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Trump shooter was already considered a threat before the attack, then got lost in the crowd

Theo

Image source, Getty Images

Image description, Investigators on the roof of the building from which the attack took place

  • Author, Max Matza
  • Role, BBC News

Donald Trump’s would-be assassin was marked as “suspicious” up to an hour before the shooting began and his phone history showed he had been searching for pictures of the Republican, senators learned, as calls for the US intelligence chief to resign grew louder.

In two closed briefings to law enforcement officials in the House and Senate on Wednesday, including the Secret Service, provided limited new information about the security forces and the man who opened fire at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

Wyoming Senator John Barrasso said the Secret Service told them they spotted the attacker an hour before the attack but then lost sight of him in the crowd.

“He was identified as a suspect because he had both a rangefinder and a backpack. And that was over an hour before the shooting actually occurred,” he told Fox News.

“So you would think that during this hour you shouldn’t lose sight of the individual.”

During the press conference, it was also revealed that the shooter had visited the crime scene, the Butler County Fairgrounds, in the days before the attack and had previously checked his phone for symptoms of a depressive disorder, an official familiar with the press conference told CBS News, the BBC’s news partner.

The attacker had also used his phone to search for pictures of Trump and President Joe Biden. FBI Director Wray told lawmakers in the call that more than 200 interviews had already been conducted and 14,000 images had been reviewed.

Several Republican senators criticized the investigators’ lack of transparency during their call and expressed outrage that Trump was allowed to take the stage even after a threat had been identified.

“I am appalled that the Secret Service knew of a threat before President Trump took the stage,” tweeted Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.

A law enforcement official involved in the investigation told CBS that a sniper from a local tactical team deployed to assist the Secret Service took a photo of the shooter looking through the rangefinder and immediately radioed the sighting to a command post.

According to ABC News and other U.S. media, the 20-year-old gunman was spotted again on the roof of a building 20 minutes before the attack began, officials said.

He was killed by Secret Service snipers within 26 seconds of opening fire on Trump.

Several senators participating in the conference call complained that investigators had not answered their questions and called for the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.

“The egregious security failures and lack of transparency surrounding the assassination attempt on President Trump require an immediate change in leadership at the Secret Service,” tweeted Utah Senator Mike Lee.

Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson called the briefing to lawmakers “incredibly uninformative” and said investigators had only answered four questions from lawmakers.

Other senior Republicans also called for Ms. Cheatle’s resignation. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said after the call that “the nation deserves answers and accountability” and that a change in leadership at the Secret Service would be “an important step in that direction.”

House members were also briefed by police authorities on Wednesday on security measures and events following Saturday’s shooting.

Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson also called on Ms Cheatle to resign. He announced that he would launch an investigation in the House of Representatives.

“It will be a mix of Republicans and Democrats to get to the bottom of this quickly so the American people get the answers they deserve,” he told Fox News.

FBI Director Chris Wray, who was involved in the calls, told lawmakers that no motive for the shooter has yet been identified.

Ms. Cheatle, who has worked for the Secret Service for 27 years, is scheduled to testify next week before the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee.

The attack is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General, and President Biden said he would order an independent investigation.

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