Butler County Sheriff Michael T. Slupe told CNN’s Pamela Brown on Sunday that a police officer saw the gunman on the roof during former President Donald Trump’s gathering in Pennsylvania on Saturday but couldn’t get him to move.
Slupe said that police in Butler Township got calls about a suspicious person outside the rally’s borders and went to find that person. He said the first calls did not say the strange person had a gun.
Officers from the township police found the gunman on the roof while they were looking for the suspicious person. One cop helped another get up to the ledge. When the shooter turned around to face the officer, he saw him looking over and raised his gun. To “take cover” and keep his life, the cop let go of the ledge. The shooter then began shooting from the roof. Trump was taken off stage with blood on his face after saying he was shot in the ear.
Slupe said it was “obviously” a failure of security that a gunman had a clear view of Trump when asked if safety in general had been poor.
Slupe said, “This is being looked into, and we’ll understand something by the end of the day.”
He also said that the agencies were not given any information or warning signs before the Trump campaign announced the Butler event on July 3.
Slupe said that there was a big meeting a week before the gathering where the US Secret Service, state police, township police, bomb squads, and other law enforcement groups talked about their roles and duties.
“That meeting had everyone who could play a part,” Slupe told CNN.
There were other talks to plan for security, but Slupe knew of only one where all law enforcement agencies were present.
Slupe, who was inside the perimeter near the firing line during the gathering, said that when he first heard the popping sounds, he didn’t think there was real gunfire. When he turned around to find out where the noise was coming from, he saw that someone at the gathering had been shot.
He said that if he had heard about gun threats, he would have “done everything to stop him (Trump) from coming out.”
