Butler, PA — The Secret Service is citing local police for failing to secure a rooftop at a rally where Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump. The agency claims that it was not responsible for securing the area outside the perimeter it was tasked with protecting.
According to a representative from the Secret Service, local Pennsylvania police were responsible for securing and patrolling the factory grounds of AGR International Inc., located approximately 130 yards from the rally stage. It was the responsibility of local law enforcement to support the efforts of the Secret Service when it came to securing the area outside the rally.
Residents living near the rally site have claimed that no law enforcement agencies, local or federal, contacted them in the days leading up to or during the event. Valerie Fennell, whose home backs up to the fairgrounds, expressed surprise that law enforcement never reached out to her or her neighbors. She also questioned why the area was left unsecured.
During the rally, witnesses reportedly saw 20-year-old Thomas Crooks behaving suspiciously near the metal detectors. Local law enforcement was alerted and issued warnings to the Secret Service to be on the lookout for Crooks. Despite these warnings, Crooks managed to enter the rally area and make his way to the AGR factory rooftop.
Police were unable to locate Crooks during the alerts, responding only after reports came in of an armed man on the factory roof. Crooks allegedly fired around eight shots at the rally, injuring Trump in the ear, fatally injuring a bystander, and seriously injuring two others in the crowd.
The Secret Service has stated that it relied on local law enforcement to assist with event security, as is common practice. However, calls for an investigation into the agency’s handling of the incident have surfaced, with plans to summon agency director Kimberly Cheatle for a hearing.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) intends to hold a hearing on July 22 to examine the Secret Service’s role in the incident and determine how Crooks was able to get so close to Trump.