Why was it even permitted for even a ladder to be there? The shooter must have brought his own ladder, climbed and and crawled across the roof in full sight of everybody.
It also seems to me that this means there was pre-planning and he definitely knew where to go, probably because he had rehearsed it or at least been there to check it out.
As for the cop who backed down the ladder, it’s possible that he thought that the shooter himself was some part of security. This seems to have been a total clown show where nobody knew what anybody else was doing or even what they should be doing themselves.
> As for the cop who backed down the ladder, it’s possible that he thought that the shooter himself was some part of security. <
I haven’t seen that mentioned before. But now that I think about it, it’s quite possible. You’ve got the Secret Service there, plus the PA State Police and local police from many jurisdictions.
The Secret Service site commander was probably a political hire. That’s just how today’s government rolls. So, yeah. As you noted, it could have been a total clown show where nobody knew where anybody else was.
It was a fixed ladder for roof access. This roof access point should have been identified and secured by SS prior to the rally, not to mention continuous observation of any area with line of sight to the podium. Typically it's just a few bolts holding these ladders in place. The fact that a rooftop 130 yards from the podium was "outside the security perimeter" is outrageous. Heads must roll.
Pre-engineer manufactured buildings often have built- in maintenance ladders.
RIIIIGHTTTT.....