WASHINGTON — The U.S. Secret Service is investigating a security breach that allowed a gunman armed with an AR-style rifle to shoot and injure former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. This incident represents a significant failure in the agency’s core duties.

The gunman, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was killed by Secret Service personnel after firing multiple shots at the stage from an elevated position outside the rally venue, the agency reported.

An Associated Press analysis of videos, photos, and satellite imagery from the Trump rally site revealed that the shooter was alarmingly close to the stage where the former president was speaking. A video posted on social media, geolocated by the AP, showed the body of a man in gray camouflage lying on the roof of a nearby manufacturing plant just north of the Butler Farm Show grounds, where the rally took place.

The roof where the gunman positioned himself was less than 150 meters (yards) from Trump’s location, a distance at which a proficient marksman could reasonably target a human-sized figure. For context, this distance is similar to that used in U.S. Army training exercises for qualifying with the M16 assault rifle. The AR-15 used by the shooter is a civilian version of the military M16.

FBI officials identified the shooter early Sunday, prompting a joint investigation with the Secret Service and Pennsylvania State Police. During a late-night news conference, FBI Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek expressed surprise at the gunman's ability to fire shots before being neutralized.

The Secret Service’s counter sniper team and counter assault team, nicknamed "Hercules" and "Hawkeye" respectively, were present at the rally to manage threats. Despite their presence, the breach occurred, prompting scrutiny and calls for investigation from lawmakers and officials across the political spectrum.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas condemned the violence and pledged full cooperation in ensuring the safety of presidential candidates and their campaign events.

Lawmakers, including House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres, called for inquiries into the security lapse, emphasizing the need to prevent such incidents in the future.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers underscored the need for heightened security measures ahead of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, urging against political violence.

The FBI assured it would lead the investigation, with Attorney General Merrick Garland vowing to deploy all available resources to uncover the details behind the attack, denouncing it as an assault on democracy.

The incident has sparked national concern and renewed focus on security protocols for political events, aiming to prevent similar breaches in the future. — Agencies