Text messages between law enforcement before the assassination attempt against Donald Trump revealed that some officers noticed the shooter’s presence at the rally more than an hour and a half before he climbed onto a roof to fire eight rounds at the former president. A local countersniper first raised concerns about someone sitting near their vehicles and later took a picture of the man, who turned out to be the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 30 minutes before the incident.
Conversations in the text messages included warnings about the individual’s suspicious behavior, such as using a range finder to look towards the stage. Despite spotting the shooter in advance, questions remain about how local law enforcement failed to prevent the assassination attempt. It is also unclear how security was managed that day, as well as the communication processes between local and federal law enforcement agencies. Members of the Beaver County SWAT team, who were assisting in security, mentioned that they were supposed to have a briefing with the Secret Service but that meeting never took place.
The Beaver County SWAT team also indicated that they were never briefed by the Secret Service despite being scheduled to have a face-to-face meeting with them when they arrived in Butler. It remains unknown what time local law enforcement informed the Secret Service about Crooks and shared the photos of him before the incident. Following the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, acting Director Ronald Rowe, along with FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate, will testify before two Senate committees in hopes of gaining more insight into the failures that occurred during the assassination attempt.
Despite being aware of the shooter’s presence prior to the incident, local law enforcement failed to prevent Crooks from carrying out the attack on Trump. The lack of communication between local law enforcement and the Secret Service raises concerns about the overall security protocols in place during the rally. The absence of a face-to-face briefing between the Beaver County SWAT team and the Secret Service further highlights the breakdown in coordination between different agencies responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the event.
As lawmakers aim to uncover the failures that led to the assassination attempt, local law enforcement and the Secret Service have come under scrutiny for their handling of the situation. The upcoming testimonies of acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe and FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate before Senate committees will shed more light on the events leading up to the incident. As the investigation continues, there is a growing need for accountability and improvements in security protocols to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
