WASHINGTON, USA: Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has stated she will not resign despite facing criticism over the recent shooting at former President Donald Trump’s rally. Speaking to ABC News, Cheatle described the shooting as “unacceptable” and emphasized that she takes full responsibility for the investigation, asserting, “the buck stops with me.”
Cheatle clarified that local authorities were responsible for securing the building from which the shooter fired an AR-style rifle. Local police were reportedly inside the building when the shooter was on the roof. The Butler Township police directed inquiries to the Pennsylvania State Police, who affirmed they provided all requested resources and referred investigative questions to the FBI.
Footage analyzed by The Washington Post revealed the shooter began firing 86 seconds after rally attendees alerted the police. Cheatle acknowledged the brief time lapse between identifying the shooter and the attack, labeling the incident a security “failure.” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas echoed this sentiment, and Cheatle concluded by stating such attacks “shouldn’t happen” and expressed that it was a scenario no Secret Service agent wishes to encounter in their career.
