Authorities Scrutinize Secret Service Response to Assassination Attempt on Donald Trump
WASHINGTON — Law enforcement officials investigating the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump revealed to lawmakers Wednesday that 20 minutes passed between the moment U.S. Secret Service snipers first spotted the gunman on a rooftop and the time shots were fired. This information comes from several law enforcement officials and lawmakers briefed on the incident.
According to sources, Secret Service snipers identified the suspect, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, on the roof of a building outside the security zone at the rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, at 5:52 p.m. ET on Saturday. The shooting occurred at 6:12 p.m. ET, precisely 20 minutes later.
In the wake of the shooting, the Secret Service has faced intense scrutiny over its response. The agency’s director, Kimberly Cheatle, has been subpoenaed to testify before Congress, with a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stating that she “welcomes the opportunity to testify.”
During a briefing, sources disclosed that Crooks had searched his phone for images of President Joe Biden and former President Trump, as well as the dates of Trump’s rally in Butler and the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Despite these searches, investigators have not identified any political motive for the attack.
The timeline provided in the briefing is as follows:
- 5:10 p.m.: Crooks identified as a person of interest
- 5:30 p.m.: Crooks spotted with a rangefinder
- 5:52 p.m.: Crooks observed on the roof by Secret Service
- 6:02 p.m.: Trump takes the stage
- 6:12 p.m.: Crooks fires first shots
From the moment Crooks fired the first shot, it took only 26 seconds for Secret Service snipers to neutralize him. Eleven seconds after the first shot, counter snipers acquired their target, and 15 seconds later, Crooks was shot dead.
Officials revealed that Crooks purchased an ammunition box at Walmart on July 5, just two days after the rally was announced. On July 13, he visited the rally site in the morning, stayed for an hour, and returned in the early evening, attempting to enter the security perimeter.
ABC News’ visual verification team analyzed new footage showing that one of two sniper teams repositioned just before the first gunshots. At 6:09 p.m., three minutes before the shooting, the sniper team on the southern building turned north toward Crooks’ location.
Despite the ongoing investigation, the motive behind the assassination attempt remains unclear. Interviews with the shooter’s parents indicated that neither had strong political leanings, and the FBI, which has conducted 200 interviews, has not found any ideological nexus to Trump or Biden.
Further details emerged about Crooks’ actions leading up to the shooting. Witnesses reported seeing him near the magnetometers scanning rallygoers for weapons. New bystander video obtained by the media shows Crooks pacing just beyond the rally boundaries at 5:06 p.m., about an hour before the shooting. Law enforcement officials noted that his presence near the metal detectors caught the attention of officers, who began to approach him before he blended into the crowd.
Authorities described how Crooks managed to reach the roof and fire at Trump. He used an air conditioning unit to scale a building and gain access to the American Glass Research (AGR) building’s roof, from where he fired at Trump, who was speaking 400 feet away.
The Secret Service’s response time is under review, with officials questioning why it took so long to react to the initial sighting of Crooks. Local police and counter-sniper units stationed at the AGR building may have caused confusion, delaying the Secret Service’s response.
Additional findings revealed that Crooks had a remote transmitter in his pocket, possibly intended to set off suspicious devices found in his car and home. The FBI is determining the functionality and purpose of these devices.
Despite thorough investigations, Crooks’ motive remains elusive. He was described as a loner, bullied in the past but not to an extreme extent. His phone, which the FBI unlocked, contained routine information for a 20-year-old male, and investigators are exploring whether he used burner phones to cover his tracks.
In an exclusive interview with the News, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle confirmed that local police were present in the AGR building when Crooks was on the roof. Cheatle emphasized the coordination between the Secret Service and local authorities, with the Secret Service responsible for the inner perimeter and local counterparts securing the outer perimeter.
As the investigation continues, questions remain about how Crooks ascended to the roof undetected, gained a direct line of sight, and fired at the former president. The Secret Service’s actions during the critical 20-minute window will be a central focus of the ongoing inquiry.
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