Watchdog finds Secret Service missed 102 radio calls about gunman in 2024 Trump shooting

Key Points:

• The U.S. Secret Service failed to receive 102 local radio transmissions about the gunman, Thomas Crooks, who attempted to assassinate President Trump at a 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, due to not establishing a joint communications room with local law enforcement.
• Crooks opened fire while Trump was speaking, killing a bystander and injuring others, including Trump, who was grazed by a bullet; Crooks was subsequently shot and killed by law enforcement.
• The Secret Service only received eight communications (five phone calls and three texts) about Crooks, which prevented them from alerting Trump’s protective detail about the suspicious person.
• The report revealed that Crooks flew a drone over the area hours before the shooting, undetected because the Secret Service’s counter drone system was inoperable and manned by an under-trained operator who failed to test it before the event.
• The Secret Service has agreed with the inspector general’s recommendations, many of which have already been implemented as part of ongoing reform efforts to improve information sharing and address security vulnerabilities.