The Pennsylvania state senator who represents the community where attempted Trump assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks lived said Saturday when looking back at the tragic rally, he called upon his three combat tours in the Middle East.
State Sen. Devlin Robinson, R-Allegheny, served as a U.S. Marine infantryman in Nasiriyah, Iraq’s "ambush alley," engaging in door-to-door searches as part of the mission to rescue Army POW Jessica Lynch. He also served in Fallujah.
In Harrisburg, Robinson is chairman of the Senate Labor & Industry Committee and often focuses on veterans’ issues.
Robinson said the assassination attempt reminded him of his own experiences in Iraq and said that when it comes to securing sensitive locations — whether a military base in the desert or fairgrounds in the Alleghenies — it is paramount for those tasked with securing the area to always be on guard.
"I'm not looking to point fingers at anybody. I wasn't there. I wasn't part of the planning," Robinson said. "So, they're going to go through their own investigation.
"I just know from my own personal experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, when I did my third tour, in Fallujah, we would leave the wire to go into the city of Fallujah just about every day. And we left the gate, and spray-painted on the wall it said, ‘Complacency kills.' And that was the last thing that you read before you entered, essentially, the war zone."
In the years since, that mantra has stuck with Robinson. There have been many missions the military and domestic law enforcement partake in that may seem ordinary or repetitive.
"You know, 99 times that you've done the same mission nothing happens. So, there's a lot of prep work. There's a lot of extra work that goes into it. And you begin to start thinking of the larger picture as opposed to, you know, what could be right in front of you."
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Robinson said that is why he believes "lone wolf" attacks like Crooks’ are dangerous and sometimes tough to prevent.
Advancements in technology have led law enforcement to home in on the difficult task of preventing mass casualty events.
"We look past, sometimes, the easiest point, like a slanted roof 130 yards away," Robinson said, after Crooks had scaled a nearby low-rise glass company building to take aim at Trump.
As the state senator for Bethel Park, which has gone from a quiet suburb of Pittsburgh to a community receiving global media attention, Robinson said it remains a wonderful place to live and that it is shocking someone involved in such a heinous act would be someone from the area.
"[Bethel Park’s] council and their local government has developed a community with a lot of special amenities. There's a great park system. There's a great trail system. The school district is one of the best in the area," he said. "So, that's why when things like this happen, it kind of raises some confusion as to why somebody would want to do anybody harm coming out of this area."
Asked about what people in the community have said they know about Crooks, Robinson said constituents have characterized him as someone who kept to himself.
"This is a great place to live, but some problems slip through the cracks. And I would just say that you should use this as an opportunity to reach out to people that may be having some issues, just give them a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on," he said.
"And just listen to them and try to establish more of a human connection with your fellow citizen."
In Harrisburg, Robinson said, the government is out of session after passing the commonwealth’s fiscal 2025 budget last week and sending it to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk. So, there have not been many legislative developments in response to the shooting.
Robinson commended former President Trump's actions after nearly being killed. Trump spent the night in New Jersey before continuing on with his plan to deliver an acceptance speech at the Republican National Committee.
"You have to keep living your life. You can't let terrorists win. You can't change your actions, and you just have to keep on going," he said.
