US Secret Service finds security ‘breaches’ in its review of Trump assassination attempt

The US Secret Service on Friday identified a series of failures in how it planned for and responded to the July 13 Pennsylvania rally where a shooter attempted to assassinate Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. The US agency’s Acting Director Ronald Rowe said "complacency" on the part of some personnel ‘led to a breach of security protocols’.

The US Secret Service on Friday detailed a litany of security failures uncovered by its review of the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump at a rally in July.

Shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks was able to open fire from a nearby rooftop at the outdoor event held by Republican election candidate Trump, who narrowly escaped death and suffered a wound to his right ear.

The review "identified deficiencies in the advanced planning and its implementation by Secret Service personnel," Acting Director Ronald Rowe said at a press briefing.

"While some members of the advance team were very diligent, there was complacency on the part of others that led to a breach of security protocols."

Among the failures identified by Rowe were poor communication with local law enforcement, an "over-reliance" on mobile devices "resulting in information being siloed" and line of sight issues, which "were acknowledged but not properly mitigated."

"At approximately 18:10 local time, by a phone call, the Secret Service security room calls the countersniper response agent reporting an individual on the roof of the AGR building," Rowe said.

(AFP)


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