A Beaver County police counter-sniper inside the building used by the gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump observed the assailant with a range finder scouting the rooftop and alerted a command center about him.
The counter-sniper, stationed as part of the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit, saw the man return with a backpack before climbing the building.
Due to a lack of manpower and poor planning, the counter-snipers were positioned inside the building without spotters, a standard practice.
The Secret Service director cited safety concerns for not placing snipers on the sloped roof.
“That building, in particular, has a sloped roof at its highest point. And, so, you know, there’s a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn’t want to put somebody up on a sloped roof…And, so, you know, the decision was made to secure the building from inside,” director Kimberly Cheatle said.
The incident has sparked demands for accountability and investigations into the security breach, with calls for potential resignations.
