A police officer from a local tactical team assigned to former President Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, revealed a lack of communication between their SWAT team and the U.S. Secret Service before the tragic incident unfolded.
The lead sharpshooter of the Beaver County team, Jason Woods, stated that they were supposed to receive a briefing from the Secret Service upon their arrival, but this crucial interaction never occurred.
Woods highlighted the absence of communication as a critical failure in planning that led to the unfortunate events where Thomas Matthew Crooks wounded Trump, resulting in the death of a spectator and injuries to two others before being shot dead by a Secret Service sniper.
Following the assassination attempt, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned, and investigations by law enforcement and Congress have been initiated.
Woods mentioned that despite being in position hours before Trump's appearance at the rally, their first contact with the Secret Service happened only after the shooting, rendering it too late to prevent the incident.
Despite a Beaver County sniper alerting command about Crooks' suspicious presence and position on the building's roof, the gunman was still able to carry out the attack.
Trump's Secret Service detail and advisers expressed concerns over not being informed about the suspicious individual spotted by local police, with some mistaking the gunshots for fireworks.
Trump himself mentioned in an interview the lack of communication regarding the potential threat and the missed opportunity to delay his speech for safety reasons.
Beaver County Chief Detective Patrick Young emphasized that the SWAT team did everything possible that day, highlighting the importance of teamwork in such critical situations.
