Several Secret Service agents have been placed on leave following an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, according to a report by Real Clear Politics.
The report, citing three sources, indicates that multiple members of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Pittsburgh Field Office have been placed on administrative leave as part of the ongoing investigation into the incident. Other agents have stepped in to cover their duties during this period.
Administrative leave is typically used when a government employee is temporarily relieved of their duties due to an investigation or other concerns. Following the shooting at the Butler rally, former USSS Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned from her position. Thomas Matthew Crooks, the assailant, managed to evade security, climb onto a roof, and fire several shots at Trump and the crowd. Acting USSS Director Ronald Rowe has since assumed Cheatle’s responsibilities.
Although Crooks missed a fatal shot at Trump, only grazing the GOP nominee’s ear, audience members were not as fortunate. Corey Comperatore was fatally wounded while shielding his wife and daughters from the gunfire, and two other men were critically injured but survived.
In the wake of the incident,