An eyewitness at former President Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, spoke out about the “extremely lax” security at the event after gunshots rang out on Saturday.
Benjamin Shrader, who was invited to the battleground state rally by Trump himself, told Fox News Digital that the security was “terrible.”
“My first thing that I have to say is that security at this event was terrible,” he said. “It was extremely lax.”
Former President Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face surrounded by Secret Service agents after an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)
Shrader said that the security at the special guest section was “great,” but overall security at the major political rally was “lax.”
“I had to give all my information and security in the special guest section and that was great,” he said. “But overall for the event, the security was extremely lax.”
Overall, for the event, the security was extremely lax.
Shrader added that the screening for general admission before the event was lacking.
“There were only metal detectors and then a pat down. That was it,” he said. “There was nobody going around the fences and somebody could have easily thrown a gun in.”
SHOOTING AT TRUMP RALLY BEING INVESTIGATED AS ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
The U.S. Secret Service (USSS) later said, in a news release, that the suspected shooter fired from an “elevated position,” killing at least one person and critically injuring two others.
One person was killed and two others were injured during an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Shrader said that he witnessed a “ton of blood” following the successive gunfire.
“I was standing, when I heard the gunfire, I turned around and a person maybe three meters behind me was hit,” he said. “There was a ton of blood.”
He continued: “I turned to look at the president, and he put his hand to his right, to his face and then held it up [in a fist].”
Eyewitness Benjamin Shrader described Trump’s response to the assassination attempt on his life as courageous and “truly admirable.” (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
Shrader said “there was no rush” after the gunfire and that security let everyone leave the area.
“There was no kind of lock down. There was nothing,” he said. “The best Secret Service people seemed to surround Trump after he got hit, but there was no kind of lock down. It was very confusing.”
ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON TRUMP AT PENNSYLVANIA RALLY LEAVES 2 HURT, 2 DEAD, INCLUDING SHOOTER
It was chaos…
Former President Donald Trump is covered by U.S. Secret Service agents after an attempted assassination at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, July 13. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Trump showed “courage” that was “truly admirable” during the chaotic incident, according to Shrader.
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“I wish the best to the president, and, I wish him nothing but good health,” he said. “He was strong. He held up a fist and the show of such courage in a moment like that is truly admirable.”
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