The recent shooting incident at a rally for former President Donald Trump has raised serious questions about the security measures in place that allowed the gunman to get dangerously close to the target. Thomas Matthew Crooks managed to access the roof of a building near the event at Butler County fairgrounds in Pennsylvania, where he shot at Trump from a distance of 130m (430ft).
Despite local police being stationed both inside and outside the building where Crooks took his shot from, questions have been raised about how he was able to go unnoticed. Secret Service Director Kimberley Cheatle revealed that three snipers were inside the building and allegedly saw Crooks attempting to get on the roof.
The shooting resulted in the death of one audience member and left two others critically injured, with Trump sustaining a minor injury to his ear. The Secret Service has stated that they were responsible for securing the perimeter inside the fairgrounds, while local police were in charge of the area outside, including the building used by the gunman.
Many observers have criticized the breakdown in security that allowed the gunman to access such a strategic vantage point. Despite reports of the suspect being spotted on the roof before the shooting began, security officials were unable to prevent the attack.
The FBI has taken over the lead investigation into the incident, with multiple other investigations underway by both the House and the Senate. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas has labeled the incident a “failure” of security and emphasized the need to prevent such incidents from happening again.
Secret Service Director Cheatle has vowed to cooperate with investigations and has stated that she will not step down despite calls from some lawmakers. She is set to testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability to address the security lapses that allowed the shooting to occur. Republicans on the committee have demanded evidence including internal communications, audio and video recordings, and pre-event assessments to understand what went wrong and prevent future security breaches.
