Trump Rally Gunman Flagged as Threat Before Attack, Lost in Crowd
In a recent briefing to Congress, law enforcement officials revealed that the Secret Service identified Donald Trump’s would-be assassin as a suspicious individual about an hour before the shooting at a Pennsylvania rally. However, they lost track of him in the crowd, lawmakers were informed.
During closed briefings to House and Senate members on Wednesday, the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies provided limited new details about the security situation and the shooter who opened fire at the rally on Saturday. Wyoming Senator John Barrasso disclosed that the attacker was spotted by the Secret Service with a rangefinder and a backpack, but they lost sight of him an hour before the shooting began.
Senator Barrasso expressed his concern, stating, “You would think over the course of that hour, you shouldn’t lose sight of the individual.”
The briefings also revealed that the gunman had visited the Butler County fairgrounds, the site of the attack, at least once before and had searched online for symptoms of depressive disorder. He had also looked up images of both Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. FBI Director Christopher Wray informed lawmakers that over 200 interviews had been conducted and 14,000 images reviewed as part of the investigation.
Multiple Republican senators criticized the lack of transparency from investigators and were outraged that Trump was allowed to take the stage despite the identified threat. Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn tweeted her dismay, saying, “I am appalled to learn that the Secret Service knew about a threat prior to President Trump walking on stage.”
An official involved in the investigation told CBS News that a sniper from a local tactical team, assisting the Secret Service, had photographed the gunman using the rangefinder and reported it to the command post immediately. According to ABC News and other outlets, the 20-year-old shooter was spotted again on the roof of a building 20 minutes before the attack. He was killed by Secret Service snipers within 26 seconds of opening fire on Trump.
Senators who participated in the call voiced their frustration that investigators did not answer their questions thoroughly and called for the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. Utah Senator Mike Lee tweeted, “The egregious security failures and lack of transparency around the assassination attempt on President Trump demand an immediate change of leadership at the Secret Service.”
Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson labeled the briefing as “unbelievably uninformative,” noting that investigators only took four questions from lawmakers. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell echoed the call for Cheatle’s resignation, emphasizing that the nation deserves answers and accountability.
House Speaker Mike Johnson announced plans for a bipartisan investigation into the incident, aiming to provide the American public with the answers they deserve. FBI Director Wray, who also participated in the briefings, stated that no motive has yet been identified for the gunman.
Director Cheatle, a 27-year veteran of the Secret Service, is scheduled to testify next week before the House Oversight and House Homeland Security Committees. She mentioned that the agency relied on local police to secure the building from where the gunman fired.
Butler Township Manager Tom Knights told CBS that a local officer had encountered the gunman on the roof moments before the attack. The officer, in a vulnerable position, fell to the ground and alerted others to the shooter, leading to the rapid response from Secret Service snipers.
The Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general is investigating the attack, and President Biden has called for an independent review to be opened.
