Several U.S. Secret Service agents have reportedly been placed on leave as the agency investigates the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania.
Among those on leave is the head of the Pittsburgh field office, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The incident occurred on July 13 during an outdoor rally in Butler, PA, where Trump was speaking when Thomas Matthew Crooks allegedly scaled the roof of a nearby building and fired eight shots in the direction of the former president. One of the bullets grazed Trump’s ear, while another killed a man in the crowd and wounded two others.
Videos from the event show Crooks surveying the area, walking around the fairgrounds, and eventually positioning himself on the roof just a few hundred yards from Trump. Despite being on law enforcement’s radar and flying a drone over the event, Crooks managed to evade capture by both the police and the Secret Service, raising serious questions about the security measures in place.
The aftermath of the assassination attempt has led to a significant shakeup within the Secret Service. Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned following mounting pressure and calls for accountability, as a Congressional investigation into the security lapse in Butler gets underway.
The Secret Service’s internal affairs department is also conducting a separate probe into the incident, seeking to understand how such a breach occurred and to prevent similar security failures in the future.
Despite the incident, Trump has resumed holding outdoor events, including a recent rally in North Carolina, where he addressed supporters from behind bulletproof glass.