An internal investigation by the US Secret Service has identified poor planning and a breakdown in communication among a litany of security failures on the day of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump two months ago.
Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe said the interim report suggested “complacency” on the part of some of his agents.
He said the use of different radio frequencies by police and the Secret Service meant Trump’s protection team was unaware that a suspicious person had been identified at the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally.
The report also highlights the failure to secure the building from which the shooter fired. The July 13 attack led to the resignation of the last director of the secret service.
“The Secret Service has not provided clear direction or guidance to local law enforcement partners,” Rowe said Friday.
A gunman fired eight shots at Trump from the rooftop of a building, grazing the Republican presidential candidate’s ear, killing one rallygoer and wounding two others before a Secret Service sniper shot the suspect dead.
Internal findings Friday suggest that Trump’s security detail was unaware that local and state law enforcement were actively pursuing a suspect who turned out to be the shooter.
Had they known, agents might have moved Trump to another location during the search, the report said.
Law enforcement also communicated vital information outside of intelligence radio frequencies.
The suspect was able to gain access to a nearby rooftop with a direct line of sight to where the former president was speaking.
Mr Rowe described a “lack of monitoring” in controlling access to the building and roof.
He added that visibility issues with the building were acknowledged, but were not mitigated or escalated to supervisors.
The acting director said the Secret Service cannot “pass its responsibilities to others” as the agency enters an accountability phase of its review.
“This is a failure on the part of the American secret service,” Mr Rowe said.
“It is important that we hold ourselves accountable for the failures of July 13 and use the lessons learned to ensure that we do not experience such a failure again.”
The agency says disciplinary action will be taken against the officers involved.
The acting director cited a heightened threat environment following the second apparent assassination attempt involving Trump in Florida on Sunday.
He said the agency needed a “paradigm shift.”
Also Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously to strengthen Secret Service protections for presidential and vice presidential candidates. The bill will need to be approved by the Senate.
