According to two former officials of the U.S. Secret Service, the gunman who attempted to assassinate Republican presidential candidate Trump (Trump) fired from a roof that was declared by the Secret Service to be outside the secure area – a deadly oversight that should not have happened.
On Tuesday, July 16, Reuters quoted former Secret Service agent Kenneth Valentine as saying that this exposed a major flaw in security work, “He should not have been able to get on the roof.”
Valentine added that the Secret Service should have arranged for personnel to monitor the roof as a next line of defense to prevent threats.
Quoting another unnamed former Secret Service agent, Reuters reported, “The Secret Service said the building was outside the perimeter. This is not true. It should have been within the perimeter, this is a huge failure.”
Both former Secret Service officials stated that the Secret Service should have identified security risks in the building and taken responsibility for stopping suspicious individuals from approaching the building.
Former police chief Stan Kephart, who provided security services for two former presidents, said the Secret Service “absolutely failed in protecting Trump, it’s outrageous.” He added that the Secret Service has the ultimate responsibility for the safety of presidential candidates.
The Secret Service is responsible for the security of Trump as a former president and Republican presidential candidate, but has not responded to multiple requests for comment from Reuters.
The Secret Service issued a statement on Tuesday expressing “deep appreciation” for the efforts of local police and denied blaming the shooting incident on the local government.
Former Secret Service Special Operations ace Marshall Mirarchi told Fox News that the Secret Service personnel on site did “an exceptional job” in the attempted assassination incident, as they were likely instructed to shield Trump on the stage to prevent another gunman – if they had gotten him to stand up earlier, he might have been hit again.
Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe said in a media interview that two local Pennsylvania police officers were dispatched after receiving a call about suspicious individuals in the area. When one of them was hoisted up onto the roof by a partner to inspect, they encountered the gunman – 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. However, as Crooks pointed the gun at him, the officer had to retreat to a safe area, and shortly after, the gunman fired at Trump. A few seconds later, a Secret Service sniper shot and killed Crooks.
In a widely circulated video taken by onlookers at the scene, the gunman, Crooks, was seen lying on the roof, and bystanders seemed to have first noticed him, exclaiming “Officer! Officer!”
Since the shooting incident, the Secret Service has maintained that the building about 150 yards (140 meters) from where Trump was speaking was not within the protection zone under its responsibility.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi stated that the security of the roof should have been the responsibility of the local law enforcement agency.
According to Reuters, the Pennsylvania State Police assisted with the event. The police department stated that they were not responsible for the security of the building, which is owned by packaging equipment company AGR International.
The report mentioned that this oversight allowed Crooks to readily climb onto the roof and open fire directly at Trump, grazing his ear, resulting in a bystander’s death and injuries to two other individuals.
President Biden has ordered an independent review of the Secret Service regarding the shooting incident targeting former President Trump on July 13. In addition, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle will face a congressional inquiry, as she has been summoned to testify on July 22.