Former Bay Area FBI Agent Gives Insight Into Tucson Rampage
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) -- A former FBI agent from the Bay Area said he believes shootings, like the one on Saturday in Arizona, are nearly impossible to stop.
Rick Smith spent 25 years with the Bureau before hanging it up to start San Francisco-based Cannon Street Investigations. He has experience in personal protection and said politicians are the toughest to deal with.
"These congressmen and congresswomen, they want to speak to their constituents," Smith said. "You can't prevent that. That's the problem."
KCBS' Mark Seelig Reports:
He said there's simply not enough money or manpower around to surround people of importance 24-7.
"I think when you have someone like this that obviously had a cause and is deranged, you have a potentially dangerous situation," said Smith.
He said the only thing you can really do is develop intelligence on potential threats.
"My understanding is that he sent some communications and emails and that there was some information about him," Smith said. "The only hope is to identify someone like this beforehand."
Like 49-year-old Greg Giusti, who was convicted of making online threats to then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Giusti has since been sentenced to nearly two years in prison.
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