How shooter at Trump rally could have slipped through the cracks

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Security at rallies and events like former President Trump's in Butler, Pennsylvania are planned for weeks and in some cases, months. But a former FBI agent in Columbus explains how a shooter could slip through the cracks.

"I was an FBI agent for 30 years, been involved in a lot of protection details," former FBI agent Harry Trombitas told NBC4. "This is just, again, a situation where somebody found a weakness, and they were able to, you know, take advantage of it."

Trombitas said the FBI is just one of many law enforcement entities working together to support the lead agency, the United States Secret Service.

"They, in my opinion, are the best in the world at protecting somebody," Trombitas said. "Having said that, I truly know and I believe that it's impossible to protect somebody 100% of the time."

Trombitas said the FBI will typically begin the investigation into what happened and how.

"Interviews are being conducted by everyone that might have any kind of a piece of information. So that's going on right away," Trombitas said. "You're also trying to identify who the shooter was, what their background was. Are they part of any kind of group."

And with shootings like the one that unfolded Saturday, Trombitas said the suspect almost always shows signs of hatred or unrest through comments, social media or acting out of the ordinary.

"If you see something, say something. It's so critical that we count on our fellow citizens to, you know, let us know if they hear anything at all. Because often times there's what we call leakage," Trombitas said. "And that's when somebody is expressing their frustration, their desire to act. And somebody typically hears that."

The FBI elevated threat levels last October, which meant the threats and chatter of violence, including political violence, were heating up.

"I think most Americans understand that the way we voice our opposition or our favor for a particular person is through voting, not to take matters into our own hands and try to hurt somebody," Trombitas said. "That doesn't solve anything."