the lack of planning, preparation, searching, and securing — not on the snipers.

 

[indicolite22]

I find this very interesting. The word choices and phrases are interesting.

I'm sure she has a team that put it together.

 

[su5ie]

That's actually very nice!

Wow if that was Melaina speaking her own words from her heart she has amazing insight and is a very intelligent person I think we do sometimes forget that our politicians have mums ,dad's, siblings, possibly children and are human like the rest of us I wonder will trump get a wake up call after this with how much he interacts with his supporters

 

[clorenc]

I find this very interesting. The word choices and phrases are interesting.

As an editor, I can say that while the messages are nice, the whole thing is pretty awkwardly written. Sounds like it was written by AI, or that it was translated to English.

I’d think she’d have better writers, but maybe she doesn’t care so much about her statements sounding perfect.

 

[BenjaminJAndersonAlly]

It was cool to see all those women secret service agents, jmo.

Director of SS is also a woman:

https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/trump-rally-incident/card/who-is-secret-service-director-kimberly-cheatle--j6ehEE3sxOK6JOvM5ItC

 

[justtrish]

Wow. Wild.

So two things here. A failure by the officer to engage, while it also explains why this guy potentially missed; he was rushed.

Not long before shots rang out, rallygoers noticed a man climbing to the roof of a nearby building and warned local police, according to two law enforcement officials.

One local police officer climbed to the roof and encountered Crooks, who pointed his rifle at the officer. The officer retreated down the ladder, and Crooks quickly took a shot toward Trump, and that’s when Secret Service snipers shot him, said the officials, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

Trump heads to convention as authorities investigate motive, security in assassination attempt

The FBI identified the shooter, who was fatally shot by Secret Service agents, as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.

apnews.com

While I think that officer was brave and I don't blame any specific officer for not preventing this, I do think it's a massive failure by the SS. No way anyone evil or friend should have been able to climb on that roof or any roof anywhere close to this event. Imagine if this was the sitting president. I'm willing to wager a good guess that this would not happen because the SS guarding the President would never allow anyone to be on a roof anywhere close enough to get a shot at the President.

 

[Cindizzi]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1812554961227571399

 

[MassGuy]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1812571548730937411

 

[sds71]

The Pennsylvania State Police have released the names of the three attendees shot during the attempted assassination of former President Trump. The deceased victim was identified as Corey Comperatore, 50, of Sarver, PA. The second victim has been identified as 57-year-old David Dutch, of New Kensington, PA, who is currently listed in stable condition. The third victim was identified as 74-year-old James Copenhaver, of Moon Township, PA. He is also listed in stable condition.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1812565524305322045

 

[CrimeDawg123]

I find this very interesting. The word choices and phrases are interesting.

Keep in mind it is doubtful any of these eloquent musings we are hearing now have actually been written by them.

 

[MassGuy]

I was in the FBI, here's who I suspect is to blame for Trump shooting

What the hell happened - and how was it possible? These questions will be at the heart of the FBI investigation in the lead-up up to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

www.dailymail.co.uk

During 25 years with the FBI, I have seen how countless similar rallies were organised and I consider it highly likely that the Secret Service was responsible for security within an enclosed perimeter, while the local police took charge of the wider zone outside.

Responsibility for every post, every zone, every rooftop needs to be clearly assigned and this division of roles should have been clear to everyone.

This is standard practice for the Secret Service. It's carried out at hundreds of events during the run-up to an election but it's also potentially new territory for each local police department.

But why did that sniper ignore Crooks till then? One plausible explanation is that the Secret Service (which is entirely separate from the FBI) assumed the assassin was a police sniper, part of their security team.

That implies serious failures in communication. When it comes to planning for events such as this, I would expect police and Secret Service teams to not only meet and introduce themselves but map out their specific roles in detail. They ought to have been able to recognise each other by sight.

They should also have double-checked at every stage throughout the rally, ensuring they knew who everybody was and what they were doing. That's just basic.

In the coming days and weeks, the agency will reconstruct every detail of the event in Butler, Pennsylvania, using witness statements, CCTV and media video, as well as amateur footage shot on phones by members of the public.

 

[RANCH]

As an editor, I can say that while the messages are nice, the whole thing is pretty awkwardly written. Sounds like it was written by AI, or that it was translated to English.

I’d think she’d have better writers, but maybe she doesn’t care so much about her statements sounding perfect.

I wont judge her message too harshly. English isn't her native language.

Melania Trump was born on April 26, 1970 in Slovenia.

Melania Trump – The White House

trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov

 

[acutename]

Witnesses said yesterday that they watched him cross an open field carrying a rifle.

there are a lot of game lands and ranges in western PA so possibly this guy did not look really out of place until it was almost too late