Republican Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona, along with a bipartisan group of lawmakers, visited Butler, Pennsylvania, to raise questions about the attempted assassination of former President Trump. Crane, a former Navy SEAL sniper, filmed himself on the rooftop from which the shooter targeted Trump during a rally in July.
Crane disputed claims by the U.S. Secret Service that the roof was too steep for personnel to be stationed there. He highlighted the ease with which the shooter gained access to the rooftop, emphasizing missed security opportunities such as utilizing a nearby water tower for countersnipers.
Sen. Ron Johnson released preliminary findings of his investigation, revealing that the Secret Service did not attend a security briefing with local law enforcement on the day of the incident. Communication issues between agencies and delayed responses were also noted.
The investigation found that the shooter was identified through facial recognition technology and that the Secret Service initially did not plan to deploy snipers to the rally site.
Lawmakers expressed concerns over the security lapses and pledged to conduct oversight to prevent similar incidents in the future. The incident has sparked scrutiny of the Secret Service's protocols and coordination with local law enforcement.
