The gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump on Saturday hid the firearm before the deadly shooting spree, a source with the Secret Service told Fox News on Thursday.
“It was not immediately clear where he hid it, however. By the time agents spotted him on the roof, he was already holding it,” the network reported. “‘We went from golf range finder to AR-15, and now we have to fill in the gap,’ the source told Fox News.”
The shooter was able to fire off multiple rounds, killing one and injuring two others in the crowd. The bullet struck Trump’s ear, after a split-second tilt of his head saved his brain from a direct hit.
The head of the Secret Service has remained defiant amid calls for her resignation after the agency’s many security failures culminated in the near-death of the Republican presidential nominee.
“I do plan to stay on,” Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle pledged in an ABC interview Monday.
Cheatle placed the blame on local law enforcement, who she said were responsible for the security of the building from which the gunman fired. Three counter-snipers were stationed inside the building while the shooter was able to aim clearly at the former president’s head from the roof.
Cheatle said no counter-snipers were assigned to the roof because it was “sloped,” though photos and videos of the nearly flat rooftop show officers walking around on it easily after the shooting. The decision not to station anyone on the
