Three questions about the security arrangements at the meeting

Hours after the attack in Butler, Pennsylvania, voices are being raised to denounce possible security breaches around the campaign rally attended by the Republican presidential candidate.

Security measures criticized after assassination attempt on Donald Trump. The former US president and Republican presidential candidate was injured in the ear on Saturday, July 13, during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania (northeast). A man positioned on a roof was able to fire several shots before being shot dead by the US Secret Service, which ensures the security of the president and former presidents of the United States. A participant in the rally was also killed and two others seriously injured, according to the police.

Since then, voices have been raised to denounce possible security breaches. The country has experienced several attacks against leading political figures in its history. Four presidents have fallen under the bullets of an assassin during their term. Franceinfo returns to three questions that arise after the assassination attempt against Donald Trump.

How did an armed man manage to position himself on a roof near the meeting?

The FBI identified the shooter on Sunday morning, a few hours after the incident as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The Secret Service, which is in charge of security at the scene, says the shooter fired “towards the stage from an elevated position, outside the gathering” before being “neutralized” by the agents.

Amateur videos of the scene published on X, authenticated by the Révélateurs of France Télévisions, show a man with long hair, lying on the roof of a building in gray-beige clothing and armed with a long weapon. He was about a hundred meters from the stage where Donald Trump climbed, according to CNN’s analysis.

“There will be a long investigation to determine exactly what happened and to understand how the individual was able to gain access to this place.”stressed Kevin Rojek, FBI agent in charge of the Pittsburgh office, to the press, quoted by CNN. Also according to the American media, George Bivens, deputy head of operations at Pennsylvania State Police, said the investigation is expected to include “where failures occurred and what can be improved in the future”. Defending the secret services, he recalled that he was “incredibly difficult to have a place that is both open to the public and secure against any possible threat from a determined attacker”.

Did the police take into account the warnings from witnesses?

Several witnesses said they saw the shooter before the shooting and alerted Butler police. The police said they “responded to a number of reports of suspicious activity,” without giving further details.

A man interviewed by the BBC said he saw an individual armed with a rifle climb onto a roof. Several people then pointed at the individual in an attempt to alert security, according to the same testimony. “The police did not understand what was happening”he says.

A rally participant named Ben Macer explained to CBS Pittsburgh that he had seen the suspect “move from roof to roof”. He claims to have reported the shooter’s presence to an officer. “When I turned to go back to where I was, that’s when the gunshots started, and then it was chaos, and we all ran away.”he continued.

“Americans demand answers on attempted assassination of President Trumpthe commission insisted in its press release published on X.