An impossible task

Dear Readers, Political assassinations are a part of our civic fabric.  Historically, Julius Caesar was assassinated by a cowardly Roman Senate, which resonates with the “Ides of March” and Shakespeare’s attribution, “Et tu, Brute?”  Italy’s city-states were rife with poisonings and intrigue, leading Machiavelli to tome on navigating politics.  In the 20th Century, the shooting murder of Arch-Duke Ferdinand supposedly lit the wick of World War I.  

This is what has been the norm in the United States – shootings.  The first major tragedy we experienced was President Abraham Lincoln’s fateful assassination at the Ford Theater.  A disgruntled office seeker killed James Garfield.  William McKinley was shot dead by an anarchist.  Of course, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was cut down by Lee Harvey Oswald, eerily similar to the sniper attempt on Donald Trump.

During the Civil War, there were rumors of multiple threats to Abraham Lincoln’s life. The Pinkerton Detective Agency had been hired as a protective detail to identify potential threats and dangers; however, there was no formal protective agency for the President.

The Civil War brought with it massive counterfeiting, as well as the Confederate bills (now worthless) printed and in circulation.  In 1865, the Secret Service was formed within the Department of Treasury to stamp out this rampant counterfeiting and other financial crimes.  In 1901, after the assassination of President McKinley, the government was also tasked with presidential protection.  In 2003 (following post-9/11 governmental reorganization), it was re-housed under the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security while still maintaining a core mission of federal financial crimes.

We have the infamous image of the Secret Service preventing a Presidential assassination, with agents’s efforts to (barely) successfully foil John Hinckley’s crazed attempt on Ronald Reagan’s life.  But, don’t forget, Gerald Ford survived two (2) failed attempts at his life – one connected to the Helter Skelter evil of Charles Manson.  His life was saved by an unchambered pull of the trigger (Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme) and jostling in the crowd (Sara Jane Moore).  

Thomas Matthew Crooks clipped Donald Trump’s right ear, killed a man shielding his family and severely injured two (2) others.  He was a gun enthusiast, although his marksmanship was less than stellar.  His weapon of choice was an AR-15, which, at the distance of a mere 150 yards, was not designed to require sniper skills, as Lee Harvey Oswald had trained himself to be.  

Crooks fits the pattern of spree killers: young adult, disaffected, social misfit, and a white male.  At present, law enforcement has failed to uncover a motive or much of a digital footprint.  The best we know is his father was a libertarian, Crooks was a registered Republican, and he was searching the internet for diverse potential political targets such as the DNC Convention.

Questions abound.  Crooks was highly visible tens of minutes before the shooting on the top of a building roof, which, while outside (there is no explanation of why) the protective perimeter, posed a threat.  Even before his presence on the roof, he was in a field with a range-finder.  It is not clear if this information was conveyed to the Secret Service detail. There was also a delay in getting Mr. Trump to safety.  

Conspiracy theories are spreading like wildfire. Some are seeing the attempt on Mr. Trump’s life as orchestrated by the Joe Biden’s White House. Some question if this was a staged shooting to create sympathy for Mr. Trump.  We need to resist these and let events unfold – which takes time.

This comes back to respect for law enforcement and the legal system. There are certainly correctable lessons to be learned, as the attempted assassination was missed by a whisker. Let’s just take a breath and see what we can learn.

The big picture, though, is how fragile life is.  After all, a father and husband is dead.  The Secret Service (assuming the suspicious activities were communicated) should have acted quicker; it might have taken more preventative steps, but Crooks was not an obvious threat.  The AR-15 and ammunition purchased were “legal,” although there is a debate on both accounts, as Crooks was not yet 21.

We cannot protect ourselves from maladjusted young men if firearms are so accessible.  The ultimate lesson to be learned from Donald Trump’s brush with death is that, in America, we can never trust in our physical safety.  The Secret Service’s mission goal to protect the President is not achievable.

Warner Robins attorney Jim Rockefeller is the former Chief Assistant District Attorney for Houston County, and a former Assistant State Attorney in Miami.  Owner of Rockefeller Law Center, Jim has been in private practice since 2000.  E-mail your comments or confidential legal questions to ajr@rockefellerlawcenter.com.