Questions have been raised by former president Donald Trump’s top advisers and his U.S. Secret Service detail about the lack of notification regarding local police tracking a suspicious person before that person attempted to assassinate Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, opened fire at the rally on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, resulting in one fatality and two injuries. The former president also sustained an injury to his ear from the shooting.
The head of Pennsylvania State Police testified before a congressional committee that local countersnipers had observed Crooks acting strangely, took his photograph, and sent it to a command center with state troopers and Secret Service agents at least 20 minutes before the shooting occurred.
According to the Washington Post, members of the Secret Service detail protecting Trump expressed concerns that they were not informed about tracking Crooks.
Trump’s security detail was only alerted when Crooks began firing at 6:11 p.m., eight minutes after Trump took the stage. Initially, some advisers believed the sounds were fireworks and did not seek cover immediately.
Trump revealed that they were not informed of the suspicious person report, questioning why they weren’t given the information to make a decision regarding delaying his speech.
A Secret Service official stated that investigations are ongoing to determine if anyone informed Trump’s security detail about the suspicious person report.
Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle mentioned at a House Oversight hearing that reports of suspicious individuals were common and did not always indicate a threat.
Trump’s team has had tensions with top Secret Service officials regarding rejected requests for increased security measures at events prior to the assassination attempt.
Members of Congress have raised concerns about poor communication contributing to the shooting at Trump.
Trump’s team might have made different security decisions if they were informed about the suspicious person before the rally, but it is unclear if that would have led to a delay in Trump’s speech.
Reports of suspicious individuals at Trump’s rallies are sometimes false alarms, but in this case, Crooks was outside the secure perimeter, which raised concerns.
Colonel Christopher L. Paris shared with the House Homeland Security Committee that local countersnipers considered Crooks suspicious due to his behavior outside the rally site, leading to the eventual shooting.
