GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The assassination attempt on Former President Donald Trump at his rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday left many with questions.
One question in particular: How was the shooter able to obtain roof access to a nearby building about 150 meters away from him?
West Michigan native and former Secret Service agent, Jason Russell, said he's still in shock after yesterday's rally took a turn for the worst.
Russell has provided security protection for several U.S. presidents and was a Secret Service agent for almost a decade.
He said Secret Service agents train for weeks to prevent assassination attempts like the one that happened on Saturday.
Russell said yesterday's shooter was located on a down-sloped roof of a nearby building, not a part of the secured perimeter. Therefore, security wouldn't have checked that area before the rally.
He said he's proud that the agents were able to safely evacuate Trump, but he believes the Secret Service may face serious questions about their security footprint.
"I think one of the things that we always said at the Secret Service is, 'If the guns come out, then we failed somehow,' right?" Russell said. "I think you're going to see the agency say, 'Yes, in some ways, this was a failure, because we actually had to, you know, bring the guns out, evacuate the president. Somebody was able to get a shot off.'"
However, Russell said it isn't always realistic to believe the Secret Service can eliminate 100% of threats.
"Do I think that it's reasonable to think that the Secret Service can eliminate 100% of the threats, 100% of the time? It's just that they're still human beings, right?” said Russell.
Russel said for those attending large-scale events, it’s important to be prepared and aware of your surroundings.