Advisers to former President Donald Trump, along with his U.S. Secret Service detail, have voiced concerns about not being informed that local police were monitoring a suspicious individual prior to an assassination attempt on Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania.
The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, opened fire at the rally on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, resulting in one death and two injuries among spectators. The former president also sustained an ear injury due to the gunfire.
The head of the Pennsylvania State Police testified before a congressional committee last week that local countersnipers had observed Crooks behaving erratically for at least 20 minutes before he discharged his weapon, capturing his image and relaying it to a command center staffed with state troopers and Secret Service agents.
As reported by the Washington Post, members of the Secret Service assigned to protect Trump, who were present backstage, have expressed their frustrations to other Secret Service personnel over the lack of communication regarding Crooks being under surveillance.
They further stated that they were not informed when local countersnipers lost sight of Crooks or that an officer on the rooftop outside the rally’s security perimeter had spotted him holding a gun.
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Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is rushed offstage during a rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The initial alert for Trump’s detail came when Crooks started shooting at 6:11 p.m., merely eight minutes after Trump began speaking.
Some of Trump’s senior advisers, stationed under a large white tent behind the stage, initially mistook the sound of gunfire for fireworks and did not immediately seek cover, as reported by the newspaper.
Trump’s advisers indicated to the outlet that they only learned of the situation as the shooting unfolded, emphasizing their lack of knowledge regarding the suspicious person report that could have prompted a delay in Trump’s speech.
“Nobody mentioned it. Nobody said there was a problem,” Trump remarked to Fox News’ Jesse Watters. “They could’ve said, ‘Let’s wait for 15 minutes, 20 minutes, five minutes,’ something. Nobody said — I think that was a mistake.”
According to a Secret Service representative, investigators are currently trying to establish whether any communication regarding the suspicious person report was relayed to Trump’s security detail or other operational teams within the Secret Service.
The official clarified that reports of suspicious individuals are not uncommon at public events and may not warrant immediate concern that necessitates changes in protocol or alerts to higher-ups.
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Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump is surrounded by U.S. Secret Service agents at a campaign rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Trump’s team received their first alert when Crooks started firing at 6:11 p.m., just eight minutes after the former president began his address.
Some advisers located under a large white tent behind the stage initially perceived the gunfire as fireworks and did not take immediate cover, according to the report.
They indicated that they only became aware of the threats amidst the shooting, expressing that they were uninformed about the suspicious person report that could have influenced their decision to postpone Trump’s address.
“Nobody mentioned it. Nobody said there was a problem,” Trump stated in an interview. “They could’ve said, ‘Let’s wait for 15 minutes, 20 minutes, five minutes,’ something. Nobody said — I think that was a mistake.”
According to a Secret Service spokesperson, an investigation is ongoing to determine if Trump’s security detail or operational units were notified about the suspicious person monitoring.
The spokesperson clarified that reports of suspicious individuals are not unheard of at large public gatherings and may not always trigger immediate actions or communication with higher-ranking officials.
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Secret Service agents attend to Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, onstage at a rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Had Trump’s team been alerted that local law enforcement was monitoring a suspicious individual just beyond the rally’s security perimeter, security protocols might have been adjusted, as per the Post’s report. However, it’s uncertain whether such knowledge would have led to a decision to postpone Trump’s speech.
Reports of suspicious individuals or activities at Trump’s rallies aren’t uncommon, and often these situations are resolved with no threats detected, according to someone from his team. Typically, these incidents occur within the Secret Service perimeter, where attendees are screened using magnetometers designed to prevent weapons from entering. However, on July 13, Crooks stood outside the secured area.
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Col. Christopher L. Paris, head of the Pennsylvania State Police, informed the House Homeland Security Committee that local countersnipers became suspicious of Crooks because he lingered just outside the rally site without entering, particularly when they observed him with a golf range finder.
He reported that the countersnipers subsequently forwarded a photograph of Crooks to a Pennsylvania state trooper stationed at the command center with Secret Service personnel.
