Update: This article’s original headline reported that the counter snipers were “pulled” from their posts. But it’s not yet clear whether they were ordered from their posts or whether they left on their own accord.
(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Christopher L. Paris testified before the House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday about the July 13 assassination attempt against presidential frontrunner Donald Trump.
Unlike the now-former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle—who resigned Tuesday after refusing to answer a bevy of basic questions the day before—Paris’s testimony revealed new info about what happened leading up to the shooting at the Butler, Pa., Trump rally.
One of the more shocking revelations from Paris’s testimony was his claim that Butler County Emergency Services Unit counter snipers were stationed with a view from the rooftop where alleged shooter Thomas Crooks fired at Trump.
Those counter snipers were pulled from their positions to search for Crooks after identifying him as a suspicious person around 5:14 p.m., according to Paris. The shooting occurred at 6:11 p.m. It’s not clear exactly when the snipers left their post.
“I was told they began searching with local officers after Crooks had been identified as suspicious by them,” Paris said.
Paris’s response left Rep. Dan Bishop, R-NC, flabbergasted.
🚨🚨🚨 – SWAT team officers were stationed in the room directly overlooking the rooftop that the shooter fired from, but they LEFT that room.
They were the ones who first identified the shooter as suspicious.
More questions than answers. pic.twitter.com/fP5JzzVy4E
— Rep. Dan Bishop (@RepDanBishop) July 23, 2024
“I think that’s revelatory. I hadn’t heard that information … Had ESU maintained position in the window overlooking the roof, isn’t it true that they’d have a clean shot at Mr. Crooks as he was ascending the roof to his shooting position?” Bishop asked.
Paris said he couldn’t say for sure whether the snipers would have seen Crooks from their vantage point, but he did confirm they were no longer in that building at the time Crooks ascended the roof.
It’s not clear what, if any, agency ordered the local counter snipers away from their posts. Bishop didn’t ask that question, nor did Paris volunteer the information. Paris was still testifying as of the publication of this article.
After Bishop’s questioning, Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., asked whether the Secret Service knew that local police had identified Crooks as suspicious, or whether they knew local police were searching for him when they sent Trump to the stage.
Paris said he “believes” that info was indeed relayed to the Secret Service, though he didn’t know if it was relayed to the agents attached to Trump.
“If it wasn’t [relayed to Trump’s security detail], that was another big mess up,” Gimenez remarked.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
