A US Secret Service source revealed to Truth Voices that the building where a would-be assassin fired shots from, approximately 130 yards away from former President Donald Trump’s stage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, was assigned to local authorities to secure. According to protocol, local police typically handle areas outside the perimeter of an event, as they have more knowledge of the area.
Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger, however, claimed he was unaware of any county units assigned to the building, suggesting it may have been another agency that took on the task. When questioned about the incident, Goldinger declined to engage in a “finger-pointing match” with the Secret Service.
A local officer did visit the rooftop, where the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was located, but did not intervene due to being out of reach of his own weapon and being threatened by Crooks’ gun. Prior to opening fire, Crooks had been flagged during the security screening process but managed to evade officers in the crowd, ultimately reappearing on the roof before taking aim.
A Secret Service sniper eventually neutralized the threat, killing Crooks shortly after he fired his weapon. The incident left three people injured, including Trump and attendees David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, as well as one fatality, Corey Comperatore, 50, who died shielding his family from the gunfire.
