DHS Secretary Mayorkas speaks after shooting at Trump rally

Evan Lambert and Rich McHugh

6 hours ago

(NewsNation) — The building from which the man who tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump fired his gun has been placed under surveillance by local authorities, a U.S. intelligence source told NewsNation.

The source said it is common for local police to monitor areas outside the grounds of an event because they know them better. The gunman was targeted at a rally Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania, on a building about 130 yards from Trump’s stage.

“The Secret Service was responsible for those security measures,” Butler County, Pennsylvania, District Attorney Richard Goldinger confirmed to NewsNation. He said he was unaware of any county units assigned to the building, but if that’s true, it could have been another agency. Goldinger added that he didn’t want to get into a fight with the Secret Service by pointing fingers.

A local officer checked the roof and found the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, the source said, but he did not attack because he could not reach his weapon and Crooks’ gun was pointed at him.

According to the source, the shooter was spotted in the security process as he entered the rally, but officers lost him in the crowd as they tried to follow him. He was then spotted on the roof and the officer checked him before backing away. Crooks then opened fire. A Secret Service sniper killed him shortly afterward.

FBI technical specialists managed to gain access to Crooks’ phone and are now analyzing his electronic devices.

The Secret Service is still investigating how the crooks got onto the roof. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the shooter’s motive and connections are still being investigated.

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the violence our country witnessed that day,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said at a press conference on Monday.

Mayorkas said Trump had been given increased protection because of the shooting and in light of his nomination as the Republican presidential candidate.

Former USSS speaks out

Secret Service snipers at Saturday’s rally did what they were trained to do: eliminate the threat, Melanie Burkholder, a former Secret Service agent, said in an interview with NewsNation.

“They would have been strategically placed to keep an eye on every part of the arena or venue,” Burkholder said.

Beth Celestini, who worked for the Secret Service for over 20 years before retiring three years ago, said the agency does “planning ahead” wherever it is stationed. Depending on the situation, the planning can be done weeks or even months in advance, she added.

“The Secret Service always works with local and state law enforcement,” Celestini said. “We can’t handle this job alone. We have to rely on state and local authorities, and everyone has their job. And I think it’s too early to say exactly what happened.”

The Crooks’ shots injured but did not kill Trump and two people present, David Dutch (57) and James Copenhaver (74). Corey Comperatore (50) was killed while protecting his family from the fire.