Obstructed view may have delayed sniper response at Trump rally

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the security lapse during a former U.S. President Donald Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a 20-year-old gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was able to access the roof of a nearby building and open fire before being fatally shot by the Secret Service. The article analyzes the factors that may have hindered the Secret Service's countersniper teams in detecting and neutralizing the shooter.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Overview of the Trump rally area

1. What factors may have hindered the Secret Service countersniper teams in detecting and neutralizing the shooter?

• The slanted sides of the roof where the shooter was located may have initially obscured him from the view of the countersniper teams.
• Trees near the rally site likely played a role in obstructing the shooter from at least one of the countersniper teams.
• The countersniper teams were positioned on roofs that were slightly lower than the roof where the shooter was located, making it difficult for them to see him as he crawled up the other side.

2. How did the positioning and vantage points of the countersniper teams impact their ability to respond?

• The northernmost countersniper team, positioned slightly over 400 feet away and atop a barn, may have struggled to see the shooter due to the trees between them.
• The second countersniper team, located around 550 feet from the shooter, may have had a less obstructed view as they were positioned slightly to the west.
• Both countersniper teams were positioned between 5 and 8 feet lower than the roof where the shooter was located, making it difficult for them to see him as he crawled up the other side.

3. What was the timeline of events leading up to the shooting?

• About two minutes before the gunshots were fired, the northernmost countersniper team had already moved to their rifle positions, suggesting they were aware of a potential threat.
• One of the countersnipers on the northernmost team flinched and had to reset their position as the first shots were fired.
• The southernmost countersniper team also appeared to reorient themselves northward before the shooting, indicating they were aware of a threat.

[02] How the shooter accessed the roof

1. How did the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, access the roof of the building he allegedly fired from?

• Aerial footage showed a ladder leaning against a structure connected to the building Crooks fired from, as well as air conditioning units, suggesting he may have used these to reach the roof.
• The building's roof was just over 13 feet high at its lowest point.

2. What did onlookers outside the rally's perimeter observe regarding the shooter's presence on the roof?

• Multiple videos verified by The Washington Post show that attendees outside the rally's perimeter attempted to alert law enforcement to a person on the roof who they thought might be armed, at least 86 seconds before the first shots were fired.
• One video shows people calling out to officers that there was a man on the roof, and the camera zooms in to show him lying on his stomach.

3. What were the concerns raised about the effectiveness of nearby local law enforcement patrols?

• Experts stated that there should have been police officers in the vicinity who could have either denied the shooter access to the roof or instantly responded to the calls from attendees.
• The failure to prevent the shooter from accessing the roof and respond to the warnings from attendees was seen as a "hole in the security" by a retired SWAT sniper.