Secret Service Acknowledges Responsibility in Trump Assassination Attempt

The U.S. Secret Service acting chief stated that local police in Pennsylvania should not be held liable for the security breach during the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Acting Director Ronald Rowe admitted the failure was entirely on the Secret Service, leading to the resignation of former Director Kimberly Cheatle.

The acting chief of the U.S. Secret Service announced that local Pennsylvania police should not be blamed for security failures surrounding last month's assassination attempt on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

"In no way should any state or local agency supporting us in Butler on July 13th be held responsible for a Secret Service failure," Acting Director Ronald Rowe told reporters on Friday. "This was a Secret Service failure. That roof line should have been covered - we should have had better eyes on (that)." In earlier congressional testimony, Rowe had attributed the lapse to local law enforcement.

The shooting incident, the first of its kind targeting a U.S. president or major party candidate in more than four decades, exposed significant security lapses and led to the resignation of former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. The suspect, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, fired shots that injured Trump's right ear, killed a rally attendee, and wounded two others with an AR-15-style rifle before being fatally shot by snipers.

(With inputs from agencies.)