An independent panel is now calling for extensive reform of the United States Secret Service.
The panel investigating the July 13 attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, issued a 52-page report Thursday, saying the Secret Service is in need of "fundamental reform" and new leadership.
"The work of the Independent Review Panel uncovered not only numerous mistakes that led to the events of July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, but also deeper, systemic issues that must be addressed with urgency," the report's authors wrote in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
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"Thousands of men and women have dedicated their lives to the Secret Service, and we remain grateful to them for their bravery, selflessness, and willingness to serve in a vital role," the letter states. "But the Secret Service as an agency requires fundamental reform to carry out its mission. Without that reform, the Independent Review Panel believes another Butler can and will happen again."
The independent review identified key failures the Secret Service experienced the day of the assassination attempt.
Trump, who was wounded in his right ear in the attack, was addressing supporters when a gunman fired several rounds at him from a nearby rooftop. A Secret Service sniper returned fire seconds later, killing the shooter.
At the same time, agents rushed Trump off the stage while he pumped his fist into the sky as a sign to his supporters that he was OK. The shooting left Trump and two of his supporters wounded, and killed retired firefighter Corey Comperatore.
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The incident has placed intense scrutiny on the agency as questions have emerged on how a gunman was able to access the rooftop so close to the rally and get a direct shot at the former president before Secret Service agents engaged.
Last month, Secret Service acting director Ronald Rowe Jr. acknowledged the agency's failures, saying "complacency" among agents also played a role in the day's events.
"This was a failure on the part of the United States Secret Service," Rowe Jr. said at a press conference. "It’s important that we hold ourselves to account for the failures of July 13th and that we use the lessons learned to make sure that we do not have another failure like this again."
