Washington.- As the FBI investigates the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump at a campaign rally, Congress and the Department of Homeland Security have begun their own investigations into the widespread security failures, including by the Secret Service, that allowed the attack to occur.
The overlapping investigations, some just announced and others underway, are seeking to understand how the 20-year-old gunman was able to open fire on Trump at the rally in western Pennsylvania, wounding the former president, killing one audience member and seriously injuring two others.
While the FBI’s criminal investigation is trying to uncover the shooter’s motives, other investigations are hoping to focus on security lapses linked to the attack.
Congress oversees the Secret Service, and at least four House and Senate committees have said they will launch investigations, with the first hearing scheduled for next week.
President Biden also announced the launch of an independent national security investigation.
Among the questions facing the Secret Service are why it failed to adequately secure the building where the shooter fired from the roof, which was less than 500 feet away from the stage where Trump was speaking.
Lawmakers have also pointed to the officers’ conduct in the moments after the shooting, including allowing Trump to remain on the stage and raise his fist to the crowd.
The FBI is leading the main criminal investigation into the shooting, and federal officials have said they have found no evidence of a larger plot but have not ruled out any possibility.
The FBI reported on Monday that it managed to gain access to the shooter’s cell phone but has not yet discovered the motive. The shooter has been identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks.
He has no criminal record and no strong political beliefs, and federal investigators hope information on the phone will shed light on the shooting.
Because Congress can subpoena and review documents and evidence from all federal, state, and local agencies, a congressional investigation would be better equipped to provide a full, independent review of the assassination attempt.
Although their answers may not satisfy everyone, as was the case with the Warren Commission, whose conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone has been subject to speculation and debate for decades.
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