Republicans launch investigation into assassination attempt at Trump rally and point to possible security gaps

Republican lawmakers have announced they will immediately launch an investigation into how a sniper managed to evade Secret Service agents, climb to the roof of a building near where Donald Trump was speaking at a campaign rally, and fire several shots before he was killed.

Initial media reports suggest that the shooter was outside the security perimeter of the rally site in Butler, Pennsylvania.

A witness interviewed by the BBC said he tried to warn police and the Secret Service about the sniper, but his warnings went unheeded.

Trump supporters sharply criticized the Secret Service, which is primarily responsible for protecting Trump as a former US president.

Billionaire Elon Musk called for the agency’s leadership to resign.

“How could a sniper with a full gun crawl on the back of a bear onto the roof closest to a presidential candidate?” asked conservative activist Jack Posobiec on X.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said on social media that the House would subpoena Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle and other officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FBI for a committee hearing “as soon as possible.”

The Secret Service announced shortly after the incident that it had opened an investigation and informed Democratic President Joe Biden, Trump’s rival in the upcoming election. The agency did not immediately respond to further requests for comment on its records.

The Pennsylvania State Police referred their questions to the Secret Service, which did not immediately respond.

Ben Maser, a participant outside the rally site, noticed that two police officers appeared to be looking for someone and began searching the area himself. “I saw the guy on the roof. I told the police officer he was up there. He went looking for him,” said Maser, a 41-year-old welder.

The attack is likely to prompt a review of Trump’s security measures, likely to be comparable to heightened protections as a sitting president, said Joseph LaSorsa, a former intelligence agent who served in the presidential secret service. “There will be an intense review of the incident and a massive re-orientation,” LaSorsa said. “That cannot happen.”

The Secret Service said it recently added “protective resources and capabilities” to Trump’s security staff, but did not provide further details.

A retired agent who worked in the security service, speaking anonymously, said the incident should trigger an internal and, ideally, an external investigation. “The seriousness of the situation requires a thorough investigation to prevent such failures in the future and to ensure accountability at all levels,” the former agent said.

The Secret Service is usually assisted by local police in securing rally sites. Agents from other DHS agencies, such as the Transportation Security Administration, occasionally help as well.

Ensuring security at Trump’s rallies, which often draw thousands of attendees and take place outdoors, is no easy task.

Before events, officers search venues for bombs or other threats. Trump arrives in a reinforced motorcade. Police officers set up security barriers and require attendees to go through metal detectors and be patted down by officers.

Paul Eckloff, a former Secret Service agent, said agents had checked all rooftops within sight in advance. “This person either hid until he became a threat or was not a threat until he showed his weapons,” Eckloff said.

After Trump was injured, Secret Service members quickly surrounded him and formed a human shield. Heavily armed agents entered the stage and searched the area for further threats. Trump was taken to a local hospital by agents in a black SUV, according to the campaign.

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