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Canadian security employ 91Ƶincreased vigilance91Ƶ after Trump shooting: LeBlanc

Federal public safety minister says no info to suggest threat to Canada
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Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents on stage at a campaign rally, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. A retired RCMP officer says he doesn91Ƶt expect major repercussions for Canadian politicians in the aftermath of a deadly shooting at former president Donald Trump91Ƶs rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Evan Vucci

Canada91Ƶs security apparatus is 91Ƶexercising increased vigilance91Ƶ in the wake of this weekend91Ƶs deadly shooting at former U.S. president Donald Trump91Ƶs rally in Pennsylvania, the federal public safety minister said Sunday.

Dominic LeBlanc issued a series of posts on the social media platform X saying he was briefed by officials from Public Safety Canada, the commissioner of the RCMP and the director of CSIS, adding those organizations are in contact with their American partners.

91ƵI have every confidence they will continue to keep Canadians safe,91Ƶ Leblanc wrote.

Pennsylvania91Ƶs state governor said one rally attendee, Corey Comperatore, was killed while protecting his family from the bullets, while two others were critically injured.

The gunman, who the FBI later identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, PA., also died. U.S. law enforcement officials have said the shooting is being investigated as a possible attempted assassination.

91ƵThe information we have to date shows no link to Canada,91Ƶ Leblanc added. 91ƵHowever, our security agencies and law enforcement organizations stand ready to assist our U.S. counterparts in any way.91Ƶ

One retired RCMP officer said Sunday he doesn91Ƶt expect major repercussions on security provided for Canadian politicians in the aftermath of the shooting.

Chris Mathers, now a private consultant, said he believes the security provided to the prime minister and opposition leaders is in line with the threat levels against them and adjusted accordingly.

91ƵI don91Ƶt think there ultimately will be any real repercussions, security is always heightened after an incident, that91Ƶs just human nature,91Ƶ Mathers said in an interview.

Mathers said security experts will be studying what happened to see where things went wrong on Saturday and apply changes to their own procedures as needed. In a Sunday address to the American public, President Joe Biden also ordered an independent security review of the events leading up to the attack on his political rival.

But in this case, Mathers said, it91Ƶs clear that people aren91Ƶt supposed to be on the roof near a VIP, as Crooks reportedly was.

91ƵSo there91Ƶs not a lot to learn from this except that, you know, maybe you should make sure that people are doing their job,91Ƶ he said.

None of the major opposition parties or Prime Minister Justin Trudeau91Ƶs office wished to comment beyond their initial statements condemning the U.S. shooting when contacted about security on Sunday.

But leaders of all three major federal parties unequivocally denounced the shooting in its immediate aftermath, and LeBlanc echoed those sentiments on Sunday.

91ƵViolence is corrosive for democracy 91Ƶ and we will always stand against it. No matter our political disagreements, violence is never the answer,91Ƶ he wrote.

91ƵSuch actions are an assault on us all.91Ƶ

Mathers said the United States is a different beast given the prolific number of guns among the general public.

91ƵIt91Ƶs a completely different playing field in the United States is the gun culture, Canada is not so much,91Ƶ Mathers said. 91ƵYou know, people have access to weapons everywhere in the United States.91Ƶ

Mathers added that lone-wolf-style attacks are not always foreseeable for security details.

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91Ƶ With files from The Associated Press

Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press

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