Secret Service under the scope: How could Thomas M. Crooks shoot straight from so close?

The controversy surrounding Saturday's attack against Donald Trump casts a shadow on the U.S. Secret Service. The federal agency, responsible for safeguarding high-profile and at-risk individuals, failed to prevent an individual from reaching Trump on at least one occasion. 

While authorities continue their investigations, numerous questions are arising about the events that unfolded this Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania. Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old, managed to fire at least five shots from a rooftop at Trump's political rally.   

At least one of the shots struck the former president in the ear, while another unspecified number of hits killed a man attending the event in the stands. 

Perimeter security

One of the questions is how Thomas M. Crooks managed to gain access to such a privileged firing point so close to Trump without being intercepted by security. The firing position from which Crooks used an AR-15 type rifle is located only about 130 yards from Donald Trump's position on the stage. 

According to analysts and considering the technical specifications of a civilian AR-15, this distance is well within the effective range of this weapon. According to security sources consulted by VOZ, the 390 feet that separated the shooter from his target should not pose a problem to a shooter with a minimum level of expertise, especially given the size of the target and that Trump was stationary.

Clear line of fire

Crooks had a clear line of fire from the roof to the stage when he fired his shot. Some civilians who were at the scene spotted the shooter moments before the attack, and despite their efforts to alert authorities, no one responded in time to prevent the incident. 

The Secret Service snipers

In other images, two snipers from the security services can be seen on a rooftop behind Trump, monitoring the surroundings. A few minutes before the attack, they could be seen looking in the direction from where Crooks later fired. However, they did not appear to notice anything suspicious at that time. Shortly after, a video clearly shows one of the shooters noticing Crooks and reacting to his gunfire.