King Charles and Queen Camilla were bundled out of a public engagement earlier this week after cops spotted a man on a nearby rooftop, sparking fears a copycat assassin was emulating the attempt to shoot Donald Trump.
The royals were visiting St Helier, the capital of the wealthy island of Jersey, which is a British territory, on Monday, when concerned aides rushed them out of a public walkabout to a nearby hotel.
The Daily Beast was told at the time the urgent departure was owing to a “small” security scare.
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Now, however, The Sun has revealed that security staff were left with shredded nerves after spotting someone on a roof overlooking the royals, reminiscent of Trump’s would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, who had fired shots at the 45th president two days earlier.
Sources informed The Sun that the man was spotted on a rooftop overlooking Liberation Square, where the king and queen were greeting well-wishers. Buckingham Palace did not respond to a request for comment from The Sun, and typically do not comment on security issues.
Matt Taylor, founder of Jersey Sea Salt, was speaking to the king when the security alert was triggered.
He said: “He stopped at the stall and said, ‘Ooh sea salt,’ and I said, ‘Come and have a chat, Sir.’ Then his security appeared and grabbed me and said, ‘He has to go, now.’”
Crooks, 20, shot at former President Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Trump was struck in the ear and bloodied, while former fire chief Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed by a stray shot.
Crooks was killed seconds later by Secret Service snipers, raising questions about why he wasn’t stopped sooner, despite witnesses spotting him minutes beforehand.
Crooks’ motive remains unidentified, though he had searched online for Trump, President Joe Biden, and members of the British royal family, including Kate, Princess of Wales, before the incident.
Addressing supporters at the Republican National Convention (RNC) yesterday, Trump remarked that he “shouldn’t be here,” as many attendees wore patches over their ears in solidarity.
