Watchdog faults Secret Service for missing 102 radio calls during Trump shooting

Key facts

• The U.S. Secret Service missed 102 local radio transmissions regarding the gunman who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump.
• The agency failed to establish a joint communications room with local law enforcement, which was receiving reports about the suspect.
• The Secret Service received only five phone calls and three text messages about the gunman, Thomas Crooks.
• Crooks opened fire at a rally, killing a bystander and injuring others, including Trump.
• The Secret Service's counter drone system was inoperable during the incident, manned by an under-trained operator.

The U.S. Secret Service failed to receive 102 local radio transmissions concerning the gunman who attempted to assassinate President Donald Trump at a July 13, 2024, campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. According to a report by the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general, the agency was unaware of these transmissions because it had not established a joint communications room with local law enforcement.

Instead of receiving the radio communications, the Secret Service only received five phone calls and three text messages regarding the suspect, Thomas Crooks. This communication breakdown meant that Trump's protective detail was not alerted to concerns about a suspicious person. Crooks, who was killed by law enforcement at the rally, opened fire while Trump was speaking, resulting in one bystander's death and injuries to others, including Trump himself, who sustained a graze wound to his ear. Crooks had gained access to a rooftop with a clear view of the stage.

The report also found that the Secret Service's counter drone system was inoperable during the event. The system was operated by a single, under-trained individual who had not tested it prior to the rally. It took hours for this operator to attempt to fix the system, during which time Crooks conducted an undetected drone flight over the area for nearly nine minutes. This report is the latest in a series of investigations highlighting significant security lapses by the Secret Service at the event.