‘I was very surprised. Shocked.’ Boise retired FBI agent reacts to Trump shooting

Perhaps no one was more surprised about the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump than retired FBI special agent Eric Barnhart, who retired as special agent in charge of the Salt Lake City Field Office after a 22-year career with the FBI.

“I was very surprised. Shocked,” Barnhart told me in a phone interview Monday. “My first thought when I heard this happened at a rally would not have led me to a 20-year-old, 130 yards away. How does somebody get that close?”

Barnhart said that a more likely scenario is a shooter using a high-powered, .50-caliber sniper rifle potentially a mile away — not a 20-year-old with an AR-15-style rifle on a roof 400 feet from the former president.

Barnhart, a former Marine, also served as special assistant to FBI Directors Robert S. Mueller III and James B. Comey, who had 24/7 Secret Service protective details, a protocol established after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The FBI is leading the investigation into the shooting and the shooter.

I asked Barnhart about how an investigation like this would unfold, how difficult it is to investigate a shooting like this, and how this will impact presidential security moving forward.

Here is an excerpt of our conversation, edited for clarity and brevity.

Q: How does the FBI typically approach investigating something high-profile like this?

A: The FBI will focus more on the shooter in this case. If he was indeed a lone wolf acting alone, that’s probably the greatest challenge law enforcement has. The FBI is going to be less concerned about conducting an internal review because that’s going to happen (within the Secret Service). (The FBI) will be looking at how he accessed the area, how he wasn’t spotted, and gathering facts that might seem like we’re investigating the Secret Service, but that’s secondary, as we know they’ll conduct their own internal review.

Q: What are some of the main challenges in determining the motives behind such an attack, especially when the suspect is now dead?

A: The FBI studies every active shooter, lone wolf-type attack in the U.S., and has gone back decades in doing so. Sometimes you don’t know what a motive is. (The FBI) will be digging into all of his online activity, trying to find out from friends, roommates, coworkers, associates, and family members what the motive might have been. Did he ultimately leave a note, a manifesto? Did he tell anyone? That’s what (the FBI is) going to try and figure out. That’s going to be one of the biggest mysteries right now. We’ll look beyond just a difference in politics, as that doesn’t fully explain why a 20-year-old man would try to assassinate a former president and current presidential candidate.

Q: What role does digital forensics play in these types of investigations?

A: It’s huge. The FBI would be getting search warrants for all of his digital devices and online accounts. They’ll use every tool at their disposal to unlock encrypted devices, whether it’s government-developed tools, private-party tools, or even technology from foreign nations. It’s going to be a full-court press on the part of the U.S. government; they’ll use every tool if they come across an encrypted phone and encrypted laptop to try and get some answers.

Q: How important is profiling the suspect and understanding his motivations?

A: It’s very important. We need to learn about this person to see if there’s anything we missed, any intel we should have known or any dots we should have connected that could have led us to this guy’s doorstep. It’s also crucial for preventing future attempts.

Q: How does the FBI determine if an attack like this qualifies as domestic terrorism?

A: There aren’t federal domestic terrorism statutes, which makes it a gray area. Generally, if it’s an act of violence or coercion intended to influence politics, it could be classified as domestic terrorism. However, the FBI won’t get caught up in labeling it; they’ll focus on the crime committed and potential charges for any co-conspirators.

Q: What about the gun and the father? Does the father have any liability or extra scrutiny from the FBI because it was his gun?

A: The father will have a lengthy interview with the FBI and/or Secret Service. They’ll want to know if he purchased the weapon for himself or for his son, about any training he provided, and other details about the gun’s ownership and use. The father’s answers could potentially lead to liability depending on the circumstances.

Q: How does the FBI coordinate with other agencies like the Secret Service in these investigations?

A: There’s a lot of intelligence sharing between agencies like the Secret Service, FBI, Homeland Security, NSA, and CIA for any threats. In advance of events, the FBI would be in contact with the lead Secret Service representative in the area. Any relevant intelligence about the protectee or threat intelligence would be immediately fed to the Secret Service.

Q: What steps does the FBI take to investigate potential accomplices or wider conspiracies in assassination attempts?

A: The FBI will look into anyone who might have known about the plan or parts of it. They’ll investigate if there were roommates, friends or associates who knew and didn’t alert law enforcement. Even if the main suspect is deceased, others could potentially be prosecuted for aiding and abetting, conspiracy or destruction of evidence.

Q: How might this incident impact security planning for future high-profile political events?

A: This incident will likely lead to a thorough review of security protocols. The Secret Service and other agencies will examine how the suspect was able to get so close to the perimeter without being spotted. They’ll likely reassess their approach to securing venues, including rooftops, windows, alcoves, and nearby buildings. There may be changes in how they balance securing the protectee with allowing public access and minimizing disruption to local businesses and residents. It’s an incredibly challenging job for the Secret Service because they have very active candidates that are bouncing from venues.

Q: Over your 22 years with the FBI, have you seen dangers increase given the increase in the discord and vitriol in our political discourse?

A: In my time in law enforcement, the rhetoric is as hot as I’ve seen it. More facts are going to come out (about the shooting). I think we’re in for some darker times than lighter. I don’t know what lowers the temperature. I’m not sure that this does. It should, but I’m not sure it does.