A new report says the shooting death at former President Trump's rally in Pennsylvania on July 13 was “preventable” due to a lack of proper planning and communication between law enforcement agencies. It is said that it was an incident.
The House Select Committee investigating the attempt on President Trump's life will release its interim findings on Monday, with a final report expected by Dec. 13.
“Although the findings of this report are preliminary, the information obtained during the first phase of the task force's investigation demonstrates the lack of planning and coordination between the Secret Service and law enforcement partners prior to the rally. “The report clearly shows that
U.S. Secret Service (USSS) officials who attended the event “did not provide clear guidance” to state and local authorities on how to manage security outside of hard perimeters, and the USSS officials who participated in the There was also no central meeting with supporting law enforcement agencies. Results of the rally – Two findings were flagged as significant failures in the 51-page report.
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An interim report on the July 13 shooting at former President Donald Trump's rally in Pennsylvania has been released. (Getty Images)
“Simply put, the evidence obtained by the Select Committee to date shows that the tragic and shocking events of July 13 were preventable and should never have happened,” the report said. states.
Trump, the 2024 Republican nominee, had his ear cut off by a would-be assassin's bullet while addressing supporters at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, over the summer.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, opened fire on the rally from a rooftop just outside the venue's security perimeter, killing one attendee and wounding two others in addition to Trump.
Monday's report highlights the mountain of scrutiny the USSS has faced since the shooting, with lawmakers on both sides wondering how Crooks died from a single bullet to the head. There are doubts as to whether he was able to fire eight shots.
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The task force found that Mr. Crooks was “under surveillance by state and local partners” for approximately 40 minutes before “information regarding the suspicious person” reached the USSS command post.
The paper said three local law enforcement officers noticed the scammer around 5 p.m. ET and each “independently” determined that the scammer's “behavior and demeanor were suspicious.”
Exchanges continued between local and state units, and the lack of a central command system with the USSS made communication even more difficult.
The task force is chaired by Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pennsylvania), who was present at the shooting and represents the district where it occurred. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
The report said that between approximately 5:38 p.m. and 5:51 p.m., “the Secret Service received a series of calls and messages regarding Mr. Crooks' description and actions.”
The document also references earlier testimony from a fellow Butler Township Police Department witness who spotted the crook on the roof shortly before the shooting.
According to the witness, his co-worker was screaming, “There's an AR! There's an AR! There's an AR! There's a man with an AR!” as he fell, grabbing onto the roof with all his might.
“To date, the task force has received no evidence to suggest that the message reached the former president's USSS detail prior to the shooting,” the report said.
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The report also cites witness testimony from the Butler County Emergency Services Union (ESU), who said that one of the snipers killed the gunman and the USSS. This seems to overturn the claim.
“He fired one shot from a standing position at Crooks, who was in a prone position on the roof. Deacon ESU Witness 5 told the task force that he believed his own bullet hit Crooks. ” states the report.
A post-mortem examination of Mr Crooks showed that he only received a single gunshot wound, causing fatal injuries, the report said. Former USSS chief Kimberly Cheatle previously said that USSS counter-snipers killed Crooks, but the report says there is “no evidence to the contrary.”
“An autopsy found no evidence of an entry wound from a second bullet,” the report said.
A photo of Thomas Matthew Crooks taken by a sniper. (Senator Ron Johnson Office)
His blood tests “also came back positive for antimony, selenium and lead,” the report said, adding that the latter element may have come from Crooks' time spent at the shooting range.
The report also pointed to logistical problems that occurred in the hours before the rally took place, particularly on the USSS side.
For example, two command centers were set up for the event, and witnesses testified that no one from the Butler Police Department was invited to the USSS hub.
ESU Butler Commander Edward Lentz also said the unit's snipers advised USSS agents to pick up radio communications equipment from the command center to stay in contact with local and state authorities, but the agents were unable to retrieve it. No, he told task force staff. .
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The report said the ESU snipers were not in a position to monitor the building where the imposters fired, and were inside the facility, but were not informed of any plans to monitor the facility itself.
“Local law enforcement agencies told the task force that the Secret Service has not provided any guidance to the Butler and Beaver ESUs regarding the deployment, roles, and responsibilities of snipers. was understood to be surveillance of the gathering venue,” the report states. Said.
According to the report, local and state law enforcement agencies held two briefings on the morning of the rally, but the USSS “did not participate in either briefing.”
The USSS held its own briefing at 10 a.m. that same day, but local units were not invited, according to the report.
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In fact, one Pennsylvania state trooper was “invited to 1,000 USSS briefings by one USSS agent and then asked to leave by another.”
The report concludes by indicating that the task force will continue its efforts to interview officials and scrutinize new details as they emerge, including the July 13 incident and the September 15 assassination of President Trump in the West. It reaffirmed its goal to investigate both attempted incidents. palm beach golf course.
The special committee was commissioned by House leadership after a unanimous vote on the floor.
