On Monday before Congress, the Secret Service’s director testified that they were made aware of various security issues in the days and minutes leading up to the deadly shooting at President Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania.
According to the Associated Press, Director Kimberly Cheatle said the Secret Service was made aware of a potential vulnerability on the roof at the venue in Butler days before suspect Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, allegedly opened fire from there on July 13. Crooks allegedly wounded President Trump in the ear and killed a rally attendee before a Secret Service agent fatally shot him in the head.
Cheatle’s admission comes days after Butler County prosecutor Richard Goldinger said local police previously told the Secret Service that they did not have the resources to park a car outside the building the gunman positioned himself on.
According to The Washington Post, Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi later confirmed Goldinger’s claims — saying that having an officer and patrol car outside the Agr International building was part of the agency’s planning process. However, it remains unclear why that did not occur.
Crooks was reportedly stationed on a roof 130 yards from where Trump spoke. Officials said Secret Service snipers had spotted Crooks on the roof 20 minutes before he opened fire.
Cheatle testified on Monday that she apologized to Trump following the incident.
