Local police officers assigned to protect Donald Trump during an assassination attempt on July 13 in Butler County, Pennsylvania, have criticized the communication failure with the Secret Service. Jason Woods, the lead sharpshooter of the SWAT team in nearby Beaver County, disclosed to ABC News that expected briefings with Secret Service agents did not occur before the shooting began.
Woods highlighted that the absence of initial planning and communications possibly led to mistakes, resulting in the 20-year-old gunman killing one spectator, injuring two others, and grazing Trump’s ear. “We had no communication,” Woods told ABC News, noting that the first interaction with the Secret Service came after the incident.
Reports indicate that Trump’s Secret Service detail and top advisers were not informed that local police assigned to the fairgrounds’ outer perimeter had spotted a suspicious individual before the shooting.
Trump told Fox News that no alerts were given at the time, which he deemed a mistake. He noted the lag in communication could have prompted a delay or an increased state of readiness. The SWAT team recognized Thomas Matthew Crooks, the gunman, loitering near structures 20 to 25 minutes before the attack and transmitted his photograph to a command center manned by state troopers and Secret Service agents.
The incident has led to three ongoing investigations into communication breakdowns between law enforcement agencies. Following the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberley Cheatle on July 23, the FBI confirmed Trump had been struck by a bullet, whether whole or fragmented.
Despite the incident, Trump professed plans to return to Butler for a rally, disregarding the Secret Service’s advice against outdoor events. He has also defended the Secret Service’s competence amid critiques about the impacts of diversity programs on the agency’s effectiveness.
The Secret Service has not directly addressed Woods’ comments. However, agency spokesman Anthony Guglielmi stated that the Secret Service is committed to understanding the events to prevent future occurrences.