The Secret Service was aware that the individual who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump was on a rooftop with a rifle two minutes before the shooting, according to a newly unredacted report from the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General. The report details multiple missed opportunities by the Secret Service to detect, prevent, and disrupt the assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024.
According to the DHS report, the Secret Service had intelligence that Thomas Crooks was armed and positioned on a rooftop with a clear line of sight to Trump. However, this information was not communicated to Trump's protective detail. The report concluded that a combination of the Secret Service's "overall lack of policy and processes coupled with limited intelligence sharing and poor collaboration and communication with protectee staff and state and local law enforcement set the conditions that led to missing opportunities to prevent and detect the attempted assassination."
The Office of Inspector General made seven recommendations aimed at enhancing the Secret Service's event security procedures.