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Former FBI agent weighs in on Donald Trump assassination attempt

Former Special Agent Fred Olivares retired from the FBI after 26 years

SAN ANTONIO – It’s an image replaying in the minds of Americans -- former United States President Donald Trump grabbing his ear while speaking at his own rally in Pennsylvania after being grazed by a bullet.

“When you saw that, what did you think?” asked reporter Daniela Ibarra.

“I think, how could that have happened?” said Fred Olivares, a retired FBI agent and owner of Talon Investigations.

In the seconds after the shooting, Olivares said Secret Service agents did their jobs by shielding the president.

“It was typical procedure,” he said. “I mean, you have to protect Donald Trump. That was your assignment. Those Secret Service agents, you know, they pretty much -- you put their life in jeopardy to protect Trump.”

But what led up to the shooting is what Olivares deems unacceptable.

“The Secret Service dropped the ball,” he said. “It’s a failure to, for that to happen. It is really a failure.”

The FBI identified a 20-year-old as the suspected shooter.

U.S. Secret Service said he fired multiple shots at the stage “from an elevated position outside the rally venue.”

“It’s unbelievable,” said Olivares. “You have a clear line of sight, a clear shot for 100 yards.”

“Do you think someone should be held accountable?” asked Ibarra.

“Somebody’s supposed to cover that roof,” responded Olivares. “Somebody missed that. Yes. Somebody will be held accountable.”

KSAT asked Olivares how security protocols could be changed moving forward.

“That’s the disturbing thing because the protocols are already in place,” he said. “The protocols are there. Whether they were not adhered to, whether somebody ignored them -- we don’t know.”


About the Authors
Daniela Ibarra headshot

Daniela Ibarra joined the KSAT News team in July 2023. This isn’t her first time in the KSAT newsroom– the San Antonio native spent the summer of 2017 as an intern. Daniela is a proud Mean Green alum, earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of North Texas.

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