The Secret Service’s top official said her agency was “totally responsible” for the failures in protecting Donald Trump from a would-be assassin at his Pennsylvania rally last weekend, contrasting her earlier comments that suggested Butler County law enforcement had a hand in the debacle.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle centered the blame on her agency for allowing 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks to access a rooftop and open fire on the former president — even as police snipers and rally onlookers alerted authorities about the suspect’s behavior.
Crooks shot and killed one rallygoer, wounded two others and fired a bullet that grazed Mr. Trump’s ear before he was killed by Secret Service snipers.
“At that particular site, we divided up areas of responsibility, but the Secret Service is totally responsible for the design and implementation and the execution of the site,” Ms. Cheatle told CNN on Tuesday.
Ms. Cheatle said earlier this week that local law enforcement was in charge of guarding the area that Crooks used for his attack since it was outside of the Secret Service’s perimeter.
Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldlinger said separately that the federal agency knew local police “did not have the manpower to assist with securing that building.”
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That account was confirmed by a Secret Service official, according to the Washington Post.
Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe also said local law enforcement “did everything that they could” and urged people to not turn them into a scapegoat.
Ms. Cheatle walked back her earlier comments when speaking with CNN, and instead praised the local authorities that included Pennsylvania State Police, Butler Township police and deputies from the sheriff’s office.
“What I was trying to stress was that we just divided up areas of responsibility, and they provided support to those areas of responsibility,” Ms. Cheatle told CNN about the role of local law enforcement. She added that the agency “couldn’t do our job without them.”
The agency leader said it was her call to keep snipers inside the building that Crooks eventually used as his shooting perch.
She told ABC News that the structure’s sloped roof presented a safety hazard for countersnipers, so they were ordered to stay inside.
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Those same snipers radioed for backup after seeing Crooks carrying a bag by the building. Bystanders also called police once they saw Crooks climb onto the roof.
Two Butler Township police officers responded to the scene, and one of them was lifted up to the roof’s edge to investigate the suspect.
Police said Crooks noticed the officer, turned around and pointed his gun at the cop.
The officer lost his grip on the roof and fell to the ground. Crooks opened fire on the rally moments later.
Former fire chief Corey Comperatore, 50, died while shielding his family from the hail of bullets.
Two other men suffered serious wounds from the shooting, but both are now in stable condition.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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