Shenango Valley News

The Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump has released an interim report detailing significant security lapses during the July 13, 2024 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The bipartisan document, titled "Interim Staff Report: Investigating the Stunning Security Failures on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania," presents initial findings from their investigation.

The report is based on 23 interviews with local law enforcement officials and a review of thousands of pages of documents from various authorities. It also includes testimony from a public hearing held by the Task Force on September 26th.

One key revelation is that the Secret Service did not adequately prepare or communicate with state and local law enforcement before and during the event. This lack of coordination contributed to several security failures at the rally.

The report outlines eight main findings:

1. Inadequate planning and coordination by the Secret Service with state and local law enforcement.

2. Failure to include the AGR complex within a secure perimeter.

3. Limited field of vision for sniper teams inside the AGR complex.

4. Absence of a unified command post for communication between agencies.

5. Slow movement of critical information due to fragmented communication lines.

6. Local law enforcement fired at Crooks before a USSS sniper delivered a fatal shot.

7. Crooks accessed the AGR roof using an air conditioning unit instead of a ladder.

8. An autopsy confirmed Crooks was killed by a single bullet.

"Put simply, the evidence obtained by the Task Force to date shows the tragic events of July 13 were preventable," states the report.

For more details, readers are encouraged to consult the full report.