The agency acknowledged in an internal review that certain security measures “were not carried out.”
An internal review has revealed that multiple “operational and communications failures” by the US Secret Service allowed a gunman to open fire on former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in July.
Trump narrowly escaped death while addressing a crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July, when a bullet fired from approximately 150m away grazed his ear. The gunman, a 21-year-old named Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired from a rooftop that was apparently left unguarded by the Secret Service, killing one rally attendee and injuring two others before being fatally shot by a sniper.
Following the incident, it came to light that local police had observed Crooks using a range-finder an hour before he opened fire and shared a photo with Secret Service agents. The agents noticed the gunman on the roof 20 minutes before the incident but took no action until the first shots were fired.
In a preliminary report released on Friday, the Secret Service emphasized that local police were responsible for securing the rooftop in question. However, the report stated that the officers assigned to this building had no contact with the Secret Service.
The report indicated that some information about the shooter relayed by local law enforcement never reached the Secret Service, attributing this to a lack of radio communication between the various agencies operating at the rally site. Consequently, information regarding Crooks’ appearance and movements had to be conveyed through chains of phone calls and text messages, it claimed.
Shortly before the rally commenced, Crooks was able to fly a camera-equipped drone over the site without being stopped or questioned. The Secret Service report stated that while the agency deployed a counter-drone team to the site, “there were some technical difficulties” with their equipment.
Regarding the choice of venue, the report stated that a Secret Service team had inspected the site beforehand and noted that the line of sight between the rooftop and the stage where Trump spoke could present a “challenge.” However, “the security measures to alleviate these concerns were not carried out.”
The internal investigation is ongoing, and a final report is expected in the coming weeks. While much of Friday’s summary appeared to place blame on local law enforcement, Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe told reporters that the agency nevertheless requires “a shift in paradigm in how we conduct our protective operations.”
Rowe’s predecessor, Kimberly Cheatle, resigned ten days after the shooting. Several other high-ranking agents were placed on leave during the investigation.
Trump survived another attempt on his life earlier this month when a pro-Ukraine activist aimed a rifle at the former president at one of his golf courses in Florida. Secret Service agents fired several shots at the man and apprehended him after he fled the scene.
Republican Representative Matt Gaetz claimed earlier this week that some GOP lawmakers believe there is a “mole inside the Secret Service providing information about points of vulnerability” to potential assassins.