A GOP senator has released a preliminary report exposing cracks in the plan to keep former President Donald Trump — as well as those in attendance at the July 13 rally in Pennsylvania — safe.
In the spirit of transparency, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc, shared his preliminary findings Sunday following his office’s investigation into the assassination attempt of former President Trump, per Fox News.
Trump was injured when a bullet grazed his right ear during at a campaign rally in Butler.
In addition to injuring Trump, 20-year-old Thomas Mathew Crooks killed one audience member and injuring many others.
Johnson’s office started an investigation by contacting federal, state and local government entities, as well as private companies, shortly after the incident.
The goal was to solicit information about failures in security at the rally.
The preliminary report highlights five key findings about what the Secret Service did and did not do that day.
The Secret Service did not go to a security briefing for local SWAT and sniper teams on the morning of the rally.
Also, local law enforcement said communications were isolated and they were not always in radio contact directly with the Secret Service,
Local law enforcement notified those in charge about Crooks before the shooting. Local officers also received confirmation the Secret Service was aware of the notification and the Secret Service was on the roof of the American Glass Research (AGR) building with local law enforcement following the shooting.
The investigation also revealed photos of Crooks were sent to the ATF for facial recognition.
Also, local law enforcement said at first, the Secret Service was not planning on sending snipers to the rally.
The 13-page report included a timeline of events from the day of the assassination attempt.
9 a.m. — Butler County Emergency Services held a briefing for the local SWAT and Sniper units from Butler County, Beaver County, and Washington County which were providing security for Trump’s rally. Attendees of the briefing said no Secret Service or other federal law enforcement were present. The Secret Service initially did not plan to provide sniper units then changed plans for unknown reasons. It is not known why the Secret Service did not attend the briefing.
10:30 a.m. — Two local law enforcement snipers are in position on the second floor inside the AGR building.
5:10 p.m. — Crooks is first seen by one sniper (AGR sniper 1) at the AGR building.
5:14 p.m. — AGR sniper 1 takes pictures of Crooks.
5:28 p.m. — AGR sniper 1 takes a picture of a bicycle and what appears to be two bags near the AGR building. It is not clear what happened to the bicycle and bags after the shooting.
5:32 p.m. — AGR sniper 1 sees Crooks looking at his phone and using a rangefinder.
5:38 p.m. — AGR sniper 1 messages the “Sniper Group” about Crooks.
5:40 p.m. — AGR sniper 1 is instructed to “call into command” about Crooks.
5:41 p.m. — AGR sniper 1 calls into command and offers a description of Crooks and the rangefinder. AGR sniper 1 said Crooks was “lurking around [the] AGR building.”
5:49 p.m. — Photos of Crooks were sent to Butler County Emergency Services Command.
5:55 p.m. — Butler County Emergency Services confirms the photos were received.
5:59 p.m. — Butler County Emergency Services asks which direction Crooks is moving. AGR sniper 1 is initially unsure which direction Crooks is moving.
6:05 p.m. — AGR sniper 1 later says Crooks has a backpack and is moving northeast “in the direction of Sheetz.”
6:06 p.m. to 6:12 p.m. — AGR sniper 1 moves to the ground floor of the building to meet local law enforcement patrol to notify them of Crooks’ presence.
Roughly 6:11 p.m. — Crooks starts shooting. The Secret Service returns fire and kills Crooks.
6:23 p.m. — Beaver County SWAT operators go onto the roof where Crooks was stationed and confirm he is dead. Local law enforcement from another county and at least one Secret Service agent also went onto the roof.
6:46 p.m. — Crooks is patted down when law enforcement finds a transmitter device, Crooks’ phone and the rangefinder in his pockets.
7:45p.m. to 7:46 p.m. — As requested by the Allegheny Bomb Squad, local law enforcement sent pictures of Crooks and the items to an ATF agent. The ATF is reportedly using the pictures of Crooks to run facial recognition.
According to a press release from Johnson’s office, they will continue to pursue the truth and is encourages anyone with relevant information on the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt or the alleged shooter to come forward to his office and email his whistleblower account at [email protected].
