Secret Service Points to Local Police for Security Lapse in Trump Assassination Attempt

The rooftop of AGR International Inc., from where the shooter fired, was outside the Secret Service's protective perimeter.

In the wake of an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, the Secret Service has pointed to local Pennsylvania police for failing to secure a rooftop used by the shooter. The rooftop, belonging to AGR International Inc., was outside the Secret Service’s protective perimeter.

Local residents reported that they were not contacted by law enforcement either before or during the rally, raising concerns about the overall security measures in place. Thomas Matthew Crooks, the assailant, was observed acting suspiciously with a rifle before he fired from the rooftop, injuring Trump and others.

The Secret Service, which had relied on local law enforcement for security support, now faces calls for a thorough investigation into the security lapses that allowed the incident to occur.

On July 13, 2024, former U.S. President Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee for the 2024 presidential election, was shot in the upper part of his right ear during a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania. One audience member was killed, and two others were critically injured. The shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, fired eight rounds from an AR-15–style rifle from a rooftop outside the rally venue. Crooks was subsequently killed by a sniper from the Secret Service Counter Assault Team.
Following the shooting, Trump ducked for cover and was quickly surrounded by Secret Service agents. Blood was visible on his right ear and cheek as he was helped to his feet. Displaying resilience, Trump pumped his fist in the air and shouted, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” before being escorted to his motorcade and taken to a hospital. He was released a few hours later in stable condition. The incident is being investigated as an attempted assassination.

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