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Report nowAround 100 meters away from Donald Trump, assassin Thomas C. was able to open fire on the US presidential candidate. There are still many unanswered questions - but there are some initial clues as to what happened.
Shots are fired, people scream. A Donald Trump election rally in the US state of Pennsylvania becomes the target of an assassination attempt on Sunday night Swiss time. Perpetrator Thomas C. fires several shots at the ex-president and is then shot dead by a special agent. Trump remains largely unharmed.
According to the American media, C. positioned himself on a roof around 100 meters from the campaign stage shortly before the start of the event. Although eyewitnesses alerted the police to the man minutes before the attack, the security forces did not react.
The focus is now on the question of how the shooter got so close to the site, how he was able to climb onto the roof unnoticed, and whether the security forces failed.
Trump's campaign appearances often take place outdoors. On Saturday, he spoke at the Farm Show Grounds, an open field near the city's airport, according to a reporter from Der Spiegel.
This graphic shows the positions of the various parties in the assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Boulder, PY, on July 13, 2024.
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In Butler, the perpetrator apparently managed to reach an elevated shooting position on a building opposite the grandstand Trump was talking about. According to media reports, the roof may have been slightly sloped. It is therefore conceivable that the sniper guarding Trump was initially unable to see the assassin. "We're still in the process of doing the detailed analysis," a member of the FBI told CNN.
Trump is protected around the clock by the Secret Service. His security team is larger than that of other previous presidents, as he is running for president again. There are metal detectors at the entrances to his events and TV crews' equipment is checked.
A sniper killed Donald Trump's assassin.
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It is still completely unclear why the roof of the building on which the assassin was lying was not checked or secured. According to reports, the roof was about 120 to 150 meters away from Trump's stage.
On Saturday evening, James Comer, Chairman of the Congressional Committee on Oversight and Accountability, launched an investigation into the attack on Trump. The director of the Secret Service, Kimberley Cheatly, must give an account on July 22.
