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  • Panel looking into Trump assassination attempt says Secret Service needs ‘fundamental reform’

    Panel looking into Trump assassination attempt says Secret Service needs ‘fundamental reform’

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    An independent panel investigating the attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania campaign rally faulted the Secret Service for poor communications that day and failing to secure the building where the gunman took his shots. The review also found more systemic issues at the agency such as a failure to understand the unique risks facing Trump and a culture of doing “more with less.”The 52-page report issued Thursday took the Secret Service to task for specific problems leading up to the July 13 rally in Butler as well as deeper one within the agency’s culture. It recommended bringing in new, outside leadership and refocusing on its protective mission.“The Secret Service as an agency requires fundamental reform to carry out its mission,” the authors wrote Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of the Homeland Security Department, the Secret Services’ parent agency, in a letter accompanying their report. “Without that reform, the Independent Review Panel believes another Butler can and will happen again.”One rallygoer was killed and two others wounded when Thomas Michael Crooks climbed onto the roof of a nearby building and opened fire as Trump spoke. The former president was wounded in the ear before being rushed off the stage by Secret Service agents. That shooting, along with another incident in Florida when Trump was golfing — a gunman there never got a line of sight on the president or fired a shot — has led to a crisis in confidence in the agency.The report by a panel of four former law enforcement officials from national and state government follows investigations by members of Congress, the agency’s own investigators and by Homeland Security’s oversight body.A look at the report’s key findings and recommendations:Poor communications, no plan for key buildingsThe panel echoed previous reports that have zeroed in on the failure to secure the building near the rally that had a clear line of site to where Trump was speaking and the multiple communications problems that hindered the ability of the Secret Service and local and state law enforcement to talk to each other.“The failure to secure a complex of buildings, portions of which were within approximately 130 yards of the protectee and containing numerous positions carrying high-angle line of sight risk, represents a critical security failure,” the report said.The panel faulted the planning between Secret Service and the local law enforcement, and said the Secret Service failed to ask about what was being done to secure the building: “Relying on a general understanding that ‘the locals have that area covered’ is simply not good enough and, in fact, at Butler this attitude contributed to the security failure.”The panel also cited the fact that there were two separated command posts at the Butler rally: one with various local law enforcement and another with the Secret Service: “This created, at the highest level, a structural divide in the flow of communications.”There were other communications problems.The Secret Service had to switch radio channels because radio traffic of agents protecting first lady Jill Biden at an event in Pittsburgh was popping up on the channels of agents covering the Butler rally.The panel also noted that all the law enforcement personnel on the ground were using a “chaotic mixture” of radio, cell phone, text, and e-mail throughout the day to communicate.Also the panel said it was unclear who had ultimate command that day.Cultural issues within the agencyThe report delved into the agency’s culture and painted a picture of an agency struggling to think critically about how it carries out its mission, especially when it comes to protecting Trump.The panel said agency personnel operated under the assumption that they effectively had to “do more with less.” The report said the additional security measures taken to protect Trump after the Butler shooting should have been taken before.”To be clear, the Panel did not identify any nefarious or malicious intent behind this phenomenon, but rather an overreliance on assigning personnel based on categories (former, candidate, nominee) instead of an individualized assessment of risk,” the panel wrote.The panel also noted the “back-and-forth” between the Trump security detail and Secret Service headquarters regarding how many people were needed to protect him.The panel also faulted some of the senior-level staff who were involved in the rally for what they called a “lack of ownership.” In one example, the panel said a senior agent on site who was tasked with coordinating communications didn’t walk around the rally site ahead of time and did not brief the state police counterpart before the rally about how communications would be managed.It cited the relative inexperience of two specific agents who played a role in security for the July 13 rally. One was the site agent from Trump’s detail whose job it was to coordinate with the Pittsburgh field office on security planning for the rally. The panel said the agent graduated from the Secret Service academy in 2020, and had only been on the Trump detail since 2023. Before the Butler rally the agent had only done “minimal previous site advance work or site security planning.”Another agent assigned to operate a drone detection system had only used the technology at two prior events.What did the panel recommend?Having a unified command post at all large events where Secret Service and other law enforcement representatives are all physically in the same place; overhead surveillance for all outdoor events; security plans must include a way to mitigate line of site concerns out to 1,000 yards and who’s in charge at the event; and more training on how to get protectees out of dangerous scenarios.The panel said the agency also needs new, outside leadership and a renewed focus on its core protective mission while expressing skepticism that the agency should continue with the investigations it currently conducts. While the Secret Service is well known for what it does to protect presidents and other dignitaries, it also investigates financial crimes.“In the Panel’s opinion, it is simply unacceptable for the Service to have anything less than a paramount focus on its protective mission, particularly while that protective mission function is presently suboptimal,” the report said.The panel members were Mark Filip, deputy attorney general under President George W. Bush; David Mitchell, who served in numerous state and local law enforcement roles in Maryland and Delaware; Janet Napolitano, homeland security secretary under President Barack Obama; and Frances Fragos Townsend, Bush’s assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism.

    An independent panel investigating the attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania campaign rally faulted the Secret Service for poor communications that day and failing to secure the building where the gunman took his shots. The review also found more systemic issues at the agency such as a failure to understand the unique risks facing Trump and a culture of doing “more with less.”

    The 52-page report issued Thursday took the Secret Service to task for specific problems leading up to the July 13 rally in Butler as well as deeper one within the agency’s culture. It recommended bringing in new, outside leadership and refocusing on its protective mission.

    “The Secret Service as an agency requires fundamental reform to carry out its mission,” the authors wrote Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of the Homeland Security Department, the Secret Services’ parent agency, in a letter accompanying their report. “Without that reform, the Independent Review Panel believes another Butler can and will happen again.”

    One rallygoer was killed and two others wounded when Thomas Michael Crooks climbed onto the roof of a nearby building and opened fire as Trump spoke. The former president was wounded in the ear before being rushed off the stage by Secret Service agents. That shooting, along with another incident in Florida when Trump was golfing — a gunman there never got a line of sight on the president or fired a shot — has led to a crisis in confidence in the agency.

    The report by a panel of four former law enforcement officials from national and state government follows investigations by members of Congress, the agency’s own investigators and by Homeland Security’s oversight body.

    A look at the report’s key findings and recommendations:

    Poor communications, no plan for key buildings

    The panel echoed previous reports that have zeroed in on the failure to secure the building near the rally that had a clear line of site to where Trump was speaking and the multiple communications problems that hindered the ability of the Secret Service and local and state law enforcement to talk to each other.

    “The failure to secure a complex of buildings, portions of which were within approximately 130 yards of the protectee and containing numerous positions carrying high-angle line of sight risk, represents a critical security failure,” the report said.

    The panel faulted the planning between Secret Service and the local law enforcement, and said the Secret Service failed to ask about what was being done to secure the building: “Relying on a general understanding that ‘the locals have that area covered’ is simply not good enough and, in fact, at Butler this attitude contributed to the security failure.”

    The panel also cited the fact that there were two separated command posts at the Butler rally: one with various local law enforcement and another with the Secret Service: “This created, at the highest level, a structural divide in the flow of communications.”

    There were other communications problems.

    The Secret Service had to switch radio channels because radio traffic of agents protecting first lady Jill Biden at an event in Pittsburgh was popping up on the channels of agents covering the Butler rally.

    The panel also noted that all the law enforcement personnel on the ground were using a “chaotic mixture” of radio, cell phone, text, and e-mail throughout the day to communicate.

    Also the panel said it was unclear who had ultimate command that day.

    Cultural issues within the agency

    The report delved into the agency’s culture and painted a picture of an agency struggling to think critically about how it carries out its mission, especially when it comes to protecting Trump.

    The panel said agency personnel operated under the assumption that they effectively had to “do more with less.” The report said the additional security measures taken to protect Trump after the Butler shooting should have been taken before.

    “To be clear, the Panel did not identify any nefarious or malicious intent behind this phenomenon, but rather an overreliance on assigning personnel based on categories (former, candidate, nominee) instead of an individualized assessment of risk,” the panel wrote.

    The panel also noted the “back-and-forth” between the Trump security detail and Secret Service headquarters regarding how many people were needed to protect him.

    The panel also faulted some of the senior-level staff who were involved in the rally for what they called a “lack of ownership.” In one example, the panel said a senior agent on site who was tasked with coordinating communications didn’t walk around the rally site ahead of time and did not brief the state police counterpart before the rally about how communications would be managed.

    It cited the relative inexperience of two specific agents who played a role in security for the July 13 rally. One was the site agent from Trump’s detail whose job it was to coordinate with the Pittsburgh field office on security planning for the rally. The panel said the agent graduated from the Secret Service academy in 2020, and had only been on the Trump detail since 2023. Before the Butler rally the agent had only done “minimal previous site advance work or site security planning.”

    Another agent assigned to operate a drone detection system had only used the technology at two prior events.

    What did the panel recommend?

    Having a unified command post at all large events where Secret Service and other law enforcement representatives are all physically in the same place; overhead surveillance for all outdoor events; security plans must include a way to mitigate line of site concerns out to 1,000 yards and who’s in charge at the event; and more training on how to get protectees out of dangerous scenarios.

    The panel said the agency also needs new, outside leadership and a renewed focus on its core protective mission while expressing skepticism that the agency should continue with the investigations it currently conducts. While the Secret Service is well known for what it does to protect presidents and other dignitaries, it also investigates financial crimes.

    “In the Panel’s opinion, it is simply unacceptable for the Service to have anything less than a paramount focus on its protective mission, particularly while that protective mission function is presently suboptimal,” the report said.

    The panel members were Mark Filip, deputy attorney general under President George W. Bush; David Mitchell, who served in numerous state and local law enforcement roles in Maryland and Delaware; Janet Napolitano, homeland security secretary under President Barack Obama; and Frances Fragos Townsend, Bush’s assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism.

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  • Law enforcement to hold briefing after apparent Trump assassination attempt | LIVE

    Law enforcement to hold briefing after apparent Trump assassination attempt | LIVE

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    The suspect in the apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump may have been lurking near the Republican presidential nominee’s West Palm Beach golf course for nearly 12 hours before a Secret Service agent spotted him, according to a criminal complaint.

    Multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News that the 58-year-old suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, was detained by Florida authorities in relation to the incident. Authorities are now probing for more details on the would-be shooter.

    According to the criminal complaint filed in the case, Routh’s cellphone dated tracked him near the tree line of Trump International Golf Club as early as 1:59 a.m. on Sunday.

    Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect in the apparent assassination attempt of Donald Trump, has had his first appearance in federal court.

    As Trump was playing a round of golf that afternoon, a Secret Service special agent walking the perimeter of the golf course spotted what appeared to be a rifle poking out of the tree line. The agent then fired in the direction of the rifle and saw Routh fleeing the area and entering his Nissan vehicle, according to the complaint.

    In the area of the tree line where the suspect was seen, agents found a digital camera, two bags, including a backpack, and a loaded SKS-style 7.62×39 caliber rifle with a scope, according to the complaint. The serial number on the rifle “was obliterated and unreadable to the naked eye,” the complaint states.

    Agents also found a black bag containing food, according to the complaint.

    RELATED: What we know about Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect in Trump ‘attempted assassination’

    Photo of Routh following his detention by authorities in Florida.

    Martin County Sheriff’s Office

    The latest details of the incident emerged as Routh appeared in West Palm Beach federal court on Monday morning. Prosecutors said he is charged with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

    Routh did not enter a plea to the charges, and was ordered to return to court on Sept. 23 for a pre-detention hearing. His arraignment has been scheduled for Sept. 30. Routh entered the courtroom wearing a T-shirt. He was seen smiling and nodding as he spoke to federal public defender Kristy R. Militello, who has been assigned to represent him.

    When a judge asked Routh a series of questions to determine if he qualified for a public defender, Roth said he earns a monthly income of around $3,000, owns two trucks in Hawaii that are worth approximately $1,000 each, owns no real estate and has “zero” savings. He also informed the court that he has a 25-year-old son.

    Trump thanks Secret Service

    “I would like to thank everyone for your concern and well wishes – It was certainly an interesting day!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

    “Most importantly, I want to thank the U.S. Secret Service, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and his Office of brave and dedicated Patriots, and, all of Law Enforcement, for the incredible job done today at Trump International in keeping me, as the 45th President of the United States, and the Republican Nominee in the upcoming Presidential Election, SAFE.”

    “THE JOB DONE WAS ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING. I AM VERY PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!” he wrote.

    Officials said Routh could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the first charge, and a possible five-year sentence on the second charge.

    Officials said Routh could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted on the first charge, and a possible five-year sentence on the second charge.

    The former president is expected to meet Monday with the acting director of the Secret Service, Ronald Rowe Jr., sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

    Following the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump, who was shot in the ear, also met with the former director, Kimberly Cheatle, at the time for a briefing.

    RELATED: How the 1st assassination attempt on Donald Trump unfolded

    Trump playing golf when gunman spotted

    On Sunday afternoon, Secret Service agents accompanying Trump fired at a man armed with an AK-47-style rifle on or near the Trump International golf course on Sunday.

    The FBI is investigating Sunday’s incident as an “attempted assassination.” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a news conference Sunday afternoon that the gunman was within 300 to 500 yards of Trump when he was spotted.

    Secret Service agents fired four to six rounds at him before he dropped his weapon and fled the scene in a vehicle. Witnesses reported the license plate number to authorities, and the suspect was stopped and detained.

    It was not clear if the suspect was aiming his gun at the former president. Agents fired at the suspect after spotting his rifle through the fence line, multiple sources told ABC News.

    Sources said three shell casings believed to be associated with the suspect’s AK-47 were found on the scene, though investigators are still evaluating whether the suspect fired his weapon. The rifle and two backpacks containing a GoPro camera and ceramic tiles were recovered from the scene, Bradshaw said.

    Authorities are now probing Routh’s background. The detainee is believed to have ties to North Carolina and Hawaii, sources said. Sources told ABC News that the FBI is conducting an extensive investigation into Routh’s social media activity, travel and any criminal record. Friends, family and associates are also being sought for interviews.

    Suspect’s family grilled

    The suspect’s family is telling investigators that while Routh had no diagnosed mental illness, he “fixated” on things, multiple sources briefed on the investigation told ABC News.

    An avenue of investigation is whether Routh became fixated on Trump over the former president’s stance on Ukraine. Routh appears to have made recent social media posts critical of Trump and used social media to document his travel to Ukraine.

    According to the sources, Trump was getting ready to putt on the fifth hole when a Secret Service agent called out “gun!” Agents immediately surrounded Trump and took him to a predetermined secure location at the property. USSS often has these safe areas designated in advance.

    Sources familiar with the investigation said authorities are looking into whether Routh had grievances related to Trump’s position on Ukraine.

    Authorities are expected to file more charges relating to the incident in the coming days, sources told ABC News.

    Suspect’s criminal history

    Routh has an extensive rap sheet in North Carolina dating back to 1997, including an incident from 2002 during which he reportedly barricaded himself inside a business while armed with an assault weapon, according to police and court records.

    According to the Greensboro News & Record, in December 2002, Routh fled a traffic stop and barricaded himself inside a local roofing business for three hours until police arrested him.

    Routh pleaded guilty to a felony count of possessing a weapon of mass destruction and a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed weapon, court records show. State incarceration records show he was sentenced to probation for this incident. Court records also indicate he still owes a $225 assessment related to the felony charge of possession of a weapon of mass destruction.

    Routh also pleaded guilty in 2003 to stealing a state-issued identification card and, in 2010, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor theft charge. He was also repeatedly sued by construction contractors for attempting to write checks with insufficient funds.

    Routh has several traffic citations, including speeding, running red lights, failing to wear a seat belt, driving while his license was revoked and driving with a broken windshield, among others.

    Biden and Harris condemn apparent assassination

    President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both condemned the apparent assassination effort.

    “In America, we resolve our differences peacefully at the ballot box, not at the end of a gun,” ” Biden said Monday while speaking in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania “America suffered too many times, the tragedy of an assassin’s bullet. It solves nothing. It just tears the country apart. We must do everything we can to prevent it and never give it any oxygen.”

    President Joe Biden condemned the latest apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, while also commending the quick actions of the U.S. Secret Service.

    Harris said she was “thankful” that Trump was safe and “deeply disturbed by the possible assassination attempt.”

    “As we gather the facts, I will be clear: I condemn political violence. We all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence,” Harris said.

    On Monday morning, Biden said he believes the Secret Service needs more help and called on Congress to act following the second apparent attempted assassination attempt on Donald Trump in nine weeks.

    “Thank God the president is OK,” Biden said before boarding Marine One to depart the White House. “One thing I want to make clear: The service needs more help. And I think the Congress should respond to their needs if they, in fact, need more servicemen, and so that’s what we’re going to be talking about.”

    Asked what kind of help he thought the Secret Service needs, Biden said, “They’re deciding whether they need more personnel or not.”

    ABC News’ Lalee Ibassa, Katherine Faulders, Aaron Katersky, Soo Rin Kim, Michelle Stoddart, Pierre Thomas, Rachel Scott, Jack Date, Leah Sarnoff, Kelsey Walsh and Luke Barr contributed to this report.

    CNN and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

    Copyright © 2024 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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  • Suspect in apparent Trump assassination attempt in federal court as investigators search for motive

    Suspect in apparent Trump assassination attempt in federal court as investigators search for motive

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    Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect in the apparent assassination attempt of Donald Trump, is in federal court for an initial appearance Monday morning.

    Routh is wearing dark prison scrubs, and his feet and hands are shackled. He will appear before Magistrate Judge Ryon M. McCabe.

    Federal prosecutors have not yet announced what charges Routh will face. He was taken into custody Sunday after being stopped on the highway following the shooting incident.

    Former President Donald Trump thanked law enforcement for an “incredible” response to what the FBI has described as an assassination attempt at Trump’s Palm Beach, Florida, golf course on Sunday.

    Multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News that the 58-year-old suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, was detained by Florida authorities in relation to the incident. Authorities are now probing for more details on the would-be shooter.

    “I would like to thank everyone for your concern and well wishes – It was certainly an interesting day!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

    “Most importantly, I want to thank the U.S. Secret Service, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and his Office of brave and dedicated Patriots, and, all of Law Enforcement, for the incredible job done today at Trump International in keeping me, as the 45th President of the United States, and the Republican Nominee in the upcoming Presidential Election, SAFE.”

    “THE JOB DONE WAS ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING. I AM VERY PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!” he wrote.

    RELATED: What we know about Ryan Wesley Routh, the suspect in Trump ‘attempted assassination’

    Photo of Routh following his detention by authorities in Florida.

    Martin County Sheriff’s Office

    The former president is expected to meet Monday with the acting director of the Secret Service, Ronald Rowe Jr., sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

    Following the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump, who was shot in the ear, also met with the former director, Kimberly Cheatle, at the time for a briefing.

    On Sunday afternoon, Secret Service agents accompanying Trump fired at a man armed with an AK-47-style rifle on or near the Trump International golf course on Sunday.

    RELATED: How the 1st assassination attempt on Donald Trump unfolded

    The FBI is investigating Sunday’s incident as an “attempted assassination.” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at a news conference Sunday afternoon that the gunman was within 300 to 500 yards of Trump when he was spotted.

    Secret Service agents fired four to six rounds at him before he dropped his weapon and fled the scene in a vehicle. Witnesses reported the license plate number to authorities, and the suspect was stopped and detained.

    It was not clear if the suspect was aiming his gun at the former president. Agents fired at the suspect after spotting his rifle through the fence line, multiple sources told ABC News.

    Sources said three shell casings believed to be associated with the suspect’s AK-47 were found on the scene, though investigators are still evaluating whether the suspect fired his weapon. The rifle and two backpacks containing a GoPro camera and ceramic tiles were recovered from the scene, Bradshaw said.

    Authorities are now probing Routh’s background. The detainee is believed to have ties to North Carolina and Hawaii, sources said. Sources told ABC News that the FBI is conducting an extensive investigation into Routh’s social media activity, travel and any criminal record. Friends, family and associates are also being sought for interviews.

    The suspect’s family is telling investigators that while Routh had no diagnosed mental illness, he “fixated” on things, multiple sources briefed on the investigation told ABC News.

    An avenue of investigation is whether Routh became fixated on Trump over the former president’s stance on Ukraine. Routh appears to have made recent social media posts critical of Trump and used social media to document his travel to Ukraine.

    According to the sources, Trump was getting ready to putt on the fifth hole when a Secret Service agent called out “gun!” Agents immediately surrounded Trump and took him to a predetermined secure location at the property. USSS often has these safe areas designated in advance.

    Sources familiar with the investigation said authorities are looking into whether Routh had grievances related to Trump’s position on Ukraine.

    Authorities are expected to file charges relating to the incident in the coming days, sources told ABC News.

    President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both condemned the apparent assassination effort.

    “As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country, and I have directed my team to continue to ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President’s continued safety,” Biden said in a statement.

    Harris said she was “thankful” that Trump was safe and “deeply disturbed by the possible assassination attempt.”

    “As we gather the facts, I will be clear: I condemn political violence. We all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence,” Harris said.

    On Monday morning, Biden said he believes the Secret Service needs more help and called on Congress to act following the second apparent attempted assassination attempt on Donald Trump in nine weeks.

    “Thank God the president is OK,” Biden said before boarding Marine One to depart the White House. “One thing I want to make clear: The service needs more help. And I think the Congress should respond to their needs if they, in fact, need more servicemen, and so that’s what we’re going to be talking about.”

    Asked what kind of help he thought the Secret Service needs, Biden said, “They’re deciding whether they need more personnel or not.”

    CNN contributed to this report.

    Copyright © 2024 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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  • Gunman in Trump assassination attempt saw rally as ‘target of opportunity,’ FBI official says

    Gunman in Trump assassination attempt saw rally as ‘target of opportunity,’ FBI official says

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    Gunman in Trump assassination attempt saw rally as ‘target of opportunity,’ FBI official says

    The gunman in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump searched online for events of both Trump and President Joe Biden and saw the Pennsylvania campaign rally where he opened fire last month as a “target of opportunity,” a senior FBI official said Wednesday.Thomas Matthew Crooks, who shot at Trump from a nearby roof before being killed by a Secret Service countersniper, did extensive research for an attack before the shooting and had looked at any number of events or targets, including the current and former president, said Kevin Rojek, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office.The new details were disclosed as FBI officials, in the latest in a series of briefings about the investigation, revealed that they had yet to uncover a motive for the July 13 attack in Butler, Pennsylvania, despite conducting nearly 1,000 interviews“We have a clear idea of mindset, but we are not ready to make any conclusive statements regarding motive at this time,” Rojek said.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

    WASHINGTON —

    The gunman in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump searched online for events of both Trump and President Joe Biden and saw the Pennsylvania campaign rally where he opened fire last month as a “target of opportunity,” a senior FBI official said Wednesday.

    Thomas Matthew Crooks, who shot at Trump from a nearby roof before being killed by a Secret Service countersniper, did extensive research for an attack before the shooting and had looked at any number of events or targets, including the current and former president, said Kevin Rojek, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Pittsburgh field office.

    The new details were disclosed as FBI officials, in the latest in a series of briefings about the investigation, revealed that they had yet to uncover a motive for the July 13 attack in Butler, Pennsylvania, despite conducting nearly 1,000 interviews

    “We have a clear idea of mindset, but we are not ready to make any conclusive statements regarding motive at this time,” Rojek said.

    This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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  • LIVE: Acting Secret Service boss says he ‘cannot defend’ why roof in Trump shooting was unsecured

    LIVE: Acting Secret Service boss says he ‘cannot defend’ why roof in Trump shooting was unsecured

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    The Secret Service’s acting director told lawmakers on Tuesday that he considered it indefensible that the roof used by the gunman in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump was unsecured, faulting local law enforcement for not circulating vital information to federal authorities.Ronald Rowe testified that he recently visited the shooting site and said, “What I saw made me ashamed.”The testimony from Rowe amounted to the most detailed catalogue to date of law enforcement failings and miscommunications, with the Secret Service boss accepting blame for his own agency’s mistakes while also criticizing local law enforcement for not sharing information that a gunman, later identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, had been spotted on a roof near the rally site in the minutes before the July 13 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania.That information, he said, had been kept “siloed” among the local officers on the scene.“It is troubling to me that we did not get that information as quickly as we should have,” Rowe said. “We didn’t know that there was this incident going on.”The FBI, meanwhile, disclosed new details about Crooks, with Deputy Director Paul Abbate saying a social media account believed to be associated with the gunman suspected in the assassination attempt espoused political violence and included antisemitic and anti-immigrant sentiment. The posts were from the 2019 and 2020 timeframe, when Crooks would have been in high school.Rowe became acting director of the Secret Service last week after Kimberly Cheatle resigned in the aftermath of a House hearing in which she was berated by lawmakers of both major political parties and failed to answer specific questions about the communication failures preceding the Trump rally shooting.Sen. Lindsey Graham, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said if something like this happened in the military, “a lot of people would be fired. And if a lot of people are not fired, the system failed yet again.”He added: “Nothing’s going to change until somebody loses their job.”The hearing came a day after the FBI released new details about its investigation into the shooting, revealing that the gunman had looked online for information about mass shootings, power plants, improvised explosive devices and the May assassination attempt of the Slovakian prime minister.The FBI also said that Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, has agreed to be interviewed by agents as a crime victim. The bureau said last week that the former president had been struck in the ear by a bullet or a bullet fragment. Trump, who appeared at events over the next few days with a bandage on his right ear, said he expects the interview to take place on Thursday.Most of the questions Tuesday were expected to be directed at Rowe as lawmakers demand answers about how Crooks was able to get so close to Trump. Investigators believe Crooks fired eight shots in Trump’s direction from an AR-style rifle after scaling the roof of a building of some 147 yards from where Trump was speaking.One rallygoer was killed, and two others were injured. Crooks was shot dead by a Secret Service counter-sniper.At Cheatle’s hearing last week, she said the Secret Service had “failed” in its mission to protect Trump. She called the attempt on Trump’s life the Secret Service’s “most significant operational failure” in decades and vowed to “move heaven and earth” to get to the bottom of what went wrong and make sure there’s no repeat of it.Cheatle acknowledged that the Secret Service was told about a suspicious person two to five times before the shooting at the rally. She also revealed that the roof from which Crooks opened fire had been identified as a potential vulnerability days before the rally.Cheatle said she apologized to Trump in a phone call after the assassination attempt.In a Monday night interview on Fox News Channel, Trump defended the Secret Service agents who protected him from the shooting but said that someone should have been on the roof with Crooks and that there should have been better communication with local police.“They didn’t speak to each other,” he said.He praised the sniper who killed Crooks with what he said was an amazing shot but noted: “It would have been good if it was nine seconds sooner.”

    WASHINGTON —

    The Secret Service’s acting director told lawmakers on Tuesday that he considered it indefensible that the roof used by the gunman in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump was unsecured, faulting local law enforcement for not circulating vital information to federal authorities.

    Ronald Rowe testified that he recently visited the shooting site and said, “What I saw made me ashamed.”

    The testimony from Rowe amounted to the most detailed catalogue to date of law enforcement failings and miscommunications, with the Secret Service boss accepting blame for his own agency’s mistakes while also criticizing local law enforcement for not sharing information that a gunman, later identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, had been spotted on a roof near the rally site in the minutes before the July 13 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania.

    That information, he said, had been kept “siloed” among the local officers on the scene.

    “It is troubling to me that we did not get that information as quickly as we should have,” Rowe said. “We didn’t know that there was this incident going on.”

    The FBI, meanwhile, disclosed new details about Crooks, with Deputy Director Paul Abbate saying a social media account believed to be associated with the gunman suspected in the assassination attempt espoused political violence and included antisemitic and anti-immigrant sentiment. The posts were from the 2019 and 2020 timeframe, when Crooks would have been in high school.

    Rowe became acting director of the Secret Service last week after Kimberly Cheatle resigned in the aftermath of a House hearing in which she was berated by lawmakers of both major political parties and failed to answer specific questions about the communication failures preceding the Trump rally shooting.

    Sen. Lindsey Graham, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said if something like this happened in the military, “a lot of people would be fired. And if a lot of people are not fired, the system failed yet again.”

    He added: “Nothing’s going to change until somebody loses their job.”

    The hearing came a day after the FBI released new details about its investigation into the shooting, revealing that the gunman had looked online for information about mass shootings, power plants, improvised explosive devices and the May assassination attempt of the Slovakian prime minister.

    The FBI also said that Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, has agreed to be interviewed by agents as a crime victim. The bureau said last week that the former president had been struck in the ear by a bullet or a bullet fragment. Trump, who appeared at events over the next few days with a bandage on his right ear, said he expects the interview to take place on Thursday.

    Most of the questions Tuesday were expected to be directed at Rowe as lawmakers demand answers about how Crooks was able to get so close to Trump. Investigators believe Crooks fired eight shots in Trump’s direction from an AR-style rifle after scaling the roof of a building of some 147 yards from where Trump was speaking.

    One rallygoer was killed, and two others were injured. Crooks was shot dead by a Secret Service counter-sniper.

    At Cheatle’s hearing last week, she said the Secret Service had “failed” in its mission to protect Trump. She called the attempt on Trump’s life the Secret Service’s “most significant operational failure” in decades and vowed to “move heaven and earth” to get to the bottom of what went wrong and make sure there’s no repeat of it.

    Cheatle acknowledged that the Secret Service was told about a suspicious person two to five times before the shooting at the rally. She also revealed that the roof from which Crooks opened fire had been identified as a potential vulnerability days before the rally.

    Cheatle said she apologized to Trump in a phone call after the assassination attempt.

    In a Monday night interview on Fox News Channel, Trump defended the Secret Service agents who protected him from the shooting but said that someone should have been on the roof with Crooks and that there should have been better communication with local police.

    “They didn’t speak to each other,” he said.

    He praised the sniper who killed Crooks with what he said was an amazing shot but noted: “It would have been good if it was nine seconds sooner.”

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  • Trump rally gunman looked online for information about Kennedy assassination: FBI director

    Trump rally gunman looked online for information about Kennedy assassination: FBI director

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    WASHINGTON — A week before Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire on former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, he became “very focused” on Trump and the rally, FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

    Crooks also searched for information on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, he said.

    Wray told Congress in the last few days the FBI has been able to analyze a laptop connected to Crooks.

    “On July 6, he did a Google search for quote, ‘how far away was Oswald from Kennedy?’ So that’s a search that’s obviously significant in terms of his state of mind,” Wray said.

    SEE ALSO | Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigns assassination attempt on Trump

    He added that Crooks had pictures of public figures on his phone, but had “no rhyme or reason” to their methodology.

    The FBI director said there is no apparent motive yet for the July 13 assassination attempt.

    “We’re hoping to learn more, and we’re still exploiting a number of digital devices,” Wray said.

    Crooks went to the site a week before the assassination attempt, he also said.

    “He traveled to the grounds, I think, a week before, he spent roughly 20 minutes there,” he said. “Then he went to grounds again on the morning of the event, it appears, for about 17 minutes.” Crooks went to the site a third time “for good.”

    Crooks flew a drone about 200 yards from the rally venue and had it up in the air for about 11 minutes, he testified.

    ALSO SEE: New details reveal officers left post to look for Crooks before Trump shooting

    “We have recovered a drone that the shooter appears to have used,” Wray said, adding the drone was recovered in the shooter’s vehicle.

    “It appears that around 3:50 p.m., 4 o’clock, in that window, on the day of shooting, that the shooter was flying the drone around the area,” he said.

    “Let me be clear about the area, not over the stage, and that part of the area itself, but I would say about 200 yards, give or take away,” he said.

    Wray said it appears the shooter was a “loner” and didn’t have a lot of contacts in his cell phone.

    “A lot of people describe him as a loner … that does kind of fit with what we’re seeing in his devices. You know, his list of contacts, for example, is very short, compared to what you would normally see from most people … there doesn’t appear to be a whole lot of interaction between him, you know, face to face or digital, with a lot of people,” Wray said.

    The FBI has conducted over 400 interviews with “many more to conduct,” he said.

    Border threat

    In addition to questions about the assassination attempt against Trump, the FBI director was asked about the threat emanating from the southern U.S. border.

    Over the past five or six years, the number of known or suspected terrorists encountered along the southern border “has increased,” and “that should be of concern,” Wray testified.

    He also said that it doesn’t take a lot of foreign terrorists to be a “real problem.”

    “I am increasingly concerned that foreign terrorists could seek to exploit vulnerabilities at our Southwest border or at other ports of entry or in other aspects of our immigration system to facilitate an attack here in the United States. I think that is something we have to be concerned about,” he said.

    Election threats

    Wray also said the Russians are continuing attempts to “influence” and “in various ways interfere with our democracy.”

    “In fact, just in the last few weeks, we announced a significant disruption of a generative AI, enhanced social media and a bot farm, essentially of the Russians that was designed, designed to be an influence operation, and some of the fake, fictitious profiles of those bots purported to be US persons, so they’re still at it,” Wray said.

    Copyright © 2024 ABC News Internet Ventures.

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  • Trump rally gunman looked online for information about Kennedy assassination, FBI director says

    Trump rally gunman looked online for information about Kennedy assassination, FBI director says

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    The gunman in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump is believed to have done a Google search one week before the shooting of “How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?” FBI Director Christopher Wray said Wednesday, revealing new details about a suspect he said had taken a keen interest in public figures but had otherwise not left behind clear clues of an ideological motive. The search, recovered from a laptop tied to 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, is a reference to Lee Harvey Oswald, the shooter who killed President John F. Kennedy from a sniper’s perch in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.The revelation to the House Judiciary Committee was part of a collection of new details offered by Wray about the July 13 shooting at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The FBI’s investigation has thrust the bureau into a political maelstrom months before the presidential election, with lawmakers and the public pressing for details about what may have motivated Crooks in the most serious attempt to assassinate a president or presidential candidate since President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.The FBI has built out a detailed timeline of Crooks’ movements and online activity, but the precise motive — or why Trump was singled out — remains elusive, Wray said.“A lot of the usual repositories of information have not yielded, anything notable in terms of motive or ideology,” Wray said. He did note that Crooks had grown interested in public officials — besides Trump, Crooks also had photos on his phone of Democratic President Joe Biden and other prominent figures — and in the days before the shooting had appeared particularly consumed by Trump, the Republicans’ White House nominee.Video below: FBI Director Christopher Wray says Trump rally shooter Google searched details of Lee Harvey Oswald and JFK assassination Wray also said that Crooks, about two hours before the shooting, had flown a drone about 200 yards from the rally stage where Trump would later stand and that Crooks used the device to livestream and watch footage. The use of the drone so close the rally site just hours before Trump took the stage for the rally add to the questions about the security lapses preceding the event.Wray pledged to lawmakers that the FBI would “leave no stone unturned” in its investigation.“I have been saying for some time now that we are living in an elevated threat environment, and tragically the Butler County assassination attempt is another example — a particularly heinous and public one — of what I’ve been talking about,” Wray said.The hearing had been scheduled well before the shooting, as part of the committee’s routine oversight of the FBI and the Justice Department. Questions about the shooting dominated the session.Despite being appointed by Trump, Wray typically faces antagonistic questions from the Republican-led panel, a reflection of lingering discontent over the FBI’s investigation into potential ties between Russia and the 2016 campaign, when Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton.That sentiment was made clear early in the hearing when the committee chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told Wray: “I’m sure you understand that a significant portion of the country has a healthy skepticism regarding the FBI’s ability to conduct a fair, honest, open and transparent investigation.”The FBI so far has avoided the same level of scrutiny over the shooting directed at the Secret Service over security failures that preceded the shooting and has led to the the resignation of Director Kimberly Cheatle,The FBI has said it is investigating the shooting, which killed one rallygoer and seriously injured two others, as an act of domestic terrorism and an attempted assassination. Trump’s campaign said the presumptive GOP nominee was doing “fine” after the shooting, which Trump said pierced the upper part of his right ear.

    WASHINGTON —

    The gunman in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump is believed to have done a Google search one week before the shooting of “How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?” FBI Director Christopher Wray said Wednesday, revealing new details about a suspect he said had taken a keen interest in public figures but had otherwise not left behind clear clues of an ideological motive.

    The search, recovered from a laptop tied to 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, is a reference to Lee Harvey Oswald, the shooter who killed President John F. Kennedy from a sniper’s perch in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.

    The revelation to the House Judiciary Committee was part of a collection of new details offered by Wray about the July 13 shooting at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The FBI’s investigation has thrust the bureau into a political maelstrom months before the presidential election, with lawmakers and the public pressing for details about what may have motivated Crooks in the most serious attempt to assassinate a president or presidential candidate since President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981.

    The FBI has built out a detailed timeline of Crooks’ movements and online activity, but the precise motive — or why Trump was singled out — remains elusive, Wray said.

    “A lot of the usual repositories of information have not yielded, anything notable in terms of motive or ideology,” Wray said. He did note that Crooks had grown interested in public officials — besides Trump, Crooks also had photos on his phone of Democratic President Joe Biden and other prominent figures — and in the days before the shooting had appeared particularly consumed by Trump, the Republicans’ White House nominee.

    Video below: FBI Director Christopher Wray says Trump rally shooter Google searched details of Lee Harvey Oswald and JFK assassination

    Wray also said that Crooks, about two hours before the shooting, had flown a drone about 200 yards from the rally stage where Trump would later stand and that Crooks used the device to livestream and watch footage. The use of the drone so close the rally site just hours before Trump took the stage for the rally add to the questions about the security lapses preceding the event.

    Wray pledged to lawmakers that the FBI would “leave no stone unturned” in its investigation.

    “I have been saying for some time now that we are living in an elevated threat environment, and tragically the Butler County assassination attempt is another example — a particularly heinous and public one — of what I’ve been talking about,” Wray said.

    The hearing had been scheduled well before the shooting, as part of the committee’s routine oversight of the FBI and the Justice Department. Questions about the shooting dominated the session.

    Despite being appointed by Trump, Wray typically faces antagonistic questions from the Republican-led panel, a reflection of lingering discontent over the FBI’s investigation into potential ties between Russia and the 2016 campaign, when Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton.

    That sentiment was made clear early in the hearing when the committee chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told Wray: “I’m sure you understand that a significant portion of the country has a healthy skepticism regarding the FBI’s ability to conduct a fair, honest, open and transparent investigation.”

    The FBI so far has avoided the same level of scrutiny over the shooting directed at the Secret Service over security failures that preceded the shooting and has led to the the resignation of Director Kimberly Cheatle,

    The FBI has said it is investigating the shooting, which killed one rallygoer and seriously injured two others, as an act of domestic terrorism and an attempted assassination. Trump’s campaign said the presumptive GOP nominee was doing “fine” after the shooting, which Trump said pierced the upper part of his right ear.

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  • The stepped-up security around Trump is apparent, with agents walling him off from RNC crowds

    The stepped-up security around Trump is apparent, with agents walling him off from RNC crowds

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    On the floor of the Republican National Convention Tuesday evening, vice presidential candidate JD Vance greeted and shook hands with excited delegates as he walked toward his seat.Video above: See former President Donald Trump’s entrance at Day 2 of the RNCIt was a marked contrast from former President Donald Trump, who entered the hall a few minutes later and was separated from supporters by a column of Secret Service agents. His ear still bandaged after an attempted assassination, Trump closely hugged the wall. Instead of handshakes or hellos for those gathered, he offered fist pumps to the cameras.The contrast underscores the new reality facing Trump after a gunman opened fire at his rally in Pennsylvania Saturday, raising serious questions about the agency that is tasked with protecting the president, former presidents and major-party candidates. Trump’s campaign must also adjust to a new reality after he came millimeters from death or serious injury — and as law enforcement warns of the potential for more political violence. Trump campaign officials declined to comment on the stepped-up security and how it might impact his interactions going forward. “We do not comment on President Trump’s security detail. All questions should be directed to the United States Secret Service,” said Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung.Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whose agency oversees the Secret Service, said Monday that he could not discuss “specifics of the protection or the enhancements made, as they involve sensitive tactics and procedures. I can say, however, that personnel and other protective resources, technology, and capabilities have been added.”Video below: Get the Facts: Verifying claims made about security at Trump rallyThe Secret Service had already stepped up Trump’s protection in the days before the attack following an unrelated threat from Iran, two U.S. officials said Tuesday. But that extra security didn’t stop the gunman, who fired from an adjacent roof, from killing one audience member and injuring two others along with Trump.The FBI and Homeland Security officials remain “concerned about the potential for follow-on or retaliatory acts of violence following this attack,” according to a joint intelligence bulletin by Homeland Security and the FBI and obtained by The Associated Press. The bulletin warned that lone actors and small groups will “continue to see rallies and campaign events as attractive targets.”Underscoring the security risks, a man armed with an AK-47 pistol, wearing a ski mask and carrying a tactical backpack was taken into custody Monday near the Fiserv Forum, where the convention is being held.The attack has led to stepped-up security not only for Trump. President Joe Biden’s security has also been bolstered, with more agents surrounding him as he boarded Air Force One to Las Vegas on Monday night. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also received Secret Service protection in the shooting’s wake.Related video below: Biden orders Secret Service for RFK Jr.Trump’s campaign has also responded in other ways, including placing armed security at all hours outside their offices in Florida and Washington, D.C.Trump has already scheduled his next rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Saturday. That’s where he will appear with Vance for their first event as a presidential ticket. But the new posture complicates, at least for now, the interactions Trump regularly has with supporters as he signs autographs, shakes hands and poses for selfies at events and on airplane tarmacs.In many cities he visits, the campaign assembles enthusiastic supporters in public spaces like restaurants and fast food joints. Sometimes Trump stops by unannounced. The images and video of his reception and interactions — circulated online by his campaign staffers and conservative media — have been fundamental to his 2024 campaign.During the GOP primaries, in particular, his easy interactions served as a contrast to his more awkward top rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. But those events can get rowdy and chaotic. While he was in New York during his criminal hush money trial, Trump aides arranged a series of visits to a local bodega, a local firehouse and a construction site. Before his arrival at the bodega in Harlem, thousands of supporters and onlookers gathered behind metal barricades for blocks to watch his motorcade arrive and cheer. But others in the neighborhood were frustrated by the visit, including people being dropped off at a bus stop just in front of the store, and others trying to enter their apartments after work. At one point, an individual who lived in the building started shouting from a window that was just above the entrance where Trump would eventually stand and give remarks to the cameras and answer reporters’ questions.Long before the shooting, convention organizers had clashed with the Secret Service over the location of protest zones at the convention. RNC leaders repeatedly asked officials to keep protesters farther back than had been originally planned, arguing that an existing plan “creates an elevated and untenable safety risk to the attending public.”One person familiar with the dispute said that the original plan would have put protesters “a softball throw away” from delegates and close enough to throw projectiles over the fence.The protest area was eventually moved, but the episode still raises frustrations and suspicions among some Trump allies.___Associated Press writer Colleen Long in Washington contributed to this report.

    MILWAUKEE —

    On the floor of the Republican National Convention Tuesday evening, vice presidential candidate JD Vance greeted and shook hands with excited delegates as he walked toward his seat.

    Video above: See former President Donald Trump’s entrance at Day 2 of the RNC

    It was a marked contrast from former President Donald Trump, who entered the hall a few minutes later and was separated from supporters by a column of Secret Service agents. His ear still bandaged after an attempted assassination, Trump closely hugged the wall. Instead of handshakes or hellos for those gathered, he offered fist pumps to the cameras.

    The contrast underscores the new reality facing Trump after a gunman opened fire at his rally in Pennsylvania Saturday, raising serious questions about the agency that is tasked with protecting the president, former presidents and major-party candidates. Trump’s campaign must also adjust to a new reality after he came millimeters from death or serious injury — and as law enforcement warns of the potential for more political violence.

    Trump campaign officials declined to comment on the stepped-up security and how it might impact his interactions going forward.

    “We do not comment on President Trump’s security detail. All questions should be directed to the United States Secret Service,” said Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung.

    Evan Vucci

    Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump arrives during the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum, Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

    Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whose agency oversees the Secret Service, said Monday that he could not discuss “specifics of the protection or the enhancements made, as they involve sensitive tactics and procedures. I can say, however, that personnel and other protective resources, technology, and capabilities have been added.”

    Video below: Get the Facts: Verifying claims made about security at Trump rally

    The Secret Service had already stepped up Trump’s protection in the days before the attack following an unrelated threat from Iran, two U.S. officials said Tuesday. But that extra security didn’t stop the gunman, who fired from an adjacent roof, from killing one audience member and injuring two others along with Trump.

    The FBI and Homeland Security officials remain “concerned about the potential for follow-on or retaliatory acts of violence following this attack,” according to a joint intelligence bulletin by Homeland Security and the FBI and obtained by The Associated Press. The bulletin warned that lone actors and small groups will “continue to see rallies and campaign events as attractive targets.”

    Underscoring the security risks, a man armed with an AK-47 pistol, wearing a ski mask and carrying a tactical backpack was taken into custody Monday near the Fiserv Forum, where the convention is being held.

    The attack has led to stepped-up security not only for Trump. President Joe Biden’s security has also been bolstered, with more agents surrounding him as he boarded Air Force One to Las Vegas on Monday night. Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also received Secret Service protection in the shooting’s wake.

    Related video below: Biden orders Secret Service for RFK Jr.

    Trump’s campaign has also responded in other ways, including placing armed security at all hours outside their offices in Florida and Washington, D.C.

    Trump has already scheduled his next rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Saturday. That’s where he will appear with Vance for their first event as a presidential ticket.

    But the new posture complicates, at least for now, the interactions Trump regularly has with supporters as he signs autographs, shakes hands and poses for selfies at events and on airplane tarmacs.

    In many cities he visits, the campaign assembles enthusiastic supporters in public spaces like restaurants and fast food joints. Sometimes Trump stops by unannounced. The images and video of his reception and interactions — circulated online by his campaign staffers and conservative media — have been fundamental to his 2024 campaign.

    During the GOP primaries, in particular, his easy interactions served as a contrast to his more awkward top rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

    But those events can get rowdy and chaotic. While he was in New York during his criminal hush money trial, Trump aides arranged a series of visits to a local bodega, a local firehouse and a construction site.

    Before his arrival at the bodega in Harlem, thousands of supporters and onlookers gathered behind metal barricades for blocks to watch his motorcade arrive and cheer. But others in the neighborhood were frustrated by the visit, including people being dropped off at a bus stop just in front of the store, and others trying to enter their apartments after work.

    At one point, an individual who lived in the building started shouting from a window that was just above the entrance where Trump would eventually stand and give remarks to the cameras and answer reporters’ questions.

    Long before the shooting, convention organizers had clashed with the Secret Service over the location of protest zones at the convention. RNC leaders repeatedly asked officials to keep protesters farther back than had been originally planned, arguing that an existing plan “creates an elevated and untenable safety risk to the attending public.”

    One person familiar with the dispute said that the original plan would have put protesters “a softball throw away” from delegates and close enough to throw projectiles over the fence.

    The protest area was eventually moved, but the episode still raises frustrations and suspicions among some Trump allies.

    ___

    Associated Press writer Colleen Long in Washington contributed to this report.

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  • Polis orders flags to be lowered in honor of volunteer firefighter killed during Trump assassination attempt

    Polis orders flags to be lowered in honor of volunteer firefighter killed during Trump assassination attempt

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    DENVER — Colorado Governor Jared Polis on Monday ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff in honor of the Pennsylvania volunteer firefighter who was killed during an assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.

    Trump was speaking at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday when shots rang out. Corey Comperatore, 50, was shielding his family from gunfire when he was killed, according to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Two other attendees of the rally were also injured in the shooting.

    Trump said he was hit in the upper part of his right ear before being ushered off the stage. He was reportedly checked out at a local hospital before flying back to New Jersey overnight, where he has a home.

    National

    Man killed at Trump rally shooting was ‘hero’ who protected his family

    10:46 AM, Jul 14, 2024

    Polis ordered the flags to be lowered to half-staff Tuesday from sunrise to sunset to honor Comperatore. In a statement, the Colorado governor called Comperatore a hero.

    “My thoughts are with hero Corey Comperatore’s family and friends during this terrible time. There are no words that can take away the pain of this moment, but together we can help honor his life and the man that he was. That’s why I’m directing that flags be lowered in Colorado,” said Polis. “The last few days have been traumatic for all Americans, and we unite to mourn the tragic loss of Corey Comperatore.”

    The FBI identified the shooter early Sunday as a 20-year-old from Pennsylvania. Secret Service personnel “neutralized the shooter” within minutes of him opening fire, according to law enforcement.

    Read more about the attack here:

    The Follow Up

    What do you want Denver7 to follow up on? Is there a story, topic or issue you want us to revisit? Let us know with the contact form below.

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  • Colorado Dems decry State House rep’s ‘sympathy for the devil’ post following Trump rally shooting

    Colorado Dems decry State House rep’s ‘sympathy for the devil’ post following Trump rally shooting

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    DENVER — The chair of the Colorado Democratic Party said the party condemns the apparent assassination attempt that unfolded at a rally for former President Donald Trump on Saturday.

    Shad Murib also decried the words used by one of the party’s own. Shortly after news spread of a shooting at the Pennsylvania rally – in which Trump was apparently shot in the ear – State House Rep. Steven Woodrow on social media referred to the reaction to the attack as “sympathy for the devil.”

    “The last thing America needed was sympathy for the devil but here we are,” Woodrow, who represents Colorado’s District 2, wrote in the post, which was quickly deleted.

    Murib shared a screenshot of the post to his own account, writing: “This is a regrettable tweet and [Colorado Dems] condemn it.”

    In the same post, he denounced Colorado congresswoman Lauren Boebert for “recklessly and dangerously blaming President Biden for today’s attack.” Boebert said in an appearance on another Denver news station that she believes President Joe Biden is responsible for Saturday’s shooting, referencing a comment the president allegedly made following his debate with Trump earlier this month that it was “time to put Trump in a bullseye.”

    Before addressing Woodrow’s social media post, Murib had condemned Saturday’s shooting.

    “There is no place in our country for political violence and we strongly condemn the attack on former President Trump at his rally,” he wrote on social media.

    More Trump rally shooting Colorado reaction: ‘Violent extremism,’ impact on the election and more

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    Landon Haaf

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