I was relatively close to the steps and had hi-power binoculars. I noticed the folks on the roof Lincoln Memorial and I saw no sharpshooters. I saw several cameramen (dressed in black with stationary TV cameras on tripods) on each corner, and a few roving white shirted security folk (badges gleaming in the sun) - maybe Capitol Police, maybe Park Service, but they were busy high-fiving and taking pictures of each other with their cell phones (and who could blame them?).
I expected sharpshooters and scanned for them - but, the folks up there on the Memorial roof were not snipers imho. If there were long guns up there, they were well hidden and if they were stashed, they couldn’t have been brought to bear in time to stop a gunman. Firing into the crowd at a gunman would be too risky anyhow. I believe a gunman in the crowd would have been torn to pieces.
I’m sure there was mega security there, including Secret Service, but there were no check-points at the entrances, no metal detectors - and I saw no searches. Security was tighter backstage, but even Christiane Amanpour crashed Sarah’s tent without challenge.
It seemed everyone in the crowd had a backpack and coolers and most had lawn chairs in carrier bags that could have concealed weapons and some had huge flags. I was worried early on and scanned everything, but soon relaxed and let God handle it. As Light Brigade said, he had 500,000+ bodyguards.
I’m so glad to hear that, thank you for your information. It concerned us to think that in the United States any of us could be in danger and sharpshooters would be needed.
My husband feared that someone would set off a bomb or randomly shoot at the crowd but we are home safe without any problems.
I didn't consider the idiocy of the MSM when I sez to meself, "Surely no one who didn't have to wear a uniform would be stupid enough to wear all black on a hot day like that..." '-)