print-only banner
The White House Skip Main Navigation
  
In Focus
News
News by Date
Appointments
Federal Facts
West Wing

 Home > News & Policies > November 2003

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 1, 2003

Press Gaggle by Trent Duffy
Aboard Air Force One
En Route Paducah, Kentucky

11:20 A.M. CDT

MR. DUFFY: Despite initial reports, there were no shots fired. There was a vehicle that compromised the security perimeter of the arena. The suspect was immediately detained and is in the custody of local law enforcement officials. The President was never in any danger, whatsoever, and is keeping with his schedule today.

Q Can you tell us, at least, where the President was when the thing had happened, so that we can say where he was? We've got him, you know, in the motorcade, we've got him in the building, we've got him -- you know, we have to know where he was so that we can prove that he wasn't anywhere near -- was he inside the building, or just inside the car?

MR. DUFFY: I'll have to check. I'll have to check.

Q Okay. Can we find out where he was?

MR. DUFFY: I'm going to refer a lot of the details to the Secret Service and to local law enforcement officials. Let me see what I can do.

Q Okay. That's the only thing I really need to know.

Q -- colleagues in the buses, I mean, we're like the blind man trying to field the elephant -- we don't really know what happened. Can you just tell us what you're understanding of what happened?

MR. DUFFY: I'd rather not get into that level of detail. I'd refer all those kinds of details to the Secret Service.

Q Does it look like this was just an unfortunate coincidence of occurrences, or this was an attempt to jeopardize the President's security?

MR. DUFFY: I'll leave those interpretations to the Secret Service.

Q Secret Service in Washington?

MR. DUFFY: The President was never in any danger, and is keeping with his schedule.

Q Was he in his car at the time of this, or was he still in the --

MR. DUFFY: I've already had that question --

Q -- we're going to go back on that?

Q So the President was never in any danger?

MR. DUFFY: Was never in any danger, whatsoever.

Q Was he told of the event, of the incident?

MR. DUFFY: I'll have to get back to you on that.

Q When did you tell him -- when did he know about this event?

MR. DUFFY: I'll get back to you on that.

Q Can you identify the suspect, or the gender or --

MR. DUFFY: I'll leave that to local law enforcement.

Q -- being held by local officials, is that right?

MR. DUFFY: Contained by the local law enforcement officials, that's correct.

Q Is Secret Service investigating or taking part in questioning?

MR. DUFFY: I'll refer those questions to the Secret Service.

Q But he's in the custody of local officials, not Secret Service, right?

MR. DUFFY: That's right.

Q Okay.

Q How did this car -- how was the car stopped?

MR. DUFFY: That's a question for local law enforcement officials.

Q How did the car breach the motorcade?

MR. DUFFY: That's a question for local law enforcement officials. That's all I'm going to say. Okay? Thanks.

Q Thank you.

END 11:22 A.M. CST