Beaver County SWAT team members noticed Thomas Matthew Crooks acting suspiciously near the rally site hours before the shooting incident.
Crooks managed to climb onto the roof of a building at the AGR complex and opened fire on Trump, wounding him and killing one person in the crowd while critically injuring two others.
Despite early warnings, there were communication failures between local law enforcement agencies and the Secret Service.
Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned following criticism from former agents and advisers after the incident.
Former President Donald Trump came under an assassination attempt on July 13, 2024, during a rally at the Butler Farm Show in Pennsylvania.
Former President Donald Trump came under an assassination attempt on July 13, 2024, during a rally at the Butler Farm Show in Pennsylvania. The incident raised concerns about communication and planning between local law enforcement agencies and the Secret Service.
According to reports from multiple sources, Beaver County SWAT team members noticed Thomas Matthew Crooks acting suspiciously near the rally site hours before the shooting incident. SWAT sniper Gregory Nicol took photos of Crooks and reported his observations to his team. During the rally, some attendees shouted that someone was on the roof, but it was later determined that they had mistakenly identified Crooks.
Despite these early warnings, there were communication failures between local law enforcement agencies and the Secret Service. Beaver County SWAT team members reported that they were supposed to have a face-to-face briefing with the Secret Service upon their arrival but this never occurred. Instead, the first contact between the two teams was only after the shooting incident.
Crooks managed to climb onto the roof of a building at the AGR complex and opened fire on Trump, wounding him and killing one person in the crowd while critically injuring two others. The FBI later confirmed that a bullet struck Trump's ear, either whole or fragmented into smaller pieces.
The aftermath of this security lapse has been a reckoning for the Secret Service. Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned days after the incident following criticism from former agents and advisers.
Sources:
Business Insider: A SWAT sniper at the Trump shooting said his team wasn't briefed and 'had no communication' with the Secret Service before the attack
Fox News: Pennsylvania SWAT sniper says Trump shooter 'just seemed out of place' as officer warned of gunman beforehand
ABC News: Local SWAT team blames Trump assassination attempt on lack of planning, communication
ABC News (video): Local SWAT team speaks out for first time on Trump assassination attempt
On July 13, a man named Thomas Matthew Crooks was spotted by Beaver County SWAT sniper Gregory Nicol skulking around the site where former President Donald Trump was about to take the stage at the fairgrounds in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Nicol noticed something off about the man’s behavior and took pictures of him and the bike to flag to his team.
Within an hour, Crooks opened fire from the roof of the building, wounding Trump on live TV, killing one person in the crowd, and critically injuring two more.
Beaver County SWAT team members were assigned to Trump’s Butler campaign rally and tasked with supporting Secret Service and other law enforcement in keeping the event safe.
This is the first time any of the key law enforcement personnel who were on site during the assassination attempt have offered firsthand accounts of what occurred.
Accuracy
The man, wearing a gray T-shirt, was looking up and down the building and carrying a rangefinder.
Within an hour, Crooks opened fire from the roof of the building
Crooks later fired shots at the rally
Thomas Matthew Crooks was spotted near the rally area an hour and 46 minutes before shots were fired
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains an appeal to authority. The author quotes the Beaver County SWAT team and their supervisors, who are not typically seen as impartial sources of information. This creates a potential for bias in the reporting.
The sniper and his fellow Beaver County SWAT officers were assigned to Trump’s Butler campaign rally, and tasked with supporting the Secret Service and other law enforcement in the mission to keep the event and Secret Service protectee, safe.
In their first public comments since the assassination attempt, the Beaver County SWAT team and their supervisors spoke with ABC News Senior Investigative Correspondent Aaron Katersky, marking the first time any of the key law enforcement personnel who were on site July 13 have offered firsthand accounts of what occurred.
On July 13, 2024, Beaver County SWAT sniper Gregory Nicol spotted a young man named Thomas Matthew Crooks acting suspiciously near former President Trump's Butler rally site.
Nicol noticed an unattended backpack and bicycle, as well as Crooks pulling a rangefinder from his pocket. He took photos and reported the sighting to his team.
During the rally, some attendees looked up towards the roof and shouted that someone was there. Nicol initially thought they had found Crooks, but then heard gunshots.
SWAT team members Rich Gianvito and Michel Vasiladiotis-Nicol ascended to the roof after the shooting and found Crooks bleeding and bound with zip ties. He was later pronounced dead.
Accuracy
Thomas Matthew Crooks was spotted near the rally area an hour and 46 minutes before shots were fired in some articles, but in others it is stated that he was spotted two hours before.
The communication between the SWAT team and the Secret Service is described differently in some articles, with some stating that there was no face-to-face briefing as planned.
Local snipers noticed Thomas Matthew Crooks two hours before the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, but this fact was not mentioned in any of the other articles.
Accuracy
Local snipers noticed Thomas Matthew Crooks two hours before the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump
The man, wearing a gray T-shirt, was looking up and down the building and carrying a rangefinder. He had an unattended bike and backpack nearby.
ESU members were supposed to have a face-to-face briefing with the Secret Service but it never happened
Communication failure between ESU, Secret Service, and Pennsylvania State Police occurred during Trump’s rally in Butler
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(70%)
The article contains selective reporting as the author only reports details that support the ESU's position of a lack of communication between them and the Secret Service. The author does not mention any attempts by the ESU to contact the Secret Service after identifying Crooks as suspicious or their own failure to communicate with each other effectively. Additionally, there is emotional manipulation through quotes from Woods and Young expressing their thoughts on what went wrong.
I believe so, in a lot of respects. Multiple agencies working together is always tasking no matter what the problem. I know we could not communicate with Secret Service or Pennsylvania State Police, or really in effort, the patrol directly.
We were supposed to get a face-to-face briefing with the Secret Service when they arrived, but that never happened... I think that that was a pivotal point where I started thinking things were wrong, because that never happened.
Fallacies
(85%)
The author, Kalea Gunderson, reports on the lack of communication between the Beaver County ESU and the Secret Service during former President Donald Trump's rally in Butler. This situation potentially involves an appeal to ignorance fallacy as both parties claim they were not made aware of crucial information that could have prevented a shooting incident. However, without further context or evidence, it is unclear if this constitutes a definitive fallacy.
]I know we could not communicate with Secret Service or Pennsylvania State Police, or really in effort, the patrol directly[/
CI believe so, in a lot of respects. Multiple agencies working together is always tasking no matter what the problem. I know we could not communicate with Secret Service or Pennsylvania State Police, or really in effort, the patrol directly[/
