So says the ones that were suppose to protect President John F. Kennedy from assassination. The American flag, that served as the backdrop for a campaign rally by
former President and current Republican candidate Donald J. Trump, blows
in the wind at Butler Fairgrounds in the aftermath of the attempted
assassination of the former president on July 14, 2024 in Butler,
Pennsylvania. Trump was escorted away by the Secret Service with an
injury to his ear. The Secret Service claims that the rooftop where 20-year-old gunman
Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to kill former President Donald Trump
was outside the perimeters that the federal agency was entrusted with
guarding, while simultaneously holding local police accountable for
their “failure to secure it.”
According to Secret Service official Anthony Gugliemi, local
Pennsylvania police were in charge of guarding and securing the AGR
International Inc. plant grounds, which are roughly 130 yards from the
platform where Trump was speaking on Saturday, as reported by the New York Times.
Local police were enlisted to help with those efforts and secure the
area outside the rally, according to the Secret Service. The agency went
on to reiterate that they were only assigned to guard the grounds where
Trump’s rally was held.
However, neighbors close to Butler Farm Show Grounds told reporters
that neither local nor federal law enforcement ever paid them a visit in
the days preceding or following the rally.
“Nobody contacted me. Nobody. Nobody called me, nobody stopped here,”
said Valerie Fennell, a nearby resident whose house comes close to the
fairgrounds, just beyond a line of trees.
“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
added.
Not only did Fennell claim that no one from law enforcement had
gotten in touch with her, but she also said that, despite living so
close to the rally, her entire neighborhood had been mysteriously
abandoned in receiving any sort of communication.
“I was talking to my neighbors yesterday, and none of them had gotten
a call. Or anything,” she continued, while her sister nodded in
agreement.
“I guess it’s kind of the same question that everybody has. I guess, as far as like, why that area wasn’t secure.”
CNN reported that attendees saw 20-year-old Thomas Crooks
acting strangely close to the rally metal detectors. Local police
enforcement was alerted and they purportedly warned the Secret Service
to be on the lookout for him over their radios.
In addition, he was said to have been observed entering the rally
with a rifle outside of a security checkpoint. Later, he was allegedly
seen jumping “roof to roof” before arriving at the AGR facility.
Prior to eventually reacting to reports of an armed man on the AGR
roof, it appears that police were unable to locate him during the period
those alerts were sent out.
According to law enforcement officials who spoke with the Associated Press,
at approximately 6:10 p.m., a local police officer ascended a ladder
onto the roof and confronted Crooks, who was already aiming his gun at
him.
Crooks took aim and fired around eight shots at the rally as the
officer retreated down the ladder. He struck Trump in the ear,
critically injured two more people in the crowd, and killed bystander
Corey Comperatore in the audience. Crooks was then shot dead by
Secret Service counter snipers who were positioned on a barn rooftop
behind the stage in a matter of moments. It is unclear if the shooters
had noticed Crooks prior to the rounds being fired, but they seemed to
have their sights focused on him before starting to shoot.
The Secret Service acknowledged that it mostly relied on local law enforcement to assist with event security, stating to the Washington Post that this is “standard procedure” when seeking assistance from local organizations.
The heavily armed agents covering Trump’s evacuation, known as the
Secret Service’s counter assault team, consisted of at least six
officers from Butler County tactical units in addition to leaving the
areas outside the rally perimeter under the jurisdiction of local
police. The team consisted of only two members of the Secret Service.
Two local sniper teams supported the two teams of snipers from the Secret Service.
Although Pennsylvania police acknowledged that they often assist the
Secret Service when important government figures visit the state, they
doubled down and stressed that the federal agency is ultimately in
charge.
“Secret Service always has the lead on securing something like
this,” stated Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police.
“We work with them to provide whatever is requested by the Secret Service, but they’re the lead in that security,” he added.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) announced
plans to call agency director Kimberly Cheatle for a hearing on July 22nd
in response to calls for an inquiry of the Secret Service and the
circumstances that led Crooks to come within millimeters of almost
killing Trump.
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