Security lapses in focus after Donald Trump rally shooting

WASHINGTON: Republican lawmakers said they would launch swift investigations into how a sniper apparently managed to evade Secret Service agents and climb onto the roof of a building near where Donald Trump was speaking at an election rally and fire multiple shots before being killed.

Mike Johnson, Speaker of the Republican-controlled US House of Representatives, said panels in the chamber will call officials from the Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for hearings soon.

The House oversight panel called Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to testify on Jul 22.

While information about the incident is still sparse, early media reports said the shooter was outside the security perimeter of the rally venue in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday (Jul 13).

One person interviewed by the BBC said he had seen the man with a gun and tried unsuccessfully to alert the police and the Secret Service.

Trump supporters blasted the Secret Service, which has the primary responsibility for protecting Trump as a former US president. Billionaire ally Elon Musk called for the agency's leadership to resign.

"How was a sniper with a full rifle kit allowed to bear crawl onto the closest roof to a presidential nominee," asked conservative activist Jack Posobiec on social media site X.

FBI Special Agent Kevin Rojek, speaking at a press briefing, called the number of shots the attacker was able to fire "surprising".

The Secret Service did not have a representative in that press briefing late on Saturday, which included FBI and state law enforcement officials.

The Secret Service said shortly after the shooting that it has begun an investigation and briefed Democratic President Joe Biden, Trump's rival in the Nov 5 election, although the agency did not immediately respond to additional requests for comment regarding its protocols.

The Pennsylvania State Police referred questions to the Secret Service.

Attendee Ben Maser was outside the rally perimeter, listening to Trump, when he noticed two officers seemingly looking for someone. Maser, a 41-year-old welder, started scanning the area too.

"I saw the guy on the roof. I told the officer that he was up there. He went about looking for him," said Maser.

SECURITY REVIEW

The attack is certain to lead to a review of Trump's security, and going forward he will likely be provided with a level of protection more akin to a sitting president, said Joseph LaSorsa, a former Secret Service agent who served on the presidential detail.

"There will be an intensive review" of the incident and "there's going to be a massive realignment", LaSorsa said. "This cannot happen."

The Secret Service had said it recently added "protective resources and capabilities" to Trump's security detail, without providing further details.

A retired agent who worked in protective services, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the incident should spark an internal review, and ideally an external one too.

"The gravity of the situation demands thorough scrutiny to prevent such failures in the future and to ensure accountability on all levels," said the former agent.

SECURING TRUMP RALLIES

During most of Trump's campaign stops, local police aid the Secret Service in securing the venue. Agents from other agencies within the Department of Homeland Security, such as the Transportation Security Administration, occasionally help.

It is no easy task. Many Trump rallies feature thousands of audience members, take place in the open air and last for hours.

Before the event, agents scan the venue for bombs or other threats, and Trump invariably arrives in a fortified motorcade.

Law enforcement officials typically put up barriers as a perimeter and require all attendees to go through a metal detector to enter the venue. Armed protective agents search all attendees' bags and even wallets. Many rallygoers are patted down by hand.

Paul Eckloff, a former Secret Service agent who retired in 2020, said agents would have surveyed all the rooftops with a line of sight ahead of time.

"This person either concealed themselves until they became a threat, or were not a threat until they revealed their weapons," said Eckloff.

In the moments after Trump was injured, the former president was quickly surrounded by Secret Service personnel who formed a human shield, while heavily armed agents in body armour and toting rifles also took to the stage and appeared to scan the area for threats.

Trump was whisked by the agents to a black SUV, and taken to a local hospital, according to the campaign.