Two weeks after former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt that left a bystander dead and two others wounded, and after days of Capitol Hill testimony, several burning questions remain unanswered. Experts say these unanswered questions could provide clarity on the case.
Among those who testified before Congress were Kimberly Cheatle, former director of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS); Christopher Wray, FBI Director; and Christopher Paris, the Pennsylvania State Police leader. Upon law enforcement identifying the would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, as a person of interest, he somehow managed to disappear and then climb a rooftop, directly overlooking the former president. It was then that he opened fire, grazing Trump in the right ear with a bullet. One rallygoer was killed, and two others were severely wounded.
“That question is the key,” said Paul Mauro, a retired NYPD inspector who has been in the command center for other VIP events, told Fox News. “That’s where the investigation is going to ultimately sum up.” The fact that law enforcement had identified Crooks as a suspicious individual long before Trump took the stage is indicative of a communication failure, he said.
Authorities were actively searching for Crooks when Trump began his remarks. If the gunman hadn’t been thrown off by a local police officer who peeked over the edge of the roof in search of the suspect, Trump could have been killed by the first shot, Mauro said. “If it got to that level, hold Trump for 20 minutes until you find him,” he added.
Following criticism for suggesting there were no agents stationed on the rooftop due to it being “sloped,” Cheatle clarified to lawmakers last week that the Secret Service “prefers sterile rooftops,” which are secured to prevent unauthorized access. But that still doesn’t explain why no one was stationed on that roof. “That’s the elephant in the room,” said Michael Verden, a former Secret Service agent and the founder of the Lake Forest Group, a security firm. “What needs to be determined is why there was not a presence on that rooftop.”
Paris, Pennsylvania’s state police commissioner disclosed that during a pre-rally inspection, the Secret Service informed him that a Butler County tactical team had been tasked with securing the rooftop. The event is currently under multiple investigations, some of which are examining the security lapses, while others are focused on Crooks — all of which is of significant importance for those involved in the planning and security of the event.
“For the USSS investigation, it’s important to know, so the appropriate individual is held accountable,” said Nicole Parker, a former FBI agent. “The idea that law enforcement had identified a potential threat, then why didn’t they cover every potential vulnerability. It should have been locked down anyway, but especially when they learned of a suspicious or threatening individual.”