By By Micheal Chukwuebuka
Six U.S. Secret Service agents have been suspended over security lapses related to the attempted assassination of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania last year, a source confirmed.
The disciplinary action comes just days before the one-year anniversary of the July 13, 2024, shooting, in which Trump sustained an injury to his ear.
Corey Comperatore, a firefighter who attended the rally in support of Trump, was fatally shot during the attack.
ALSO READ: How Injured Trump Was Rescued From Rally Stage During Gunshots
Secret Service countersnipers on duty returned fire and killed the gunman, later identified by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.
An independent investigation led by the Department of Homeland Security later revealed multiple security failures that contributed to Trump’s exposure to the gunman.
Kimberly Cheatle, the Secret Service director at the time, stepped down from her role 10 days after the shooting.
The suspensions, which were handed down over the past few months, came with an option for the agents to appeal. According to an informed official, the disciplinary measures ranged from 10 to 42 days.
Sources indicated that the suspended agents held various roles, from supervisory positions to standard field agents.
Less than 10 weeks after the Butler incident, Trump faced another suspected assassination attempt while playing golf at his West Palm Beach course in Florida.
Following both threats, the Trump campaign adopted heightened security measures, and the former president was given presidential-level protection as event planning protocols were reevaluated.
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