Former US President Donald Trump was injured in a stab wound during a campaign rally over the weekend, according to a statement made on Monday by Kimberly Cheatle, Director of the Secret Service. Cheatle announced that the Secret Service would fully cooperate with the independent review ordered by President Joe Biden.
“We are working with all relevant federal, state, and local agencies to understand what happened, how it happened, and how we can prevent similar events from recurring,” Cheatle said in the statement.
She added, “We understand the importance of President Biden’s announcement of an independent review and will fully participate. We will also cooperate with congressional committees on any oversight actions.”
On July 13th, Trump attended a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a key state in the November 5th election. Gunshots rang out shortly after Trump began speaking, causing him to be injured and bleed. Secret Service agents swiftly protected him and escorted him away from the scene.
The shooting incident also resulted in one fatality and two other attendees being critically injured. The gunman was identified by authorities as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was shot dead by Secret Service agents on the spot.
In her statement, Cheatle expressed her deepest condolences to the family and friends of Corey Comperatore, who was killed in the incident, and to those injured in this senseless act of violence.
Approximately two and a half hours after the shooting, Trump posted on Truth Social, thanking law enforcement officials, mourning the deceased attendee, and confirming that he was shot in the ear.
Cheatle stated in her Monday statement, “Secret Service personnel on the scene acted swiftly during the incident. Our counter-sniper team subdued the gunman, and our agents implemented protective measures to ensure the safety of former President Donald Trump.”
The gunman fired from a rooftop near the rally site, just around 150 meters away from the outdoor stage where President Trump was speaking. Following the event, questions were raised by the public regarding the Secret Service’s security preparedness.
Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers requested the Secret Service to provide answers on the security posture and called for a hearing on the incident.
A Secret Service spokesperson informed CNN that the agency did not conduct a security sweep of the building where Crooks shot at Trump, as that falls within the purview of local law enforcement for security measures.
Since the shooting incident, Cheatle mentioned that she had been in contact with Pennsylvania State Secret Service personnel who worked to maintain the integrity of the crime scene until the FBI took over as the primary investigative agency for the assassination attempt.
On Sunday, the FBI stated that Crooks, 20, appeared to have acted alone, with no known ideological motivation behind the attempted assassination.
Cheatle, appointed by Biden in 2022 as the Director of the Secret Service, revealed ongoing coordination with Trump’s security personnel and briefing Biden on the details of the incident.
Biden indicated on Sunday that he had instructed Cheatle to review all security measures at the Republican National Convention held on Monday and to conduct an independent investigation into the shooting incident at last Saturday’s rally to assess what happened. He promised to publicly release the findings of the investigation.
Cheatle mentioned in her statement that the shooting incident in Pennsylvania sparked concerns about security arrangements for the Republican National Convention to be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which she acknowledged was understandable. However, she expressed confidence in the security plan.
“The Secret Service, in collaboration with our federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities and public safety partners, has designed dynamic operational security plans for National Special Security Events (NSSE) to address volatile security environments and the latest intelligence from our partners,” Cheatle stated, adding that adjustments had been made to Trump’s security personnel since last Saturday.
Cheatle emphasized, “The Secret Service bears a significant responsibility to protect the current and former leaders of our democratic nation. I take this duty very seriously and am committed to fulfilling this mission.”