Butler Township police officer Drew Blasko warned officials of security blind spots days before a gunman opened fire at a rally for former President Donald Trump. The shooting left one man dead and three others injured, including the former president.
The incident is being called the largest security failure in 40 years. It has led to the resignation of the Secret Service director, a congressional investigation, and questions from top lawmakers on how this could have happened.
In the month-long investigation, Spotlight PA, ProPublica, and the Butler Eagle found long-standing flaws in Secret Service protections that were not unique to the rally but evidence of an already weak system.
The newsrooms spent weeks finding sources in several states, requesting records, and combing through data and hours of bodycam footage.
To unpack how the reporters conducted their investigation, join us Thursday, Nov. 21, from 6-7 p.m. on Zoom for a free behind-the-scenes panel hosted by Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. We’ll discuss how the newsrooms found records, sources, and analyzed data to get the story.
Our panelist include:
Danielle Ohl, investigative reporter, Spotlight PA
Tracy Leturgey, assignments editor, Butler Eagle
Register for the event here.
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