Trump assassination attempt: Secret Service gives timeline update

WASHINGTON — The Secret Service has released more details concerning the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

The acting head of the Secret Service, Ronald Rowe said that the agency did not have “any idea” that Thomas Crooks had a gun until the shots rang out. Rowe also said that it was a “Secret Service failure” and that they “should have had eyes” on the roof where Crooks was located, CNN reported.

Rowe gave the update during a news conference on Friday, about three weeks after shots rang out at the Butler Farm Show grounds in Western Pennsylvania.

The acting director said that the agency “should’ve had better coverage on that roofline,” adding that local and state law enforcement should not be held responsible for allowing a gunman to open fire on the former president, wounding him in the ear, CNN reported.

The roof where Crooks had fired shots was less than 200 yards from Trump as the former president spoke to supporters during a campaign rally on July 13.

Rowe said, “The Secret Service takes full responsibility for the tragic events of July 13th. This was a mission failure. The sole responsibility of our agency is to make sure our protectees are never put in danger. We fell short of that in Butler, and I’m working to make sure that this failure does not happen again,” Fox News reported.

Rowe became acting director of the Secret Service after the resignation of now-former Director Kimberly Cheatle, who stepped down last month after a grilling by lawmakers during a hearing into how a gunman was able to be close enough to wound Trump.

Here is the timeline of the events according to Rowe:

July 12:

• Rally site buildout began continuing through the early morning hours of July 13.

July 13:

• Morning - Secret Service and local law enforcement conduct site briefing. Secret service took posts, technical security sweep was conducted at the event before the site was opened to staff, vendors and the public.
• 12:30 p.m. - Secret Service opens the site to event staff and vendors.
• 1 p.m. - Magnetometer screening of approximately 15,000 rally attendees, vendors and event staff begins.
• 5:30 p.m. - Former President Trump arrives at the site by Secret Service motorcade. He meets with VIPs in a secure, backstage area in the protective site.
• 5:45 p.m. - Local Butler County Emergency Services Unit counter-sniper team member texted the Secret Service counter-sniper team leader about a suspicious person and sent two photos of the person who would later be identified as Crooks.
• 5:53 p.m. - The Secret Service counter-sniper team leader texted the Secret Service counter-sniper teams that local law enforcement was looking for a suspicious person outside of the perimeter, “lurking around the AGR building.” Secret Service personnel were operating with the knowledge that local law enforcement was working on an issue of a suspicious person.
• 6 p.m. - Former President Trump took the stage. Neither the Secret Service sniper teams or his security detail had any knowledge of an armed Crooks on the roof of the AGR building. Rowe said he is not aware if the Secret Service personnel knew that Crooks was armed until shots rang out.
• 6:11 p.m. - A member of Trump’s security detail contacted their Pittsburgh FBI field office counterpart about a radio update that local law enforcement was looking into near the perimeter. The first three shots rang out from Crooks’ location and within three seconds Trump’s security detail “rushed the stage and covered former President Trump, shielding him with their own bodies. The fourth through eighth shots took place over the next several seconds.” Within 15 and a half seconds after the first shot, a Secret Service counter-sniper shot and killed Crooks with a single shot.

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Trump attempted assassination BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for a rally at Butler Farm Show Inc. on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. Shortly after, shots rang out and Trump slumped before being whisked away by Secret Service with injuries visible to the side of his head. Butler County district attorney Richard Goldinger said the shooter and one audience member are dead and another was injured. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images) (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

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