U.S. Secret Service (USSS) leaders are providing an update on the agency’s internal investigation following the July 13 assassination attempt at 1 p.m. Former President Donald Trump At a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Acting Director Ronald Rowe said the agency confirmed “communications deficiencies” that slowed its response when the gunman climbed onto the roof just outside the secure perimeter.
“For example, the Secret Service did not partner its security room with local law enforcement agencies,” he said. “There was an overreliance on mobile devices, resulting in leaked information.”
He shared a timeline of events that showed that communication was divided between radio and phone, resulting in a delayed response to the initial warning that something was going on at the AGR building, within 150 yards of the former president.
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Acting U.S. Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. testifies before a joint hearing of the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees on Capitol Hill on July 30, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Michael A. McCoy for The Washington Post, via Getty Images)
“At approximately 1810 local time, via a phone call, the Secret Service security room called a counter sniper response agent, and reported the presence of a person on the roof of the building,” Rowe said. “That critical information was not transmitted over the Secret Service radio network.”
US Secret Service timeline for July 13:
- 18:10:00 – USSS radioed that local police were addressing an issue on the outer perimeter at “3 o’clock”; USSS security room called in a counter sniper
- 18:10:54 – Local police bodycam shows officers confronting gunman Thomas Crooks on the roof of the AGR building
- 18:11:05 Site Special Agent calls the assistant site special agent to find out what is going on
- 18:11:32 – Bodycam video shows first barrage of gunfire
- 18:11:36 – Bodycam records second gunfire
- 18:11:47 – Bodycam footage shows Secret Service counter sniper returned fire and killed shooter
The local police had been informed about the cruiser approximately two minutes earlier via their separate radio.
When asked directly who was responsible for safety on the roof, Rowe said the service had not provided adequate guidance to local properties.
“There should have been clear instructions on what we needed to do at the AGR building,” he said.
After the firing, former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned, and at least five people were placed on administrative duty during the investigation. Separate investigations are underway by the House and the FBI.
Police marksmen returned fire after gunfire broke out while Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump was delivering a speech at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, July 13, 2024. SWAT specialist Gene Petrino reported that the marksmen who shot Crooks were on a sloping roof, while Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle claimed they were not stationed on the roof of the building Crooks climbed to because of a “security concern” on the sloping roof. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Rowe described the Secret Service’s preparations for the rally, during which 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks was shot. killed one He attacked one spectator and injured two others, with Trump striking him in the ear, calling it a “failure”.
The suspect had a clear view of the former president from an unsecured rooftop located approximately 150 yards away.
“In today’s highly dynamic threat environment, the Secret Service’s mission is clear: We cannot afford to fail,” Rowe said.
As a result of these failures, it has become clear to me that we need a shift in the way we operate. As demonstrated in West Palm Beach on Sunday, the threat level is changing and this paradigm shift is needed.
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Uniondale, New York, on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. Trump praised his Secret Service detail as “excellent” during his remarks, which came just days after the second failed attempt on his life. (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital)
“It’s important that we hold ourselves accountable for our failures.” of 13th July “We must use the lessons learned to ensure our mission never fails in this way again,” Rowe said.
He said the agency was entering an “accountability phase” — and expected to take action against officers who failed to secure the site.
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump is kicked off the stage during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger said the shooter has died after wounding former US President Donald Trump, killing one bystander and injuring another. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Rowe declined to provide details about how many people would be subjected to disciplinary action or how senior they would be, but he dismissed earlier reports that he had already asked anyone to retire.
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“The Office of Professional Responsibility and the Office of Integrity are reviewing the findings,” Rowe said. “This agency has one of the strongest tables of penalties in the federal government, and violations of policy will result in disciplinary action.”
Thomas Matthew Crooks was crawling across a rooftop moments before attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump. (DJ Loughery)
On Sunday, the USSS foiled a second assassination attempt, according to officials.
An agent from Trump’s security team was walking a few hundred yards ahead of him at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, when he spotted the barrel of a rifle protruding from a row of trees near the club’s perimeter.
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Ryan W. Routh, a suspect in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a West Palm Beach golf course, stands in handcuffs after his arrest during a traffic stop on September 15, 2024, near Palm City, Florida. (Martin County Sheriff’s Office/Handout via Reuters)
Trump praised the agent who opened fire, forcing the suspect to drop his gun and run.
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Later Deputy a man arrested The man, Ryan Routh, was said to have been camped out near the fence for about 12 hours with a loaded S.K.S., a digital video camera, food and other items before he was spotted by agents.
