Islamabad, Sep 21: On Friday, the US Secret Service reported several security failures in its review of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump during a July rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired shots from a nearby rooftop, narrowly missing Trump and injuring two attendees, including the fatal shooting of firefighter Corey Comperatore.
Acting Director Ronald Rowe acknowledged deficiencies in planning and execution by Secret Service personnel, attributing some issues to complacency among team members.
Key problems included inadequate communication with local law enforcement, an over-reliance on mobile devices that led to siloed information, and unaddressed line-of-sight issues.
A critical failure involved a phone call made at 6:10 PM to the Secret Service reporting a suspicious individual on a rooftop, which was not communicated over the Secret Service radio network.
Following the incident, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned, and several agents have been placed on leave as the agency reassesses its protocols and security measures.
