Updated 9:40 PM
Three snipers were stationed inside building used in Trump assassination attempt
There were three snipers stationed inside the building the shooter used during Saturday's shooting of former President Donald Trump, a local law enforcement officer with direct knowledge of the incident tells CBS News.
The operations plan had them stationed inside the building looking out windows toward the Trump rally. The information about the three snipers being inside the building was first reported by
BeaverCountian.com.
One of the snipers inside saw Thomas Matthew Crooks outside and looking up at the roof, observing the building and disappearing, a local law enforcement officer tells CBS News.
Crooks came back, sat down and looked at his phone. At that point, one of the snipers took a picture of him. Crooks took out a rangefinder and the sniper radioed to
the command post. Crooks disappeared again and then came back a third time with a backpack. The snipers called in with information that he had a backpack and
said he was walking towards the back of the building. Officers believe that Crooks might have used an air conditioning unit to get on top of the roof.
By the time other officers came for backup, he had climbed on top of the building and was positioned above and behind the snipers inside the building, the officer said.
Two other officers who heard the sniper's call tried to get onto the roof. State police started rushing to the scene, but by that time, a Secret Service sniper had already killed Crooks, the officer said.
–CBS News' Anna Schecter