A security specialist on Sunday said a series of failures led to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.
The shooting, which killed one spectator and seriously injured two more, has raised significant questions about the effectiveness of the security tasked with protecting Trump, who left Sunday for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
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Chris Swecker, former assistant director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and head of the FBI’s Charlotte Bureau, believes the security perimeter should have been farther out at Trump’s rally Saturday in Pennsylvania.
Swecker said the event should've had a covered roof as well, adding the lack of communication between the detail on the podium could've been life threatening.
“Their job is not to stand there and shoot it out [and] it’s not to stand there and assess the situation,” he said. “Their job is to get him out of the danger zone and on his way.”
The roof where authorities shot and killed the gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, was less than 150 meters from where Trump was speaking. Authorities said the distance is enough from which a “decent marksman” could hit a human-sized target.
For reference, 150 meters is the distance U.S. Army recruits must hit human-sized silhouettes to qualify with the M-16 riffle.
Around 6:10 p.m. Saturday, while Trump spoke about immigration, gunshots rang out, and the former president ducked under his podium. At this point, several Secret Service agents rushed in to protect him. Trump, who was shot in the ear, then stopped to raise a fist as agents tried to move him off the stage.
Swecker said while it was a “great moment” for Trump, it put him in further danger.
“He resisted getting off the podium,” he said. “The Secret Service should have never allowed that.”
The Secret Service said it is investigating how a gunman with an AR-style rifle was able to get that close to the former president.
How local law enforcement prepares for high-profile visitors
The Secret Service was not the only law enforcement agency at Saturday's rally. Local law enforcement agencies also bear the responsibility of keeping high-profile visitors safe.
Local law enforcement trains for the security detail from the moment agencies are notified a person, like President Joe Biden, will be coming. The research goes into where that person will be at all times and whether there are any known or unknown threats.
“It was four days of close protection, keeping someone safe, identifying and engaging threats and getting our protectee out of the area,” said Mike Fleer with the Wake County Sheriff’s Office.
Most high-profile visitors, like Trump and Biden, have their security details, and most local agencies are trained for support if needed in ways people can see and under the radar.
“I’ve just sent two of my members to the State Highway Patrol Executive Protection Program, and we’re gearing up to send them out of state for another training,” Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone said. “Preparation is key to ensure we don’t have another mishap.”
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office told WRAL News it constantly looks for new training opportunities to prepare for situations similar to Saturday’s, adding that as long as the person is in their area, the sheriff’s office and local law enforcement are responsible for their safety.