Secret Service member was Googling rooftop location of Trump’s would-be assassin when shots rang out in Butler, Pa.: DHS report

Key Points:

• A Department of Homeland Security inspector general report revealed that the Secret Service failed to detect and prevent Thomas Crooks' assassination attempt on President Trump during a July 13, 2024, rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
• Despite local law enforcement warnings about a suspicious armed man on the AGR complex roof near the stage, Secret Service personnel did not recognize the threat or know the exact location, with a counter drone operator resorting to an internet search instead of asking for details.
• Communication failures led to 102 radio transmissions about Crooks going unheard by the Secret Service, and the president’s protective detail was never alerted to the imminent danger before Crooks fired eight shots, wounding several and killing one attendee.
• Trump’s campaign staff refused Secret Service requests to position trucks between the AGR building and the stage to block the line of sight, citing concerns about obstructing press cameras, which may have compromised security.
• Crooks was killed by law enforcement at the rally shortly after opening fire; the Secret Service has not yet responded to requests for comment on the report.