Former FBI Agent Says 'It's Astounding' There Was 'Lack Of Urgency' During Trump Assassination Attempt
Former FBI agent Bobby Chacon said on Monday that “the lack of urgency” during the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump was shocking.
A counter sniper, who was with local law enforcement, texted other local law enforcement about the shooter less than an hour before he shot Trump and two rally attendees at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, The New York Times reported on Sunday. Chacon on “The Faulkner Focus” said the text indicates the counter sniper was not taking the potential threat seriously.
WATCH:
Former FBI Agent Says ‘It’s Astounding’ There Was ‘Lack Of Urgency’ During Trump Assassination Attempt pic.twitter.com/IsOapSJAx8
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“Kid learning around building we are in,” one text at 5:38 PM read, including pictures of Thomas Matthew Crooks, who would shoot Trump shortly after. “AGR I believe it is. I did see him with a range finder looking towards stage. FYI. If you wanna notify SS snipers to look out. I lost sight of him.”
“Those of us who have worked these special events … it’s astounding. If you read those text messages, the lack of urgency is incredible. ‘If you want to notify Secret Service snipers,’ like it’s a casual thing? You’ve got a guy with a rangefinder, you’ve got a presidential candidate about to take the stage. There should have been much more urgency and … a plan in place to deal with contingencies like these. I put plans together for events like the Olympics and the Oscars and things like that. You have contingencies and everything is spelled out, exactly what should happen if any of those contingencies take place. If you’ve got a guy inside your perimeter with a range finder, you have to take immediate action to address that potential threat. And the lack of urgency here on all involved is absolutely incredible.”
Moreover, the lead sharpshooter of the SWAT Team working with the Secret Service during the botched assassination said on Sunday that the unit had “no communication” with the agency until the shooting occurred.
“We were supposed to get a face-to-face briefing with the Secret Service snipers whenever they arrived, and that never happened. So I think that that was probably a pivotal point where I started thinking things were wrong because that never happened, and we had no communication with the Secret Service,” the lead SWAT sharpshooter said.
Chacon said “it’s inexcusable” and “unheard of” that there was no in-person briefing ahead of the rally.
“I’ve done these events. You brief, you plan and then you brief again. And you meet constantly throughout the day and you have a command post where all the communication goes in, so that they can coordinate, and then action can be taken almost immediately,” he said. “The fact that this was done so nonchalantly, it’s absolutely astounding to those of us who have worked special events.”
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