The assassination attempt on former United States President Donald Trump has raised concerns and questions about the security lapses. According to experts, the assassination bid is seen as a "fundamental security failure".
The oversight committee in the Republican-led House of Representatives demanded answers from the Secret Service for its utter failure. The panel said it would call Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle to testify at a hearing on 22 July. This is a biggest security lapse, said the committee.
“Americans demand answers about the assassination attempt of President Trump,” the panel said in a statement.
Since the attempted assassination of Republican President Ronald Reagan in 1981, this is the first incident of shooting a US president.
Experts pointed out the lapses in the pre-event research and real-time monitoring of places.
An eyewitness had told BBC that he saw a man armed with a rifle crawling up a roof near the event. He also said that he tried to alert security, pointing at the man.
"It is shocking how a gunman was able to occupy a raised position within rifle range of the rally site," Retired Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agent Jim Cavanaugh told Skynews.
The AR-15, the weapon used by the shooter can hit targets 600 feet away. Reportedly, Trump's rally site was about 444 feet from the rooftop where the shooter was shot dead.
There were also rumours that Trump’s team had requested additional security resources at the rally, which was turned down. The spokesperson of the Secret Service had refuted such claims.
"There's an untrue assertion that a member of the former president's team requested additional security resources & that those were rebuffed," said Anthony Guglielmi on X.
"This is absolutely false. In fact, we added protective resources & technology & capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel tempo," he added.
However, Former Secret Service agent Evy Poumpouras said it is impossible to eliminate every potential threat at a rally.
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Security ramped up
In the wake of the incident, the officials are planning to ramp up security across the US amid election campaigns.
Ahead of the Republican convention, Wisconsin governor, Tony Evers, said, “My staff and I are in contact with those coordinating security planning for the RNC and will continue to be in close communication as we learn more about this situation.”
According to the Secret Service, firearms will not be allowed inside the main event space of the Fiserv Forum or other buildings where RNC events are set to take place, or in the so-called “hard perimeter” around the convention where credentials are required for entry.
In New York, police increased security at Trump Tower in Manhattan. “Out of an abundance of caution, the NYPD is surging officers to certain sites across the five boroughs,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams wrote on X.
The Biden campaign will also similarly be on high alert.
