[Pollard]

Unlike Hinckley, who fired from ground level about 20 feet from the president, Crooks was positioned on a rooftop 400 feet away. “The obvious question is going to be — it doesn’t take a security expert — to ask why that building wasn’t covered better than it was,” McCarthy said.

That is the question of the day. That and why did there just happen to be a ladder there to get on the roof?

[Max_850]

Where is it definitively stated that there was a ladder?

I have also heard he walked into the 2 story AGR bldg which has an access door leading to the 1 story adjoining bldg where he took the shot....

Not sure which is correct.

[Malsua]

That and why did there just happen to be a ladder there to get on the roof?

And how did this guy know how to get up there? Didn't he live about 60 miles away?

Think about that...you get short notice to be on a roof, in a town 60 miles away. How would he know where to go, how would he know where the ladder is. How would he know it isn't guarded?

Go to a commercial building near you, now get on the roof. Yeah, not possible. Somehow this doofus knew. Game it out, pick a town an hour away and go get on a roof. It won't happen. It's simply not possible without insider information.

[inchworm]

And the bigger question is we’re the counter snipers under a don’t shoot first order?

[moreisee]

I don’t know about Pennsylvania but here in Southern California many of the tilt up commercial buildings have permanent ladders affixed that are easy to lock with a regular padlock.