New information about the assassination attempt on former US President Trump is increasing the pressure on security forces. Local security forces are said to have classified the perpetrator in the crowd as a suspect just an hour before he fired at Trump.
Following the assassination attempt on former US President Donald Trump, security personnel are coming under increasing pressure. The reason for this is reports of new information about the course of events in Pennsylvania. According to this, local security forces apparently considered the assassin to be a suspect an hour before the attack. This is reported by the New York Times.
The Secret Service, which protects the former president, was also informed. But then the suspect's trail was lost. At least two security guards were called in to help with the search.
A video appeared on the social network X, which is said to show that visitors to the event became aware of the suspect early on.
Sniper discovered perpetrator
Around 20 minutes before the shots were fired, a sniper spotted the assassin on a roof, the New York Times report continues. Why the rally continued and Trump took the stage is one of many unanswered questions for the Secret Service. The newspaper reported, citing members of Congress who had previously been informed by law enforcement officials about the status of the investigation. The suspect had a backpack and a device for measuring distances with him, wrote John Barrasso, Senator from the state of Wyoming, on X.
The assassin was killed 26 seconds after his first shot, wrote ABC News. Before the attack, he had searched his cell phone for the date of Trump's appearance and for photos of Trump and US President Joe Biden. The shooter had visited the venue at least once beforehand, wrote CBS News. According to US media, there are also uncertainties about the security of the building from which the perpetrator fired the shots. Two days before the event, local security forces informed the Secret Service that they could not secure the building due to a lack of staff, CBS News further reported.
Further details about the attacker known
While the murdered assassin's motive remains a mystery, more and more details about the 20-year-old are emerging. An employee at the college in Allegheny County, which the assassin attended until May and where he earned a degree in engineering, described him as a quiet but friendly person. He seemed to have a bright future ahead of him, two people who also knew the assassin from college told the Reuters news agency.
A former lecturer, who wished to remain anonymous, described him as a conscientious student who was distinguished by his great commitment. He did extremely well on a task to redesign a toy for people with disabilities. “He made a chess set for the blind. He made it using a 3D printer,” she recalled. “He put Braille on it. He spoke to experts in the field. He really put a lot of effort into it.”
Member of the local shooting club
The assassin was a member of the local gun club. When he was killed, he was wearing a T-shirt advertising “Demolition Ranch,” a YouTube channel for gun enthusiasts. After the shooting, Matt Carriker, a Texas veterinarian who runs the channel, posted a video on X. There he said he was “shocked and confused” to learn that the assassin was wearing clothing advertising his channel. “We're keeping politics out of this,” he said, adding that he did not know the perpetrator and had never met or communicated with him.
What is known is that the attacker bought ammunition on the day of the rally. He stopped at a gun shop in his hometown of Bethel Park to pick up 50 rounds, according to a joint bulletin issued this week by the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, cited by Reuters.
According to the report, the perpetrator also built three bombs – two were found in his car and another in his house. In the previous months, the attacker “received several packages, including some that were marked as potentially dangerous material.”
