Secret Service Chief Clarifies Absence of Roof Security During Trump Shooting

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle addressed the reasons behind the lack of security personnel on the roof where a gunman shot at former President Donald Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last Saturday. Speaking to ABC News on Monday, Cheatle explained that the roof’s slope posed "safety" concerns, which led to the decision not to station agents there.

“That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point. And so, you know, there’s a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn’t want to put somebody up on a sloped roof,” Cheatle stated. Instead, the Secret Service decided to secure the building from inside.

Despite these precautions, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks managed to access the roof and take several shots at Trump. The incident resulted in Trump being injured, the death of one supporter, and injuries to two others. Cheatle acknowledged the failure, stating, “The buck stops with me. This is an event that should have never happened.”

Authorities had identified Crooks as a person of interest before the shooting but were unable to locate him in time. “The shooter was actually identified as a potential person of suspicion. Units started responding to seek that individual out,” Cheatle explained. “Unfortunately, with the rapid succession of how things unfolded, by the time that individual was eventually located, they were on the rooftop and were able to fire off at the former president.”

Reports indicate that local law enforcement spotted Crooks approximately 30 minutes before the shooting, observing him with a rangefinder. Additionally, video and eyewitness accounts showed Trump supporters yelling about the gunman minutes before he opened fire.

Cheatle has faced calls to resign over the security lapse but has stated she will remain in her position. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has expressed complete confidence in Cheatle, noting that the agency is “focused on learning from the event and adopting those lessons to be stronger and better.”

Cheatle is scheduled to testify before House lawmakers on Monday to further address the incident and the security measures in place during the rally.

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