Official Report on Trump Assassination Attempt Provides ‘Chilling’ Details

A recent report on the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump reveals that the Secret Service did not attend a security briefing prior to the July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The 13-page document, authored by Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, outlines preliminary findings regarding the incident. According to Johnson, his inquiries to the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security and the FBI for information and record preservation about the assassination attempt have been ignored.

"The lack of transparency from federal entities regarding the July 13, 2024 assassination attempt — which left former President Trump wounded, one rally goer dead, and two other spectators critically injured — is unacceptable," Johnson stated.

He described the report as an initial effort to accurately document the events, noting that it will be updated as new information becomes available.

Susan Crabtree of RealClearPolitics described the details in the report as "frightening" and "chilling" in a post on X.

The report highlights that the Secret Service "did not attend a security briefing provided to local special weapons and tactics (SWAT) and sniper teams the morning of July 13, 2024."

It detailed that local SWAT teams were assigned positions and responsibilities, with the building used by Thomas Matthew Crooks to shoot Trump being outside the designated security perimeter.

"It is unclear why Secret Service did not participate in this security briefing and the extent to which ESU [the Butler County, Pennsylvania, Emergency Services Unit] coordinated with Secret Service in creating and implementing the security plan for the rally," the report noted.

In the days leading up to the rally, local police were informed that "Secret Service was not going to send their own snipers to the rally and that local law enforcement would need to go 'sniper heavy' in order to ensure proper coverage," the report stated.

However, about a day before the event, the Secret Service altered its stance, though the reason for this change remains unknown.

The report also mentioned that drone activity over the venue was not addressed, despite reports that Crooks allegedly operated a drone over the site.

At 5:10 p.m. on the day of the rally, local police classified Crooks as suspicious while he was in the building. By 5:32 p.m., he was observed using a range finder. At 5:41 p.m., local law enforcement alerted the command center about Crooks, followed by a text message to Beaver ESU Group Command four minutes later.

At 5:59 p.m., "a Beaver County law enforcement operator received confirmation from a Butler County SWAT commander that command, which included Secret Service, was made aware of the messages and requested more information about the suspect’s location," the report stated.

Crooks opened fire 12 minutes later.

The report indicated that information obtained by Johnson’s office "appears to confirm" that a countersniper had flagged Crooks as suspicious, "but raises further questions about what the Secret Service did with this information, why Secret Service did not immediately send agents to the [American Glass Research] building, and, perhaps most importantly, why former President Trump was allowed to go on stage."

Following Crooks' death, two Beaver County law enforcement agents accessed the roof of the AGR building and found the would-be assassin's body.

"During a subsequent search of Crooks, local law enforcement discovered a suspected remote triggering device," the report revealed. "At 6:32 p.m., 7:45 p.m., and 7:46 p.m., the Beaver County law enforcement agents took pictures of Crooks, a cellphone and the remote control device near the suspected shooter’s body."

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee at 10 a.m. EST on Monday regarding the Secret Service's actions and preparations for the Trump rally.