Newly reported details about the failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump have sparked a new round of backlash against the U.S. Secret Service.
Authorities identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks as the gunman who opened fire from a nearby rooftop during a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. A bullet narrowly missed Trump’s head, grazing the former president’s ear instead, while and one audience member was killed and two others were injured before Crooks was killed Secret Service agents.
On Wednesday, the Secret Service briefed members of the U.S. Senate with new details on the shooting, reportedly revealing that agents had identified Crooks as suspicious a full hour before the incident took place. Republican senators reacted to the news with outrage, adding to the intense scrutiny that the Secret Service has been facing since Saturday.
“He was identified as being suspicious one hour before the shooting,” Republican Senatore John Barrasso said in a statement to NBC News. “He had a range finder and a backpack. The Secret Service lost sight of him. No one has taken responsibility.”
“This was a 100% cover-your-a** briefing,” he added. “He was identified as being suspicious one hour before the shooting… The Secret Service lost sight of him.”
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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