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“Someone should have been on the roof or securing the building so no one could get on the roof,” stated a former senior Secret Service agent familiar with the security procedures.
Investigators are now focused on how the shooter managed to gain access to the rooftop and target Trump. The Secret Service had collaborated with local police to secure the event, including placing sharpshooters on surrounding rooftops to quickly neutralize any threats, according to Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
“There’s an untrue assertion that a member of the former President’s team requested additional security resources & that those were rebuffed,” Guglielmi wrote Sunday. “This is absolutely false. In fact, we added protective resources & technology & capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel tempo.”
Despite these enhanced measures, no law enforcement officers were stationed on the rooftop from which the gunman fired. The building, located just 148 yards from where Trump was speaking, was outside the main security perimeter but within the range of the shooter’s semiautomatic weapon. Local authorities were responsible for securing this particular rooftop, a common practice for outdoor rallies.
Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger highlighted that his office had deployed an Emergency Services Unit team, consisting of four sniper teams and four quick response teams, at the rally. However, he noted that the Secret Service was in charge of security outside the venue.
“They had meetings in the week prior. The Secret Service ran the show. They were the ones who designated who did what,” Goldinger explained. “In the command hierarchy, they were top, they were No. 1. To me, the whole thing is under the jurisdiction of the Secret Service. And they will delineate from there.”
Carry 46 rounds concealed? (comfortably)
The former senior Secret Service agent stressed that the agency bears ultimate responsibility, even if there are lapses by local law enforcement. “Even if local law enforcement ‘did drop the ball,’ it’s still the agency’s responsibility ‘to ensure that they are following through either beforehand or in the moment,’” he stated.
“Just because it is outside of the perimeter, it doesn’t take it out of play for a vulnerability, and you’ve got to mitigate it in some fashion,” the former agent concluded.
As the RNC convention unfolds, the focus on security will undoubtedly remain high, with many watching closely to see how the Secret Service and local law enforcement respond to this recent breach. The nomination of Trump, amidst such tension, marks a pivotal moment in the 2024 presidential race.
