Threat assessment describes security lapse at United Center months before Chicago DNC set to begin

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Two weeks from the national curtain going up on Chicago's Democratic National Convention, the ABC7 I-Team has obtained a startling threat assessment for the event, prepared by several federal and state law enforcement agencies.

The report warns that the local DNC venues are attractive targets for violence and extremist attacks on legitimate protesters, and includes new details on some concerning, previously unreported incidents that have already happened.

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On May 18, just before noon at a United Center event to recruit volunteers for the DNC, a group of men made an "unauthorized entry," pushing past private security and causing a disruption, according to the threat assessment and Chicago police.

Members of the group engaged in a brief physical altercation with security, throwing one worker to the ground before running off, the assessment reads.

That United Center worker declined medical attention, Chicago police said no one was arrested, and an investigation into what happened is ongoing.

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The report states that members of the group that infiltrated the United Center later posted on social media a "video of the group inside the United Center and language consistent with causing further disruption to the DNC and associated events."

In a statement to the I-Team, a spokesperson for the U.S. Secret Service said it is only responsible for security during the DNC, not before.

"The Secret Service is responsible for the United Center security only during the federally designated national special security event period... May 2024 is prior to that window," said spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi.

That incident is one of many that has local, state and federal law enforcement on high alert.

"I think we are in an extremely complex threat environment," said Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly in a previous interview with the I-Team.

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ISP's Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center (STIC) out of Springfield is one of the key components to the security matrix of agencies that helped prepare this threat assessment obtained by the I-Team.

In addition to ISP, the DNC Joint Threat Assessment was prepared by the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Secret Service, and Chicago police, among other local agencies.

The report lays out the concern that violent extremists may cause "mass casualty incidents... target election-related infrastructure," and try to "denigrate institutions or cause societal chaos."

The assessment concluded, "Threat actors seeking to target government officials or the DNC could seek to use a range of violent or disruptive tactics against related critical infrastructure sector targets, including, but not limited to, targeted attacks, violent threats, swatting and doxing, mailing or delivering suspicious items, arson, and property destruction."

Kelly told I-Team in June that all levels of law enforcement are prepared for any potential conflict.

"There's a heightened level of domestic terrorist threats, we know that there's a heightened level of international terrorist threat," Kelly said. "Every type of scenario you can think of on the spectrum of threats is something that we have to be prepared for something we have to respond to."

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While the FBI is the lead agency on the threat assessment report, the local Chicago FBI office will have a new leader during the DNC.

Two weeks after the I-Team disclosed a shakeup atop the FBI, former Chicago agent Douglas DePodesta has been officially named special agent in charge, according to an FBI news release published on Monday.

DePodesta is being transferred from the FBI field office in Memphis.

With the DNC National Security Special Event starting two weeks from Monday, the joint threat assessment is an alarming forecast using terms such as "targeted violence."

The assessment also describes the potential for attacks in retaliation for the Trump assassination attempt, including possible violence against elected officials and government employees, candidates for public office, law enforcement, and members of the news media