Karoline Leavitt granted Secret Service protection after Charlie Kirk's shooting death: Sources
WASHINGTON, DC: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt received details about Secret Service protection following the tragic shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on September 10 in Utah, and calls for "war" from Republican leadership, sources informed CBS.
The moves come amid heightened national discussion regarding the safety of lawmakers in public and of open-air speaking engagements, especially those that are political in nature, stirred up in large part following Kirk's killing.
Trump administration aims to increase funding for protecting executive and judicial branch members
Press secretaries are typically not granted a protective detail, and the increase in security is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to increase funding for the protection of executive and judicial branch members, including a $58 million proposal.
Apart from the Charlie Kirk incident, many other instances of political violence have also occurred during President Donald Trump's second term.
One of the main incidents was the slaying of a Minnesota state senator and her husband inside their home, and the attempted killing of another state senator and his wife.
On Thursday, September 18, Senator John Thune motioned for the Senate to amend its rules to allow senators to use congressional funds to "address security concerns they face as public officials".
He added that Senate leadership was also working with Capitol Police to "to identify additional authorities for security options for senators".
Thune also commended discussions on Capitol Hill to increase funding for lawmaker security.
The attention on increased political violence comes as the POTUS week blamed Kirk's death on the "radical left" last week, before the suspect, Tyler Robinson, was in custody and before the identity of the 22-year-old was known.
Interestingly, many Republican lawmakers and Charlie Kirk's wife, Erika, have also made calls for "war", as they push for an end to politically-motivated violence.
Charlie Kirk's shooting suspect was afraid of being shot by police
Charlie Kirk's shooting suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was afraid of being shot by police and agreed to a peaceful surrender with the help of his family, a sheriff in Utah said.
Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby said on Wednesday, September 17, during a brief news conference that Robinson was "truly fearful of being shot by law enforcement", as well as fearful of a SWAT team hit on his house.
Brooksby also recounted how a friend and former deputy called him on September 11, the day after Tyler Robinson allegedly shot and killed Charlie Kirk, to tell him who the conservative icon's alleged shooter was.
The Washington County Sheriff described the phone call he had with his friend, the events that led to Robinson's arrest, and how his department, along with Robinson's family, convinced the suspect to surrender during the press briefing.
The sheriff added that Robinson knew it was "just inevitable" that he was going to get caught after his pictures and the gun he allegedly used were reported in the news.
"He didn't want a big SWAT team hitting his parents' house or his apartment. He was truly fearful of being shot by law enforcement," Brooksby added.
He also said, "So the conditions were as relaxed and comfortable and almost to the point of inviting. And if at the end of the day we accomplish him surrendering peacefully on his own, I'm going to make some concessions to make that happen."
