As investigators look for a motive in the shooting during a Republican congressional baseball practice, a former secret service agent says it could come down to the shooter's mental state.
With nearly four decades in law enforcement, Mauri Sheer commends the two Capitol Police officers who prevented a massacre from happening Wednesday morning.
"When somebody is coming at you with an assault rifle and you're unarmed, you're a sitting duck and that's what would have happened in their case," Sheer, a retired U.S. Secret Service Agent & U.S. Marshal said.
Sheer protected five presidents during her 28 years in the U.S. Secret Service.
Besides a debrief, Sheer told 41 Action News following an incident like Wednesday's law enforcement agencies will assess protocol.
"I'd look at setting up perimeters--some perimeters of security like the secret service does where it's more than protecting one person, you have a perimeter of security to actually keep this person from ever getting those congress people," Sheer said.
He adds the shooter's social media presence is a major piece of this investigation.
"Look at the abnormality and look at the behavior as the person decompensates and then you can determine this could be a threat," Sheer said.
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He doesn't believe that moving forward every lawmaker is a target.
"These are few and far between I know they get a lot of media just like school shootings get a lot of media statistically they're very minimal, Sheer said.
