The Secret Service Angle: Assassination Attempt of Former President Donald Trump

On July 13, 2024, Donald Trump, a former president of the United States and at that time the Republican Party's presumptive nominee in the 2024 presidential election, survived an assassination attempt while addressing a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania.

Guest Bio and Links:

Jim Rathmann is a former Secret Service Agent who has protected Presidents, Vice Presidents, and other high-profile leaders worldwide.

In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, talks with former Secret Service Agent Jim Rathmann about the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The conversation is not politically motivated but rather focuses on the potential failures and how they can be corrected to prevent such incidents in the future. With extensive experience protecting high-profile figures, Rathmann provides a unique and informed perspective on the event, discussing the importance of communication, drone usage, and other security measures that could have played a crucial role.

Show Notes:

(0:00) Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum
(0:20) Today’s Zone 7 is discussing the assassination attempt on former President, Donald Trump
(1:25) Sheryl introduces former Secret Service agent, Jim Rathmann
(3:30) Jim breaks down the security protocols of large events
(10:30) Spotting issues and eliminating threats at events
(14:00) Failures in communication identified
(14:50) The Secret Service's response and human shield formation
(22:30) Jim’s experience working with The Secret Service
(26:30) The overlooked rooftop and line of sight
(33:30) Lessons learned and moving forward
(37:50) Sheryl gives tips to families at home specifically about how to talk to children about these types of events and the media involved
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Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnLine, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook., Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. Sheryl is also the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a collaboration between universities and colleges that brings researchers, practitioners, students and the criminal justice community together to advance techniques in solving cold cases and assist families and law enforcement with solvability factors for unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnapping cases.

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