The Secret Service is pointing the finger at local law enforcement in the aftermath of Saturday’s assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Thomas Crooks was able to fire multiple shots at Trump from a rooftop during Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, killing one person and wounding several others, including Trump, before federal snipers killed him.
The Secret Service, under criticism for letting a gunman have a clear, close shot at Trump, said the rooftop of American Glass Research was not its responsibility.
Secret Service representative Anthony Gugliemi said local police were supposed to secure that site, because the Secret Service was only responsible for the grounds of the event itself, according to The New York Times.
Although local police became aware of the threat, Gugliemi said, they were unable to stop Crooks, who Gugliemi said was not on the rooftop waiting prior to the rally.
Others were not so quick to let the Secret Service off the hook.
“The Secret Service always has the lead on securing something like this,” Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police said, according to the Washington Examiner.
“We work with them to provide whatever is requested by the Secret Service, but they’re the lead in that security,” he said.
Former Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah said the Secret Service appeared to be cutting corners, according to The Washington Post.
Does the Secret Service bear responsibility for the Trump shooting?
“Could there be a bigger threat profile than for President Biden and President Trump? That’s as big as it gets,” Chaffetz said.
“They wear these agents out especially during the campaign. Part of what our report shows is they are spread too thin. Now they are apparently relying heavily on local police. With all due respect to local law enforcement, they are just not trained up to do this,” he said, referring to a report from his time in Congress.
Neighbors living near the venue said no matter who was supposed to be checking out the grounds, no one approached them prior to the rally, according to the New York Post.
“Nobody contacted me. Nobody. Nobody called me. Nobody stopped here,” said Valerie Fennell, whose home abuts the venue.
“I kinda was thinking that as close as my house is, that I honestly thought this might be part of a command station at some point,” she said.
She said no one she knew was contacted in advance.
“I was talking to my neighbors yesterday, and none of them had gotten a call or anything,” she said.
“I guess it’s kind of the same question that everybody has. I guess, as far as like, why that area wasn’t secure,” Valerie’s sister, Debra, said.
