'Tragic and shocking': Explosive House report describes 'avoidable' shooting at Trump's July 13 rally

A new report says the fatal shooting at former President Trump's rally in Pennsylvania on July 13 was a “preventable” incident that resulted from a lack of planning and communication between law enforcement agencies.

The House of Representatives task force investigating the Trump assassination attempt will release its interim findings on Monday. A final report is expected on December 13th.

“Although the findings in this report are preliminary, the information obtained in the first phase of the task force's investigation clearly demonstrates a lack of planning and coordination between the Secret Service and its law enforcement partners prior to the rally,” the report said.

U.S. Secret Service (USSS) personnel at the event provided “no clear guidance” to state and local authorities on how security should be managed outside their hard-protected area, nor was there a central meeting between U.S. Secret Service that morning ( USSS) and the law enforcement agencies supporting them instead of the rally – two findings that are presented as material errors in the 51-page report.

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An interim report has been released on the fatal shooting at former President Trump's July 13 rally in Pennsylvania. (Getty Images)

“Simply put, the evidence collected by the task force to date demonstrates that the tragic and shocking events of July 13 were preventable and should not have occurred,” the report said.

A suspected assassin's bullet struck Trump, the 2024 Republican candidate, in the ear as he addressed supporters at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, over the summer.

20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire on the rally from a rooftop just outside the event's security perimeter, killing one attendee and wounding two others along with Trump.

Monday's report underscores the mountain of investigations the USSS has grappled with since the shooting, with lawmakers on both sides questioning how Crooks was able to fire eight shots before being killed by a single bullet to the head.

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The task force determined that Crooks had been “under surveillance by Secret Service state and local partners” for approximately 40 minutes before “information regarding a suspicious individual” reached the USSS command post.

It said three local police officers noticed Crooks around 5 p.m. ET and each “independently” concluded that his “demeanor and demeanor were suspicious.”

There was back and forth between local and state units, with communication made difficult by the lack of a central command system with the USSS.

The task force is led by Chairman Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., who was present at the shooting and represents the district where it happened. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

The report later states that between approximately 5:38 and 5:51 p.m., “a series of calls and messages regarding Crooks' description and movements reached the Secret Service.”

The document also referenced earlier testimony from a Butler Township Police Department witness whose colleague spotted Crooks on the roof just before he opened fire.

This witness said her colleague fell from the roof, which he barely held on to while screaming, “THAT'S AN AR!” ONE AR! ONE AR! A GUY WITH AN AR!”

“To date, the task force has received no evidence that the message reached the former president's USSS team before shots were fired,” the report said.

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The report also cited a Butler County Emergency Services United (ESU) witness whose account of the shooting of Crooks appears to refute the USSS's claim that one of its snipers killed the shooter.

“He fired a single shot from a standing position at Crooks, who was lying on the roof. Butler ESU Witness 5 told the task force that he believes his shot struck Crooks,” the report states.

Crooks' autopsy revealed he was hit by only a single bullet, which proved fatal, the report said. Former USSS Director Kimberly Cheatle previously said a USSS sniper killed Crooks, and the report said, “There is no evidence to the contrary to date.”

“The autopsy revealed no evidence of an entry wound from a second bullet,” the report said.

Pictures by Thomas Mathew Crooks taken by a sniper. (Office of Senator Ron Johnson)

His blood work was also “positive for antimony, selenium and lead,” the latter possibly due to Crooks' time spent at a firing range, the report said.

The report also points to logistical problems – particularly from the USSS – in the hours before the rally.

For example, two command centers were set up for the event, with one witness stating that no one from the Butler Police Department was invited to the USSS hub.

Butler ESU Commander Edward Lenz also told task force personnel that a sniper in his unit advised a USSS agent to pick up a radio communications device from the command center to keep in touch with local and state authorities – the agent had it but never retrieved.

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The report states that ESU snipers, who were not positioned to monitor the building from which Crooks fired but were inside the complex, were also not informed of plans to keep an eye on the facility itself.

“Local law enforcement told the task force that the Secret Service had not provided Butler ESU and Beaver ESU with information about the placement, role and responsibilities of their snipers… they understood their job to be to monitor the rally venue,” it said said the report.

Local and state law enforcement held two briefings the morning of the rally, but the USSS “did not attend either briefing,” the report said.

The USSS held its own briefing at 10 a.m. that day, but the report indicated that local units were not invited.

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In fact, a Pennsylvania State Police officer was “invited to the 1000 USSS briefing by one USSS agent and subsequently asked to leave by another.”

In concluding its report, the task force said it would continue its efforts to interview officials and examine new details as they emerge, reiterating its goal to investigate both the July 13 incident and the Trump assassination attempt his west from September 15th to examine Palm Beach Golf Course.

The task force was commissioned by House leaders after a unanimous vote in the full House.