Who is responsible for security failure at Trump’s Pennsylvania rally?

Reporter: Taylor Wirtz Writer: Elyssa Morataya
Published: Updated:

Now that the shock of what took place at former President Donald Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday has worn off, the blame game has begun.

The Butler County sheriff said his department was not in charge of sweeping the roof where the shooter fired his shots.

“The Sheriff’s office was not asked to do that,” said Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe.

U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Chettle told ABC News that the Secret Service did not clear the roof either since it was outside the inner perimeter of the rally, but she said there were local police assigned to protect the area, with officers actually inside the building.

Butler Township Police is directing all questions to Pennsylvania State Police, which said it “provided all resources” requested by the Secret Service and is directing further questions to the FBI.

“The buck stops with me. I am the director of the Secret Service. It was unacceptable, and it’s something that shouldn’t happen again,” said U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.

Cheatle said it was her duty to investigate what went wrong.

Retired FBI special agent Brett Hood told WINK News that regardless of who was in charge of sweeping the building, he believes the Secret Service still has responsibility for the president.

“Even though you rely on local law enforcement, it’s just like a leader in your organization who delegates responsibility to a lower organizational member. If things go bad, the leader at the top is still responsible for whatever happens,” said Hood.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has called the shooting a “security failure” but expressed confidence in the Secret Service.

He said a team will be put together to conduct an independent review of Saturday’s security lapses. The findings will then be made public.

Mayorkas, Cheatle and FBI director Christopher Wray are set to appear before a congressional committee next week.

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