WASHINGTON: A US Secret Service probe found communication gaps and a lack of diligence before the July attempted assassination of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“There was complacency on the part of” some agents “that led to a breach of security protocols”, acting director Ronald Rowe told reporters on Friday, adding that agency employees will be held accountable.

“These penalties will be administered according to our disciplinary process,” Rowe said, declining to provide specifics.

The assassination attempt against Trump at the July 13 rally led to widespread criticism of the Secret Service and the resignation of its former director. Critics raised concerns about how the suspect was able to access a nearby rooftop with a direct line of sight to where the former president was speaking.

Rowe defended the Secret Service’s actions in a separate apparent assassination attempt against Trump at his Florida golf club on Sunday. In that case, a Secret Service agent fired at a suspect after spotting a rifle poking through the tree line. The suspect did not fire a shot and did not have a line of sight to Trump, who was golfing a few hundred metres away.

The suspect, identified as Ryan Routh, 58, fled. He was later arrested and charged with gun offences. He is expected to appear in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday. “It appears that those agents, those supervisors, made swift decisions and made correct decisions,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2024