Secret Service director acknowledges responsibility for failure: 'The buck stops with me'

United States Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle looks on during a press conference at the Secret Service's Chicago Field Office on June 4 2024 in Chicago, Illinois, ahead of the 2024 Democratic and Republican National Conventions. (KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

United States Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle acknowledged in an interview that responsibility for the security failure that led to the attempted assassination of former President Trump ultimately rests with herself. 

"The buck stops with me," Cheatle told ABC News on Tuesday morning.

The director acknowledged the incident never should have happened and confirmed that the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, had been identified as a person of interest. But by the time Crooks was located, it was too late to stop his bullets.

"The shooter was actually identified as a potential person of suspicion," she said. "Unfortunately, with the rapid succession of how things unfolded, by the time that individual was eventually located, they were on the rooftop and were able to fire off at the former president." 

Cheatle told ABC News her first reaction to the shooting was "shock." 

She also said the Secret Service was aware of the security vulnerabilities presented by the building Crooks took a sniper's position on to aim at Trump. However, a decision was made not to place any personnel on the roof. 

"That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point. And so, you know, there's a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn't want to put somebody up on a sloped roof. And so, you know, the decision was made to secure the building, from inside."