How a lone gunman breached security in Trump’s assassination attempt: a year in review
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How a lone gunman breached security in Trump’s assassination attempt: a year in review
One year after the assassination attempt on President Trump in Butler, PA, we reflect on the tragedy, the loss, and the mistakes that were made. Secret Service Director Sean Curran said, “One year ago, I was by President Trump’s side when a lone gunman attempted to assassinate him” The day before the shooting, the FBI says, Crooks visited a local shooting range and practiced with the gun that would be used in the attack. Body camera footage obtained by The National Desk revealed a Butler Township police officer propped up the roof where Crooks was laying down before he shot at the former president and rally attendees on July 13. The agency has implemented numerous reforms, including Operations, Human Capital, Resources and Physical Assets, Training, and Technology, of the 46 recommendations from Congressional oversight bodies, 21 have been implemented, 16 are in progress, and nine are addressed to non-Secret Service stakeholders. The shooting was “preventable and should not have happened,” a bipartisan congressional task force found.
COREY COMPERATORE
The and injuries to David Dutch, James Copenhaver, and President Trump.
Comperatore was a longtime member of the Buffalo Township Fire Department and served as the chief. He was born in Natrona Heights, Pa. and graduated from Freeport Area High School in 1992.
Comperatore worked as a project and tooling engineer, was an Army reservist and spent many years as a volunteer firefighter after serving as chief, according to his obituary.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran said, “One year ago, I was by President Trump’s side when a lone gunman attempted to assassinate him in Butler, Pennsylvania. My heart will always be with all those impacted on that day, especially Corey Comperatore, who lost his life while protecting those around him.”
The agency acknowledges the operational failures that contributed to the tragedy, including communication breakdowns, technological issues, and human error. Director Curran emphasized the importance of learning from these mistakes, stating, “Since President Trump appointed me as director of the United States Secret Service, I have kept my experience on July 13 top of mind, and the agency has taken many steps to ensure such an event can never be repeated in the future.”
Under Curran’s leadership, the Secret Service has implemented numerous reforms, : Operations, Human Capital, Resources and Physical Assets, Training, and Technology. Of the 46 recommendations from Congressional oversight bodies, 21 have been implemented, 16 are in progress, and nine are addressed to non-Secret Service stakeholders.
REMEMBERING THE DAY
President Trump was struck in the ear by a bullet or a fragment of one during the July 13 assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
TIMELINE:
Through more than 450 interviews, the FBI fleshed out a portrait of the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, that revealed him to be a “highly intelligent” but reclusive 20-year-old whose primary social circle was his family and who maintained few friends and acquaintances throughout his life.
The day before the shooting, the FBI says, Crooks visited a local shooting range and practiced with the gun that would be used in the attack. Crooks was said to have flown a drone around the Pennsylvania rally site ahead of time in an apparent attempt to scope out the site before the event.
After the shooting, authorities found two explosive devices in Crooks’ car and a third in his room at home. The devices recovered from the car, consisting of ammunition boxes filled with explosive material with wires, receivers and ignition devices, were capable of exploding but did not because the receivers were in the “off” position. How much damage they could have done is unclear.
BODY CAM FOOTAGE
Video shed light on the moments before the Crooks opened fire showing a heart-thumping encounter for a local police officer.
The body camera footage obtained by The National Desk revealed a Butler Township police officer propped up the roof where Crooks was laying down before he shot at the former president and rally attendees on July 13.
Once the officer appeared to have spotted Crooks on the rooftop, he’s seen immediately getting down and then running to his patrol vehicle to arm himself with a rifle.
Within 10 minutes of the roof discovery, “We have a unit on the roof” is heard on the officer’s radio. He confirms with the person on the other end, “affirmative.”
He then tells officers to get him back up on the roof. Once up, the video shows the lifeless 20-year-old with the weapon he used nearby.
The footage is the first evidence showing a law enforcement officer trying to confront the gunmen before the shooting rampage.
SECRET SERVICE AGENTS SUSPENDED
Nearly a year after the attempt to take President Trump’s life, six United States Secret Service agents were suspended for ‘mistakes’
ABC News reported on Wednesday that following the shooting, an independent review by the Department of Homeland Security determined that the Secret Service made mistakes that left the president vulnerable to assassination.
Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned 10 days after the shooting. According to reports the ones suspended this week ranged from the supervisory level to line agent level.
A bipartisan congressional task force report found that the shooting was “preventable and should not have happened.”
How a lone gunman breached security in Trump’s assassination attempt: a year in review
One year after the assassination attempt on President Trump in Butler, PA, we reflect on the tragedy, the loss, and the mistakes that were made. Secret Service Director Sean Curran said, “One year ago, I was by President Trump’s side when a lone gunman attempted to assassinate him” The day before the shooting, the FBI says, Crooks visited a local shooting range and practiced with the gun that would be used in the attack. Body camera footage obtained by The National Desk revealed a Butler Township police officer propped up the roof where Crooks was laying down before he shot at the former president and rally attendees on July 13. The agency has implemented numerous reforms, including Operations, Human Capital, Resources and Physical Assets, Training, and Technology, of the 46 recommendations from Congressional oversight bodies, 21 have been implemented, 16 are in progress, and nine are addressed to non-Secret Service stakeholders. The shooting was “preventable and should not have happened,” a bipartisan congressional task force found.
COREY COMPERATORE
The and injuries to David Dutch, James Copenhaver, and President Trump.
Comperatore was a longtime member of the Buffalo Township Fire Department and served as the chief. He was born in Natrona Heights, Pa. and graduated from Freeport Area High School in 1992.
Comperatore worked as a project and tooling engineer, was an Army reservist and spent many years as a volunteer firefighter after serving as chief, according to his obituary.
Secret Service Director Sean Curran said, “One year ago, I was by President Trump’s side when a lone gunman attempted to assassinate him in Butler, Pennsylvania. My heart will always be with all those impacted on that day, especially Corey Comperatore, who lost his life while protecting those around him.”
The agency acknowledges the operational failures that contributed to the tragedy, including communication breakdowns, technological issues, and human error. Director Curran emphasized the importance of learning from these mistakes, stating, “Since President Trump appointed me as director of the United States Secret Service, I have kept my experience on July 13 top of mind, and the agency has taken many steps to ensure such an event can never be repeated in the future.”
Under Curran’s leadership, the Secret Service has implemented numerous reforms, : Operations, Human Capital, Resources and Physical Assets, Training, and Technology. Of the 46 recommendations from Congressional oversight bodies, 21 have been implemented, 16 are in progress, and nine are addressed to non-Secret Service stakeholders.
REMEMBERING THE DAY
President Trump was struck in the ear by a bullet or a fragment of one during the July 13 assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
TIMELINE:
Through more than 450 interviews, the FBI fleshed out a portrait of the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, that revealed him to be a “highly intelligent” but reclusive 20-year-old whose primary social circle was his family and who maintained few friends and acquaintances throughout his life.
The day before the shooting, the FBI says, Crooks visited a local shooting range and practiced with the gun that would be used in the attack. Crooks was said to have flown a drone around the Pennsylvania rally site ahead of time in an apparent attempt to scope out the site before the event.
After the shooting, authorities found two explosive devices in Crooks’ car and a third in his room at home. The devices recovered from the car, consisting of ammunition boxes filled with explosive material with wires, receivers and ignition devices, were capable of exploding but did not because the receivers were in the “off” position. How much damage they could have done is unclear.
BODY CAM FOOTAGE
Video shed light on the moments before the Crooks opened fire showing a heart-thumping encounter for a local police officer.
The body camera footage obtained by The National Desk revealed a Butler Township police officer propped up the roof where Crooks was laying down before he shot at the former president and rally attendees on July 13.
Once the officer appeared to have spotted Crooks on the rooftop, he’s seen immediately getting down and then running to his patrol vehicle to arm himself with a rifle.
Within 10 minutes of the roof discovery, “We have a unit on the roof” is heard on the officer’s radio. He confirms with the person on the other end, “affirmative.”
He then tells officers to get him back up on the roof. Once up, the video shows the lifeless 20-year-old with the weapon he used nearby.
The footage is the first evidence showing a law enforcement officer trying to confront the gunmen before the shooting rampage.
SECRET SERVICE AGENTS SUSPENDED
Nearly a year after the attempt to take President Trump’s life, six United States Secret Service agents were suspended for ‘mistakes’
ABC News reported on Wednesday that following the shooting, an independent review by the Department of Homeland Security determined that the Secret Service made mistakes that left the president vulnerable to assassination.
Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned 10 days after the shooting. According to reports the ones suspended this week ranged from the supervisory level to line agent level.
A bipartisan congressional task force report found that the shooting was “preventable and should not have happened.”