Six Secret Service agents suspended for Trump assassination attempt at Butler rally
Six Secret Service agents have been suspended for failures connected to the attempted assassination Donald Trump
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Six US Secret Service agents have been suspended for failures connected to the attempted assassination of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. The disciplinary actions, confirmed just days before the first anniversary of the attack.The attempted assassination occurred as Trump began speaking at the Butler Farm Show grounds. The gunman, identified by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks , opened fire, grazing Trump's ear.Corey Comperatore, a firefighter attending the rally, died in the attack. Two other attendees were seriously injured. Secret Service countersnipers on-site killed Crooks within moments of the attack.An independent review by the Department of Homeland Security later found significant law enforcement breakdowns that left Trump vulnerable. The report concluded that the Secret Service "does not perform at the elite levels needed to discharge its critical mission," citing bureaucratic stagnation and complacency despite evolving risks and technology.The six suspended agents, whose roles ranged from supervisory to line agent level, received penalties of 10 to 42 days of unpaid leave. The disciplinary measures were issued in recent months and the agents have the right to appeal the decisions.Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn defended the agency's decision not to terminate any personnel, stating, "We aren't going to fire our way out of this. We're going to focus on the root cause and fix the deficiencies that put us in that situation." He emphasized that the Secret Service is "totally accountable for Butler," and highlighted new measures, including the introduction of military-grade drones and improved communication systems with local law enforcement, to prevent similar failures in the future.The fallout from the Butler incident was swift at the highest levels. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned just 10 days after the attack amid bipartisan calls for accountability.The attempted assassination in Butler was followed by a second apparent attempt on Trump's life just nine weeks later while he was golfing in Florida, prompting the Secret Service to grant him presidential-level security and overhaul event planning protocols.The investigation into the Butler attack, led by the FBI and Department of Justice, continues to examine both the shooter's motives and the systemic lapses that allowed the attack to occur.
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