A source familiar with the FBI investigation on the man who tried to assassinate former President Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania described it as a “one-in-million shot.”
A single round fired by a Secret Service counter-sniper struck the militia insider, even though they were partially concealed from view and amid frantic shooting.
A local tactical team also fired at the would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20 years old but missed.
The Secret Service sniper who shot Crooks could see only the scope of his gun, and pass just above his eyes or forehead top; this was because she was looking through a slightly-obscured view between lips that line across the edge at roof height.
This report comes as we learn more about the security lapse that allowed Crooks to scale a building, stand in line of sight with Trump, and shoot during his speech.
Secret Service agents have been praised for how they protected Trump during the shooting, but questions have been raised about the agency’s director, Kimberly Cheatle.
Lawmakers have called for Cheatle to resign after her handling of the Trump rally shooting.
The hearing, “Oversight of the U.S. Secret Service and the Attempted Assassination of President Donald J. Trump,” is scheduled to begin on Capitol Hill at 10 a.m. Monday.
However, Cheatle has resisted calls to step down. Meanwhile House Speaker Mike Johnson told FOX Business on Thursday that he is prepared to call for her dismissal by President Biden.
“Continuity of operations is paramount during a critical incident, and U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has no intentions to step down. She deeply respects members of Congress and is fiercely committed to transparency in leading the Secret Service through the internal investigation and strengthening the agency through lessons learned in these important internal and external reviews,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement late Wednesday.
Cheatle was in Milwaukee this week for the Republican National Convention and faced questions from senators.
