ATLANTA — Questions about how an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump happened continue to be raised, with the security of the event and actions of the United States Secret Service being heavily analyzed.
"We don't care what political party the person we're protecting is. We go in every day and protect our protectees to the very best of our ability. Republican, Democrat, Independent, whoever," Former Special Agent Bobby McDonald said.
He served with the Secret Service for 21 years from 1995 to 2015 and spent his Presidential Protective time with President Clinton and President Bush. He then retired as a Supervisory Special Agent of then Vice President Biden's detail in 2015.
Their goal is to protect. McDonald said they're tasked with protecting high-ranking officials and their families wherever they go. Saturday's assignment was former President Donald Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
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Trump shot in the upper part of his right ear just minutes into the rally. Secret Service rushed to get him to safety. Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed while shielding his family. Two others were left in critical condition.
"That is not a good thing no matter how you slice it. It's important for the Secret Service again to continue to tweak its protective methodologies," McDonald said.
11Alive's Angelina Salcedo spoke to McDonald and former FBI Special Agent Kenneth Gray to learn more about local police being called up to help keep the venue safe.
"Secret Service uses a concentric circle plan to provide security. Secret Service themselves were present in the inner circle inside the rally itself," Gray said. "The next tier around where the building was state police and local police responsible for providing the manpower to provide security in there. Then the outer perimeter, a much greater away, was also local police."
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The former FBI special agent said that despite local police being designated to this building where 20-year-old Thomas Crooks is believed to have fired 8 shots, it shouldn't have been left alone.
"The building should have never been left without some type of security detail, either on the building or at least next to the building to keep it from being used," Gray said.
Gray said the FBI will focus its investigation on two things moving forward - the attempted assassination of the former president and trying to learn a motive. They'll also try to pinpoint what went wrong with the detail provided to secure the area that day.