Tree may have blocked sniper team's view of Trump rally gunman, maps show

A tree may have prevented one of the sniper teams tasked with protecting former President Donald Trump at his Pennsylvania campaign rally from clearly seeing the would-be assassin as he climbed on a roof and opened fire, according to a CBS News analysis of video and satellite imagery.

The tree, located between the shooter and the sniper team closest to him, may have impaired the team's line of sight as the gunman climbed onto the roof from where he fired multiple rounds. That sniper team, which was positioned on a roof over Trump's right shoulder, did not fire the shot that killed the gunman, two federal law enforcement officials told CBS News.

A U.S. Secret Service sniper stationed in a building behind the former president fired one round, killing the gunman, according to multiple law enforcement officials. Two federal law enforcement officers told CBS News the Secret Service team that ultimately killed the shooter was located on a building behind Trump's left shoulder — with a view that was not blocked by the tree, the CBS analysis shows. That team was initially directed to go another way, so the snipers had to reorient themselves before taking down the gunman, CBS News' Charlie de Mar reported.