Secret Service Admits Identifying Trump Attacker an Hour Before Shooting

US law enforcement officials have disclosed that the would-be assassin of Donald Trump was flagged as "suspicious" by the Secret Service up to an hour before he began shooting, but was lost in the crowd.

This revelation came during closed briefings to lawmakers in the House and Senate on Wednesday. 

Wyoming Senator John Barrasso told Fox News that the Secret Service identified the attacker one hour before the attack due to his possession of a rangefinder and a backpack. However, the suspect was lost in the crowd. "You would think over the course of that hour, you shouldn't lose sight of the individual," Barrasso said. 

The gunman, who opened fire at a Trump rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, had visited the site, Butler County fairgrounds, at least once in the days prior to the attack. He had also conducted internet searches for depressive disorder symptoms and images of both Trump and President Joe Biden, according to an official familiar with the briefing, as reported by the BBC.

FBI Director Christopher Wray informed lawmakers that more than 200 interviews had been conducted and 14,000 images reviewed. Despite this, many Republican senators expressed frustration over the lack of transparency from investigators. Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn and others were outraged that Trump was allowed to take the stage even after a threat had been identified.

"I am appalled to learn that the Secret Service knew about a threat prior to President Trump walking on stage," Blackburn tweeted.

A law enforcement official told CBS News that a sniper from a local tactical team took a picture of the gunman looking through the rangefinder and reported it to a command post. The 20-year-old gunman was later spotted on a building roof 20 minutes before the attack. He was killed by Secret Service snipers within 26 seconds of opening fire on Trump.

Senators have criticized the Secret Service for security failures and have called for the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. Utah Senator Mike Lee and Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson were particularly vocal, with Johnson describing the briefing as "unbelievably uninformative."

House Speaker Mike Johnson has also called for Cheatle’s resignation and announced plans to open a bipartisan investigation. He stated that the investigation would aim to provide answers and accountability to the American people.

FBI Director Wray mentioned that no motive has yet been identified for the gunman. Cheatle, a 27-year veteran of the Secret Service, is scheduled to testify next week before the House Oversight Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee. She has indicated that the agency relied on local police to secure the building where the gunman had positioned himself.

Butler Township Manager Tom Knights told CBS that a local officer encountered the gunman on the roof moments before the attack. He saw the suspect pointing a rifle directly at him. As he was in a defenseless position, the officer had to retreat and immediately alerted others to the threat. The shooting began shortly after.

The Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general is investigating the incident, and President Biden has directed an independent review.

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