The head of the Secret Service has revealed that the shooter who tried to assassinate former President Trump was already flagged as a “potential person of suspicion,” but despite this, he still managed to open fire at the rally in Pennsylvania.
United States Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle admitted in an ABC News interview that the suspect, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was spotted by a local law enforcement officer carrying a range-finder just 30 minutes before the assassination attempt in Butler.
The officer reported the sighting to state police and even took a photo of Crooks. There was some debate over whether he was simply using binoculars to get a better view of the rally. However, just a few minutes into Trump’s speech, Crooks began shooting, striking Trump in the ear.
Cheatle told ABC News, “I’m being told that the shooter was actually identified as a potential person of suspicion. Units started responding to seek that individual out. Unfortunately, with the rapid succession of how things unfolded, by the time that individual was eventually located, they were on the rooftop and were able to fire off at the former president.”
Cheatle acknowledged that the security failure rests squarely on her shoulders. “The buck stops with me,” she said, adding, “This is an event that should have never happened.” She also expressed her initial reaction to the shooting as “shock.”
Despite being aware of the security vulnerabilities posed by the building from which Crooks fired, the Secret Service decided not to place personnel on the roof due to safety concerns. “That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point. And so, you know, there’s a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn’t want to put somebody up on a sloped roof. And so, you know, the decision was made to secure the building, from inside,” Cheatle explained.
The lack of adequate security measures and the failure to act on a suspicious individual highlight a glaring lapse in Secret Service protocols. It’s a stark reminder of the importance of vigilance and thoroughness, especially when protecting a high-profile figure like former President Trump.
