The acting head of the Secret Service, Ronald Rowe Jr., faced tough questions from lawmakers during a joint Senate committee hearing following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The incident occurred at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., where a gunman fired eight shots from a rooftop, killing one person and critically injuring two others. Rowe expressed his shame over the agency's failure to secure the rooftop where the attack took place. Lawmakers, particularly Republicans, demanded immediate action, with Senator Josh Hawley calling for people to be fired over the security shortcomings. Rowe defended his decision to conduct an internal investigation before taking any punitive actions, promising to get to the bottom of the security lapse. FBI officials revealed that the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, who has since died, had expressed extremist views and advocated political violence in online posts discovered recently.

During the hearing, Rowe shared images of the unsecured rooftop, emphasizing that it was a failure that needed to be rectified. He acknowledged that the agency had underestimated the potential threats and vowed to improve security measures at future events, including deploying more countersnipers and utilizing drones. The lapse in communication between local police and Secret Service agents responsible for Trump's security detail was also scrutinized by lawmakers, highlighting a need for better coordination. The FBI's investigation into Crooks revealed his online activity, indicating a history of expressing extremist and violent ideologies.

Victims of the assassination attempt were identified as Corey Comperatore, who died trying to protect his family, along with David Dutch and James Copenhaver, who were critically injured during the rally. Lawmakers expressed concern over the lack of transparency in communicating updates to the public following the incident. The fallout from the security failure has prompted a reevaluation of protocols within the Secret Service to prevent similar occurrences in the future.