Over the last three days, information about the interaction between the Trump shooter and authorities has been mind-blowing.
The first interaction was at 3:00 p.m. local time, more than three hours before he pulled the trigger.
Talking Points…
- Parents concerned
- Timeline of interactions
- Analysis
According to the most recent reports, the parents of the shooter had called authorities worried about their son. They had every right to be concerned at this point due to a social media post that the shooter had made. He had posted:
“July 13 will be my premiere, watch as it unfolds.”
This was the first red flag that was missed by the authorities. As soon as the call came in from the parents, considering Trump was visiting, authorities should have started to vet the shooter. They would have discovered the social media post, which should have resulted in an APB being put out on him. None of that appears to have happened.
The shooter (no, I will not post his name and give him any fame) stopped by a local Home Depot to buy a ladder. Then he went to a Bethel Park ammo shop to purchase a single box of ammunition for his weapon, and then it started to get really interesting.
The shooter entered the rally at 3:00 p.m., more than three hours before the rally was set to begin. He set off metal detectors because he was carrying a rangefinder, yet he was still permitted to pass through. Again, had an APB been put on him, they could have grabbed him right here. Instead, authorities stated they continued to watch him until he left the direct perimeter of the event.
At 5:06 p.m., a full hour before Trump appeared, video was taken of the shooter examining the building that was just outside the perimeter secured by the Secret Service. At 5:45 p.m., a local officer sees the shooter surveying the roof of the building with a direct sightline to the podium where Trump would be speaking.
At 5:55 p.m., still more than 10 minutes from Trump taking the stage, the Secret Service is warned of a suspicious person and identifies the shooter as a “threat.” One of two things should have happened here that did not. First, Trump should have 100% been prevented from taking the stage until the threat could be investigated. Two, the “threat” should have been apprehended and taken into custody. The shooter was not apprehended, and Trump took the stage with a "threat" warning in the area.
At 6:05 p.m., Trump takes the stage, and the shooter remains on the grounds just outside the perimeter of the Secret Service. At 6:09 p.m., the shooter is spotted climbing the roof of the building and crawling into position by several witnesses. At 6:10 p.m., people start screaming that he has a gun.
A local police officer gets hoisted to the roof and sees the shooter, who points his weapon at the officer. The officer pushes back and falls to the ground. Why the officer did not have his gun drawn and ready to fire has not yet been answered. At 6:11 p.m., the shooter fires multiple shots, striking one innocent, killing him, injuring two others, and striking Trump in the ear. After the shooter gets off his shots, a Secret Service sniper shoots and kills him.
At around 11:00 p.m., the shooter’s parents report their son as missing, along with his rifle. When the home was searched, police found over a dozen guns in the home, as well as confiscated electronics that belonged to the shooter. At 1:20 a.m. on July 14, the FBI officially identified the shooter.
The security breakdowns here are baffling, especially when you consider their sheer volume and the protectee. There is simply no way those shots ever should have been able to be made. Furthermore, as I stated in a previous report, had the shooter been apprehended at any one of the multiple opportunities police had, we finally would have had the opportunity to get inside the head of a psycho ready to carry out a mass shooting as well as knowing the motive behind the shooting. Instead, a former president was shot, and at least one innocent civilian has been killed. Yet, with all these breakdowns, the local chief of police and director of the Secret Service continues to be employed when both should be charged in the same manner as the chief was in the Uvalde shooting.
