Pennsylvania’s top police officer faced intense questioning from lawmakers regarding the communication breakdown between the U.S. Secret Service and state and local law enforcement during the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. The tragic incident left one rally attendee dead and two others injured.
Lawmakers were shocked to discover that state police had alerted the U.S. Secret Service about a suspicious individual with a range finder approximately 20 to 25 minutes before the July 13 shooting. A photo of the suspect was even sent to a phone number provided by the federal agency.
The hearing, conducted by the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, sought to understand how a 20-year-old gunman was able to get close enough to the former president to fire several shots, despite the presence of federal protection.
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The session was ongoing when Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned following widespread criticism of the agency’s failure to prevent the attack.
Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col. Christopher Paris testified that in the moments leading up to Trump’s appearance, authorities were dealing with multiple incidents, including heat-related illnesses among attendees, a missing child, and monitoring several suspicious individuals. Among them was Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, who was later identified as the shooter and was killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper.
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Paris admitted he could not provide a minute-by-minute account of the events but confirmed that two Butler County Emergency Services Unit officers left their post to locate the man with the range finder. State police had sent an alert and photo of the man to the Secret Service using a number provided by the federal agency.
Committee Chair Mark Green expressed disbelief that the Secret Service did not act on the warning. “I find it interesting that this guy is so suspicious, has a range finder, they leave their post to go look for him, yet the Secret Service gets told about it 20 to 25 minutes beforehand and still lets the president go on stage,” Green said. “But again, there’s more details to be had.”
Rep. Dan Bishop called the agency’s actions a “colossal failure.”
Paris revealed that during a site walk-through on July 11, state police were informed by the Secret Service that Butler County ESU would monitor the rooftop where the shooter later positioned himself. Paris emphasized that the Secret Service was the lead agency.
Read: Trump Says He Would Declassify Investigation Files Into Attempted Assassination If Elected
Paris assured lawmakers that his agency’s cooperation with federal investigations is routine and that they provided all requested support to the Secret Service. He mentioned that the Pennsylvania State Police are conducting an investigation into the homicide of local fire chief Corey Comperatore and the attempted murders of two other spectators, alongside the FBI. The Secret Service counter-sniper’s actions are also under review.
Paris noted that the Secret Service has yet to provide the detailed day-of operations plan to state police, which is crucial for the ongoing investigation. Democratic Rep. Lou Correa raised concerns about potential communication failures as the November election approaches, highlighting the importance of having a robust plan in place.
Patrick Yoes, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, underscored the importance of interagency communication, mentioning FirstNet, a platform developed after 9/11 to address such issues. However, he admitted it is not always utilized in every event.
Read: Florida Sen. Rick Scott Demands Daily Updates From Biden Admin On Trump Assassination Attempt
Ranking Democrat Bennie Thompson acknowledged that communication systems are still not where they need to be. Lawmakers from the committee visited the attempted assassination site on Monday, with some climbing the rooftop to see how close the gunman got to the event.
During the hearing, Rep. Eli Crane presented a video from the rooftop, highlighting its accessibility. Rep. Carlos Giménez, who joined him, noted that despite being 70 years old, he could easily climb the roof, challenging the previous claims about its inaccessibility.
Cheatle had faced nearly five hours of questioning on Capitol Hill before resigning. Top lawmakers from the Committee on Oversight and Accountability called for her resignation, citing the security lapses.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced the formation of a task force to investigate the security failures. The bipartisan group will have subpoena authority and will make legislative and policy recommendations to prevent such incidents in the future.
GOP Rep. Mike Kelly, representing the Butler area, introduced the resolution to establish the task force and attended Tuesday’s hearing.
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