PA - Assassination attempt, shooting injures former POTUS Donald Trump, leaves 1 spectator deceased two in critical condition, 13 July 2024 #3

[CADwrest]

This doesn’t make sense yet it does make sense. It doesn’t make sense based on his clothing, but does make sense based on the engagement delay.

Maybe it’s a practice for police to dress up as civilians at these things, but that comes with its own risks.

Ex-FBI Agent's Analysis Of Secret Service's Actions Surrounding Trump Assassination Attempt

The highly-experienced retired FBI agent was baffled by the nearby unattended rooftops in clear line-of-sight of the former president.

www.twz.com

"Coordination is “tough” in these circumstances, said the former agent, who recalled that during Clinton’s visit to Seattle as the WTO protests unfolded in 1999, agents narrowly averted a friendly fire tragedy.

“Seattle PD and King County Sheriff deputies were in an observation post during WTO in a high-rise adjacent residential building,” the former agent said. “With their tags around their neck. Calling in protester movements to the Joint Operations Center (JOC).”

As they were calling out violent demonstrators’ movement, “USSS kicked in their door with weapons drawn on the two detectives at their assigned location. That was a failure of the counter-assault team and PPD to work with local USSS coordinating intel. The USSS snipers saw two guys with radios looking out a non-opening window and thought they were a threat to Clinton.”

Apparently friendly fire between local LE and SS isn't unheard of, and I can't think of a good reason for the sniper teams to be dressed as civilians. It would make sense for assets in the crowd to blend in, but not sniper teams or officers who are obviously there as security.

 

[Eli9]

Cops hit out at being 'thrown under the bus' by Secret Service

Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, local law enforcement have said that the Secret Service had thrown them under the bus in the aftermath of former president Trump being shot on Saturday.

www.dailymail.co.uk

On Tuesday he accused the Secret Service of being 'uninformed, lying, or covering their own backsides' adding it was 'completely disgusting to see finger pointing has become the priority'.

'I want to say as clearly as can be said, the Butler Township Police Department had no security detail for this event. There were seven officers all assigned to traffic detail,' Commissioner Edward Natali, 59, wrote on Facebook.

'Anyone who says so, reports on it, implies it, etc... is uninformed, lying, or covering their own backsides.'

He called an unnamed Secret Service agent pointing the finger at local police 'a very transparent deflection'.

'It is completely disgusting to see that finger-pointing has become the priority, when we had four people shot, with one of the four fatally wounded,' Natali wrote.

...
The current Butler law enforcement officer who spoke with DailyMail.com, dismissed Cheatle's words as 'excuses' and pointed to the security measures taken in 2020 when 15,000 people attended a rally for the former president at Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport – an operation overseen by the agency's previous director, the Trump-appointed James Murray.

The officer who was familiar with the event and those measures said, 'Back then they had so many snipers. They were all over the place. Everywhere you looked.

'It was the most secure place on the planet.

'And this time they only have four because of sloping roofs and they still try to pass the buck to the locals?'
...

 

[mickey2942]

Good grief. I am watching the news now, and they actually have video of the shooter, positioning himself on the roof!!!

 

[justtrish]

Can anyone please update me on anything to do with the bicycle? Last I heard, he had a vehicle in the parking lot. Didn't follow this thread much last night, now there's talk of a bicycle and backpack?

Two more newly released images also show a bicycle owned by Crooks that was recovered close to the scene, and a remote detonator, which was recovered from his dead body alongside his cellphone.

I'm curious what kind of vehicle he had exactly. So now we know he bought a 5 foot ladder and I assume he brought that along and then now a bike so does he have a truck or was he carrying a ladder on the roof of the car and a bike on a bike rack? Initially, I thought well this kid just blended in, but now I am thinking otherwise.

 

[justtrish]

Drone among items seized from gunman's vehicle, sources say

I wonder if this drone records and if so if it's stored somewhere or accessible even if deleted? Was he flying that drone over the area to see where security was located? Typically there are no fly zones and that would include drones.

 

[Fabled Automatic]

I'm curious what kind of vehicle he had exactly. So now we know he bought a 5 foot ladder and I assume he brought that along and then now a bike so does he have a truck or was he carrying a ladder on the roof of the car and a bike on a bike rack? Initially, I thought well this kid just blended in, but now I am thinking otherwise.

Well, I can't verify anything to do with the bicycle pictured in that source I linked. It's being widely reported he left a cryptic message online before the shooting, which has since been found to be fake (not him, I guess), and he in fact didn't blend in and was spotted and deemed suspicious upwards of an hour before the shooting.

Just taking it all with a grain of salt until concretely corroborated across multiple well known sources.

 

[justtrish]

Well, I can't verify anything to do with the bicycle pictured in that source I linked. It's being widely reported he left a cryptic message online before the shooting, which has since been found to be fake (not him, I guess), and he in fact didn't blend in and was spotted and deemed suspicious upwards of an hour before the shooting.

Just taking it all with a grain of salt until concretely corroborated across multiple well known sources.

I mean initially I thought he likely got as far as he did because he blended in. Typical rally attendee kind of thing, but now that we know he showed up and parked at a nearby gas station (I posted an article a couple days ago about that), with a 5 foot ladder and now a bike somewhere in the vehicle or on it. I'm going to guess most rally attendees don't show up with a ladder or a bike. lol We know some LE were watching him due to the range finder, but what about the ladder and the bike? If would be funny if someone didn't die and others get injured. It's like what else are we going to learn about this kid.

 

[Eli9]

LE across the country is watching this and the finger pointing. I don't know if they are federally mandated to work with USSS or not but I would imagine there will be significant changes moving forward in any coordinated events.

 

[Sundog]

Donald Trump heads to Michigan for first rally since assassination attempt

The rally on Saturday will be held in downtown Grand Rapids at Van Andel Arena and will be open to the public.

www.cbsnews.com

Hopefully the SS is able to provide better security at this event on Saturday and provide adequate protection for President Trump and his running mate, VP J.D. Vance, along with the other dignitaries and rally attendees who will be at the event this weekend.

 

[Betty P]

It's just so many failures or things that went wrong. They were watching him for a while before this. When did they loose sight of him? Did he go one direction and they simply thought he was leaving?
And then to put off info about an account and then retract it. What's really going on?
I'm no security expert but I noticed a water tower some distance away. Could a SS sighter / lookout have been posted here to be able to see potential movement on roofs? Right before the shooting, I noticed someone directing people (who looked to be ground level) around the left side of the podium. I sure hope Secret Service wasn't performing additional duties like ushering.

From what I've been reading in the WaPo story linked above, SS had been told by local LE that they would have a sniper stationed on top of that roof. Even if they could see him well enough, SS tried to determine if the shooter was the local LE sniper or an assassin. From a tower, identifying that person would have been just as difficult. So far, part of this was poor communications between SS and local LE.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/unprecedented-security-expected-at-grand-rapids-trump-rally/

...On Tuesday, News 8 spoke with former Secret Service Agent and Founder/President of Secure Environment Consultants in Grand Rapids Jason Russell about what he thinks security might look like at this rally.

“You’re going to see an unprecedented amount of security level here in Grand Rapids for his event,” Russell said. “You’ll see a significant presence because obviously it is going to be a big crowd. This is the first visit after he gets officially nominated so you’re going to see a massive group of people coming to see this and so the security will be unlike anything probably we have seen in Grand Rapids in a long time.”

Unlike in Pennsylvania, this rally will be held indoors. Russell said that makes it easier to secure.

“I think you are probably going to see quite a few more indoor events,” he said. “They are just easier to secure because they are more defined, obviously the perimeter’s a lot easier to define. So I would venture that probably in the next several weeks following the convention, including President (Joe) Biden, you’re going to see a lot more indoor events than outdoor.”...

 

[BenjaminJAndersonAlly]

DBM

 

[Betty P]

Their very good at not being able to comment about an active investigation.

Jmo

Yes, its the law. They can't comment on an incident that's still under investigation. Most people at WS realize that limitation for LE in a criminal investigation. No one wants to compromise it.

 

[Yappychappy]

SBMFF

Yep. I just saw this reported by ABC.

“July 13th will be my premiere. Watch as it unfolds.”

(Message said to have been posted to STEAM gaming platform.)

Trump rally gunman purportedly left message on gaming platform before shooting: Sources

The 20-year-old gunman searched for both Trump and President Joe Biden on his phone, sources said.

abcnews.go.com

debunked. Multiple times. On here.

 

[Tbone144]

It looks like the FBI would be 100% sure before they release information.
Credibility is becoming an issue with the secret service and the FBI.
Moo...

I completely agree. MOO

 

[Eli9]

Yes, its the law. They can't comment on an incident that's still under investigation. Most people at WS realize that limitation for LE in a criminal investigation. No one wants to compromise it.

It seems like there have been lots of comments already from The USSS Director all the way down the line to the local LE

 

[Simply Southern]

This doesn’t make sense yet it does make sense. It doesn’t make sense based on his clothing, but does make sense based on the engagement delay.

Maybe it’s a practice for police to dress up as civilians at these things, but that comes with its own risks.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1813978705259368652

https://twitter.com/x/status/1813978709113856319

That may be, but when SS looked over the outer perimeter, it should have occurred to them, the area was not being secured.

They could have sent agents to the area, or State Police who were on site and seen on camera removing those wounded.

The SS could have contacted the sheriff and said hey what's up, where's the security?

Just because the map has a star on it doesn't mean the plan was executed.

Someone, we don't know who, was the Command Chief/Operation Manager for the SS operation. That person is ultimately responsible, could have halted the show, could have secured the area, activating more state troopers even the national guard. Nope, they became narrow-minded and only responsible in their eyes for the inner perimeter.

Moo....

 

[Betty P]

Unlike in Pennsylvania, this rally will be held indoors. Russell said that makes it easier to secure.

“I think you are probably going to see quite a few more indoor events,” he said. “They are just easier to secure because they are more defined, obviously the perimeter’s a lot easier to define. So I would venture that probably in the next several weeks following the convention, including President (Joe) Biden, you’re going to see a lot more indoor events than outdoor.”...

Excellent idea. Our society has changed a great deal in the last decade, more violence, paranoia and a great proliferation of military grade weapons of mass murder easily obtainable by anyone in the US. By necessity, outdoor events will become a thing of the past, JMO

 

[Elley Mae]

Short vid at link

Trump Shooting Live Updates: Lawmakers Assail Decision to Let Campaign Rally Go Ahead

Speaker Mike Johnson urged President Biden to fire the Secret Service director as outrage grew over the agency’s call to let the former president take the stage even as the police searched for a person they considered suspicious.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Betty P]

It seems like there have been lots of comments already from The USSS Director all the way down the line to the local LE

Some people are going to criticize the SS and FBI, no matter what they do or say. As long as they don't try to harm or kill them, its their right.

Its just the nature of things today. I'm waiting until the investigation is complete, but I'm absorbing all the information as it comes out in the established news media.

ETA: It also helps to keep in mind that the assassin killed and injured the innocent bystanders and Trump.