On July 13, 2024, a gunman attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, just 40 minutes north of Pittsburgh. The shooter, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, opened fire from the roof of a nearby warehouse, striking Trump in the right ear and killing one spectator while critically wounding two others.
Text messages and security footage recently received by the New York Times reveal that Crooks had been on the radar of local law enforcement for over 90 minutes before the shooting, raising questions about the security measures in place and the coordination between federal, state, and local agencies.
According the to Times, around 4:19 p.m., a local countersniper who was part of the security detail alerted his colleagues that his shift was ending. He then noticed a young man, later identified as Crooks, sitting on a picnic table near the warehouse where the countersnipers were stationed. The officer texted his colleagues, warning them that the man "knows you guys are up there."
Over the next hour, the countersnipers continued to monitor Crooks, who was seen using a rangefinder and appearing to scope out the rally site. At 5:38 p.m., one of the countersnipers shared photos of Crooks with his colleagues, who then relayed the information to the Secret Service. However, Crooks managed to evade the officers and climb onto the roof of the warehouse closest to the stage, where he opened fire at 6:11 p.m. as Trump was addressing the crowd.
Investigations have revealed that Crooks had been planning the attack for several days. He purchased an AR-15-style rifle from his father in October 2023 and began researching past assassinations, including the John F. Kennedy shooting. On July 6, Crooks searched online for "How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?" and then registered to attend the rally in Butler on July 7.
The day before the rally, Crooks visited the site and flew a drone over the area, while the Secret Service did not seek permission to use a drone for their own surveillance. On the day of the event, Crooks returned to the site, purchased a ladder, and eventually climbed onto the roof, despite the presence of local law enforcement and Secret Service personnel.
Experts and security officials have questioned how Crooks was able to get so close to the former president, with some suggesting that the Secret Service may have been understaffed or inexperienced at the event. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned the day after the shooting, acknowledging the agency's failure to prevent the attack.
The FBI, Congress, and the Department of Homeland Security have launched simultaneous investigations into the incident. Lawmakers have vowed to examine the security protocols and coordination between federal, state, and local agencies to ensure such lapses do not occur again at high-profile political events.
Despite the widespread security presence, it was ultimately a chance turn of Trump's head that saved his life, as Crooks's first shot grazed the former president's ear, according to the Times. The second shot from Crooks was met with a swift response from Secret Service snipers, who killed the gunman within 30 seconds of the initial gunfire.
The assassination attempt has raised serious concerns about the vulnerability of political candidates and the need for robust security measures to protect them, especially in the context of a highly charged political environment and the rise of domestic extremism.
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