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A US Secret Service investigation has found communication gaps and a lack of diligence before the July attempted assassination of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania.
“There was complacency on the part of" some agents “that led to a breach of security protocols”, acting Secret Service director Ronald Rowe told reporters on Friday, adding that agency employees will be held accountable.
The assassination attempt against Mr Trump on July 13 led to widespread criticism of the Secret Service and the resignation of director Kimberly Cheatle, with critics raising concerns about how the gunman was able to access a nearby rooftop with a direct line of sight to the rally stage.
One rallygoer was killed and three other people were injured, including Mr Trump, whose ear was grazed by a bullet.
A five-page document summarising the agency's key conclusions finds fault with both local and federal law enforcement, underscoring the cascading and wide-ranging failings that preceded the shooting.
The report released on Friday marks the Secret Service's most formal attempt to catalogue the errors of the day and comes amid fresh scrutiny following Sunday's arrest in Florida of a man who authorities say wanted to kill Mr Trump.
The report details a series of “communications deficiencies” before the shooting by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper after firing eight rounds in Mr Trump's direction from the roof of a building in Butler near where the former president was speaking.
It makes clear that the Secret Service knew even before the shooting that the rally site posed a security challenge.
Among the problems: some local police at the site were unaware of the existence of two communications centres on the grounds, meaning officers did not know that the Secret Service were not receiving their radio transmissions. Law enforcement also communicated vital information outside the Secret Service's radio frequencies.
“The failure of personnel to broadcast via radio the description of the assailant, or vital information received from local law enforcement regarding a suspicious individual on the roof of the AGR complex, to all federal personnel at the Butler site inhibited the collective awareness of all Secret Service personnel,” the report said.
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Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump gestures as he is surrounded by US Secret Service agents and helped off stage at a campaign rally. AP Photo -
Police snipers return fire after shots were fired while Trump was speaking at a campaign event in Butler. AP Photo -
Members of the crowd react as US Secret Service agents surround Trump at the campaign event in Butler. AP Photo -
Trump is helped off stage by US Secret Service agents at a campaign rally in Butler. AP Photo -
Trump supporters laying in the stands after shots were fired at the campaign event. AFP -
People scatter after gunfire rang out during the campaign rally in Pennsylvania. AFP -
Trump is rushed off stage after an incident during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania. EPA -
Blood is seen in the stands after shots were fired at Trump's campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania. AFP -
Trump reacts as shots ring out during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Reuters -
Secret Service agents dive to cover Trump after shots were heard. AP -
Trump is covered by Secret Service agents on stage. AP -
Trump is rushed off stage. EPA -
Trump is shown covered by Secret Service agents. AFP -
Blood can be seen on Trump's head after shots were heard. AFP -
Trump is taken away from rally. ABC/ US Network Pool / Reuters -
Supporters look on as Trump is rushed off stage. EPA -
Trump is pushed into a vehicle by Secret Service agents. AP -
A person is removed by state police from the stands after the shooting. AFP -
Secret Service agents surround the stage. AP -
Secret Service agents patrol after the incident. Reuters -
A Secret Service agent gives directions at the Trump rally. Getty Images / AFP -
The stage after the shooting. Reuters -
People watch the Trump rally on TV. AP -
A monitor displays news from Trump's rally. Bloomberg -
Trump gestures he leaves the stage at the campaign rally. AP Photo
The report raises more serious questions about why no law enforcement personnel were stationed on the roof the gunman climbed on to before opening fire.
The Secret Service understood in advance that the rally site, selected by Mr Trump’s staff because it accommodated the “large number of desired attendees”, was a security challenge because of lines of sight that could be exploited by a would-be attacker.
And yet, the report said, no security measures were taken on July 13 to remove those concerns and the Secret Service lacked detailed knowledge about the local law enforcement support that would even be in place.
The report's executive summary does not identify specific individuals who may be to blame nor does it indicate whether any staff members have been disciplined, though the Associated Press previously reported that at least five Secret Service agents have been placed on modified duty.
