Steph Deschamps / July 18, 2024
The snipers, who were supposed to protect the former US president, were stationed on the second floor, reported CNN. So there were no snipers on the roof of the building, some 135 meters from where the Republican was delivering his speech.
Donald Trump, wounded in the ear, escaped an assassination attempt on Saturday at a rally in an election campaign that is now in turmoil. One of his supporters was shot dead and two others were wounded. The gunman was quickly shot dead.
The Secret Service, responsible for Trump's security, was widely criticized after the incident. For example, US media revealed that police had spotted the gunman 30 minutes before the attack, and that bystanders had also tipped off police just before the shots were fired.
In response to criticism, the service stated that it was only responsible for security at the campaign meeting venue itself. But this reading also drew widespread criticism, with ex-agents claiming that the Secret Service was indeed responsible for the entire environment.
The White House and Senate have opened investigations into the attack on Trump and security.