Secret Service Alerted BY LOCAL POLICE to Potential Trump Threat 12 Minutes Before Gunfire

The U.S. Secret Service reportedly allowed former President Donald J. Trump to take the stage at a large rally in Pennsylvania on July 13, despite local police raising concerns about a suspicious individual who later turned out to be the shooter.

Senator Ron Johnson released a preliminary report questioning the Secret Service’s decision to allow Trump on stage while local police were actively searching for the suspect, who went on to open fire on Trump and the crowd.

The incident has sparked controversy in Congress, with the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability issuing a subpoena for Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to testify at a hearing in Washington, D.C.’

The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired from a nearby building, narrowly missing Trump’s head. The former president’s doctor confirmed that he had escaped serious injury by mere millimeters.

The Secret Service was aware of the local police messages about the suspect and requested more information just before the shooting occurred.

Senator Johnson has urged government whistleblowers and witnesses to reach out to his office with any relevant information about the incident.

“Anyone who attended the rally—including law enforcement—should carefully memorialize, document, back-up and save any and all potentially relevant information including, but not limited to, security records, video and audio from the rally, proof of attendance at the rally, and eye-witness testimony,” the report said. “It is crucial in the early days of this investigation that all potential evidence is preserved and secured.”

The report highlighted several security issues, including the Secret Service skipping a 9 a.m. security briefing for local police on the day of the rally. Additionally, the security perimeter map distributed by Butler County officials did not include the American Glass Research complex located near the fairgrounds.

Initially, the Secret Service had not planned to send counter-sniper teams to the rally, leading local law enforcement to prepare for heavy sniper coverage. However, a day before the rally, it was communicated that two sniper teams would be dispatched.

The report mentioned that drone activity above the rally was discussed during the security briefing, but did not provide specific details. Media reports also indicated that an individual flew a small drone over the fairgrounds in preparation for an attack on Trump.

Furthermore, communication between local police and the Secret Service was challenging due to “siloed” radio channels. Relay of information had to occur in a tag-team manner between local police and the command center.

The responsibility of assigning locations for two local counter-sniper teams fell on Butler County, where fewer than 40 SWAT members and counter-snipers were assigned to the rally. Two counter-snipers were situated in an AGR building by 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 6.

At 5:10 p.m., a local police counter-sniper in an AGR building north of the rally grounds first observed Crooks acting suspiciously. Four minutes later, this officer captured two photos of Crooks near a single-story building that he ultimately used as a shooting platform against Trump. In one photo, Crooks appeared to be reading news articles on his phone before these images were circulated among local police.

At 5:28 p.m., the counter-sniper took photos of a bicycle and a backpack near the AGR building. It is not clear if those items were related to Crooks, Johnson’s report said.

At 5:32 p.m., the counter-sniper again spotted Crooks near the AGR building holding a rangefinder, which can be used to estimate distances to a shooting target.

Six minutes later, he sent a message about Crooks to the counter-sniper group. Police have said four counter-sniper teams were active on July 13: two local, one from Pennsylvania State Police, and one from the Secret Service.

At 5:41 p.m., the police counter-sniper called the command center to report Crooks’ appearance and relay that the suspect had a rangefinder. At 5:45 p.m., the counter-sniper texted information about Crooks to the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit and asked that it be relayed to the command center.

A local police sniper took photos of would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks at a retaining wall along the building he used as a perch from which to shoot former President Donald J. Trump on July 13.U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin)

At 5:49 p.m., photos of Crooks were sent to the Butler County ESU command center. Six minutes later, Butler’s command center acknowledged receipt of the photos “and state[d] they have been relayed on,” the report said.

At 5:59 p.m. — 12 minutes before the shooting spree began — a Beaver County law enforcement officer received word that the command center, which included the Secret Service, “was made aware of the messages and requested more information on the suspect’s location,” the report said.

At 6:05 p.m., Butler ESU command center asked the direction Crooks was traveling. The counter-sniper said the suspect was headed northeast carrying a backpack.

The counter-sniper moved to the ground floor of the AGR building where he was based at 6:06 p.m. in order to alert local police on the ground about the suspect.

‘ATF reportedly is using the pictures of Crooks to run facial recognition.’

Shortly after, onlookers spotted Crooks scaling the roof of AGR’s Building 6 with a rifle in hand. He took aim and fired at President Trump just after 6:11 p.m., prompting a rapid exchange of gunfire. Eventually, Crooks was fatally struck by a shot to the head from a counter-sniper.

At 6:23 p.m., members of the Beaver County SWAT team gained access to the roof and confirmed Crooks’ death. Police then conducted a pat-down at 6:43 p.m., discovering his phone, a transceiver capable of triggering explosives, and a rangefinder.

The report raised concerns about the presence of an agent from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives near Crooks’ body on the roof, requesting that photos of Crooks be sent to a phone number in the 215 area code in the Philadelphia area.

“ATF reportedly is using the pictures of Crooks to run facial recognition,” the report said.

The report indicated that Crooks had bought a 5.5-foot dual aluminum ladder at the Home Depot store in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, but there is no evidence suggesting that he used it to access the roof of Building 6.

Following the shooting, Johnson wrote a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, seeking answers to 16 questions related to the attempted assassination.

In his report dated July 21, Johnson raised an additional 41 questions, including inquiries about the number of shell casings near Crooks, the contents of the backpack he was carrying prior to the shooting, and the lack of direct communication between the Secret Service and the counter-sniper teams.

ICYMI: Sen. Johnson: “I’ve Seen Evidence that “There May Have Been TWO SHOOTERS”