I’ve been going back and forth with the NYT about their article where they claimed that the local snipers chose their own positions. I sent Sgt. Lenz another email about it, and unexpectedly (he’d not responded to several previous emails), he replied.
He said what was meant by the local snipers choosing their positions was not that the individual snipers had chosen their spots, but that locals had chosen where they would be rather than the USSS.
More information from exchange:
- Butler ESU did a walkthrough of AGR on July 9th knowing that USSS intended to supply two of its own sniper teams.
- Butler ESU went back to Butler Farm Show on the 10th and decided to put local sniper teams at the press box (Butler), the grandstand (Washington), and the second floor of AGR (Butler and Beaver).
- The assisting teams (Beaver and Washington) were assigned to locations by Butler, but apparently were given a chance to voice concerns, but didn’t.
- Butler snipers met with the USSS sniper leader on the 11th and discussed where the local teams would be deployed.