Secret Service and local law enforcement officials said Sunday that there are no plans to change security measures for this week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Law enforcement agencies on Saturday reiterated their faith in the security apparatus already in place, saying their security footprint would remain as planned despite the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
“We do not anticipate any changes to our operational security plans for this incident,” said Secret Service RNC coordinator Audrey Gibson-Cicchino. He declined to answer several questions about Saturday’s events in Pennsylvania, citing his jurisdiction over the RNC.
Gibson-Cicchino emphasized that security planning in the city of Milwaukee has been ongoing for 18 months and has already been designated as a top security incident.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle in Milwaukee, referring to specific threats against this week’s gathering, said there was “no known specific express threat during the RNC or to any individual attendee,” but that there was a higher level of online “conversation” conspiracy. about the attempt.
In a separate news briefing Sunday, FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate said the number of threats of online violence, which were already on the rise, had increased since the attack.
Given the possibility of guns in the soft security perimeter around the convention’s Fiserv Forum arena — a result of Wisconsin’s open carry laws — Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said the city of Milwaukee cannot restrict guns anywhere in the state. rules.
“We can’t legislate this as a city,” Norman said of the state’s open carry allowances, adding that “from a law enforcement perspective, we have to operate within those guidelines.”
Trump arrived in Milwaukee on Sunday evening, his plane landing minutes before 6 p.m. local time. In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said he would delay his trip to Wisconsin by two days, but decided he couldn’t let a “shooter” or potential assassin force him to change the plan.
Trump’s campaign and congressional officials said in a joint statement that Trump will attend the convention, “we are continuing our convention to nominate him as the 47th president of the United States.”
While security measures are not expected to change, it is unclear how the assassination will affect the programming, tone and focus of the convention. There is an attack strengthened the sense of unity Among top Republicans ahead of the convention, where Trump will be chosen as the GOP’s official nominee.
Gunshots were heard shortly after Trump began his speech on Saturday. He began to cover his ears within seconds of hearing the sounds of gravel.
Trump said that he was hit by a bullet that hit his right ear. Spectator Corey Comperatore died and two others were injured.
ShooterThomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was killed instantly by a Secret Service agent who opened fire on his rooftop, the FBI said. The roof, 148 yards from the stage, outside the rally’s security perimeter, identified as a security vulnerability before the rally. To understand how did he get on the roof Despite these concerns, it is a key question for investigators.