Preface – I am not claiming to be a Subject Matter Expert or US Secret Service level of a Protective Services Detail (PSD) god.  This is my reflection on the recent incident based on my related experiences in PSD operations. 

My Related Experience:

In 1997/98, I was a US Army Military Police Team Leader as part of a PSD squad in Bosnia. We were responsible for protecting the Provost Marshal of Multi-National Division, North, which was part of the NATO Stabilization Force (SFOR). During that time, we participated in numerous missions in hostile territory, protecting the PM, his strap-hangers, the people he visited, and others, among other ad hoc missions. This included a Presidential visit by then-POTUS Clinton and Senator Bob Dole. 

In 2003 (Iraq), I participated in the protection of several principals as an ad hoc duty, including Paul Bremer – in a counter-sniper capacity.

In 2007 (Iraq), I led a team that provided protection of Governor Jeb Bush, when he visited the Theater Interment Facility at Abu Ghraib, and acted as close protection during his visit.

In 2008 (Iraq), I was the First Sergeant of a dedicated PSD unit responsible for the protection and safety of the General Staff of the Multinational Security Transition Command – Iraq (MNSTC-I), and as such planned, facilitated, led, and participated in numerous missions in hostile territory to protect 18 General Officers and SES types as well as their Sergeants Major, strap-hangers, the people they visited, and others, among other ad hoc missions. This included the protection of Congressional Delegations, Executive Branch missions, Heads of State/Ministers of State (Kurdistan & The Netherlands), and General Petraeus.  During some of these missions, I was the SNCO, enabling the Commander’s intent, and in some, I also actively participated in close protection, over watch, or in a counter sniper role.  

Joint C/S mission during the Dutch Government and Clerical visit to a Christian Church in Baghdad:

Later, when I was in the corporate world as a Regional Security Agent, I participated in several PSD missions, including for C-Suite principles, endangered executives, and a POTUS visit to our facilities during a campaign stop. I also performed advance security assessments in South America for Executive travel to the region.

In every single case, good guys secured a huge perimeter – and always held the high ground. In every single case, the policy was to immediately evacuate the principal at the very first sign of an impending attack. In every single case, if more resources were needed, they would be provided – even to the detriment of other missions.

Timeline – Leading up to the July 13, 2024 Attempt on the Life of Donald J. Trump

(all times are approximate, but the events are in the correct order):

• Jan. 20, 2021 – Crooks donated $15 to Progressive Turnout Project, which is a left-of-center political action committee based in Chicago, Illinois that supports Democratic Party candidates.

• Crooks’ “Gab” account posts from the same year, it is clear that he disliked Trump, and was a fan of Biden’s immigration policies.

• When he turned 18, he registered as a Republican, and only cast one vote in the subsequent 2022 midterm elections – it is unknown for whom he voted.
• According to FBI Director Wray, Crooks had a minimal social media presence, and often used encrypted apps to communicate with others, including with contacts in Belgium, Germany, and New Zealand. Wray stated that there was no evidence that Crooks had help, or that anyone else was involved, but provided the caveat that the FBI is still working toward accessing the encrypted communications.
• FBI officials said Crooks did not have a history of mental illness, foreign ties, or criminal activity.
• Wray stated that Crooks had recently searched terms such as Trump, Biden, DNC, mass shootings, power plants, improvised explosive devices, the assassination attempt of the Slovakian prime minister, and Depressive Disorder, but that there was no indication that Crooks planned or intended to target anyone other than Trump.
• At some point in the past, Crooks father purchased a used DMPS brand AR15 style rifle in 5.56mm caliber.
• July 6, 2024 – Crooks began to plan in earnest for his attack, registering for the Trump rally in Butler scheduled for July 13 and searching for the distances from which Lee Harvey Oswald shot at President Kennedy in Dallas on November 22, 1963.
• July 7, 2024 – Crooks reconnoitered Butler Farm Show site for about 20 minutes.
• July 8, 2024 – Local Law Enforcement agencies begin to notify tactical officers of the upcoming mission and start manpower requirement check ins.
• July 9, 2024 – Local LEOs advised USSS Agents that the roof of the American Glass Research (AGR) International building needed to be covered, as audio evidence illustrates HERE and video HERE.
• July 12, 2024 – Crooks went to the range, and purchased a 5′ ladder – it does not appear to have been used, and all of the ladders seen in images from after the shooting were emplaced by LEOs to gain access to the roof AFTER the incident took place.
• It was theorized by Federal Agents that Crooks secreted the rifle near the (AGR) International building on Friday or Saturday morning. It is also possible that the rifle was partly disassembled and would fit into Crooks’ backpack.
• Butler ESU leadership reminded the USSS to pick up the Local LEO radios that had been readied and offered to them.
• July 13, 2024 – 0900 According to Local Law Enforcement Officers (LEO), the Secret Service did not attend a security briefing provided to local special weapons and tactics (SWAT) and counter sniper (C/S) teams. Former USSS Director Cheatle stated that this is untrue.
• Acting USSS Director Rowe stated that the Secret Service and local law enforcement conducted a site briefing. After the Secret Service assumed their posts, a technical security sweep was conducted at the event before the site was opened to staff, vendors, and the public.
• USSS agents did NOT pick up the Local LEO radios that had been readied and offered to them.
• A Pennsylvania SWAT officer stated that his team had no direct contact with Secret Service agents at the rally in Butler until after shots were fired at President Trump.
• Local LEOs have stated that they offered to assist with surveillance of the area with a drone, but the USSS declined, although they did use it to clear the adjacent water tower, and there was a Local LEO unit guarding the base of the tower.
• USSS and Local LEOs established separate incident command posts, instead of a Unified Command, contrary to the basic Federal guidelines established in the Incident Command System (ICS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS) HERE.
• The USSS failed to record communications between federal and local law enforcement, or between their own Agents. Local LEO agencies have full records of all of the radio transmissions.
• 1000 – Crooks is known to have again reconnoitered the area of the Butler Farm Show site for approximately 70 minutes.
• USSS and Local Law Enforcement Officers (LEO) failed to secure the perimeter the morning of the event – including the rooftop of the AGR International building from which Crooks shot at Trump.
• Secret Service was initially not going to send counter snipers to the rally, according to local law enforcement.
• A whistleblower stated that Secret Service counter-sniper assets were routinely denied to the Trump USSS Detail if the locations weren’t within “driving distance” of Washington DC. This has been denied by Acting USSS Director Rowe.
• Rowe admitted that July 13, 2024 was the FIRST time that USSS C/S Teams had deployed in support of Trump’s events as a former President.
• Director Cheatle stated that there were no USSS drone assets available for the event, and none were present. This was later proven to be a lie via documentary evidence.
• Acting USSS Director Rowe stated that the agency has “technological tools” that could have spotted the shooter and allowed Agents or Local LEOs to detain and interrogate him before the shooting, but that they were not utilized.

• The USSS detail itself was short-staffed, and backfilled with personnel from other agencies, due to agents being reassigned to Jill Biden’s team the same day at an indoor event in Pittsburg, PA. Indeed, whistleblowers state that Jill Biden’s USSS detail was three times the size of that present at Trump’s event. (Note: USSS has stated on separate occasions that security was degraded due to the FLOTUS event and that Trump’s security was beefed up due to an Iranian threat stream, and that there was no change in the status of the team. Butler Township manager Tom Knights claims that there was not enough available manpower from Local LEOs to secure the outer perimeter, including the AGR International building.)

• Initially, it was reported that Local LEO C/S Teams were assigned to take the position on the roof of the AGR International building by the USSS advance team, who directed them to establish their position in a 2nd-story window of an adjacent building rather than on the roof approximately a week prior to the event. (Note: Director Cheatle of the USSS has claimed that the team was not in place due to the roof being too sloped for safety, but also that it was a “well-known high priority vulnerability.” Several additional conflicting reports state that the Local LEOs told the USSS that they did not have the manpower present to man the positions, that the position was assigned to a team that simply did not show up, and that the team was inside the building due to heat.)
• A Congressional Investigation revealed that on several prior walkthroughs, Butler County ESU voiced concerns about the area, and the USSS Counter Sniper leaders repeatedly stated, “We will take care of it.”
• It is apparent, regardless of the reason, that the roof was indeed a vulnerability and was not secured by either Local LEOs or the USSS.

• Local law enforcement said communications were siloed and they were not in frequent radio contact directly with Secret Service. However, the Acting Director of the USSS admitted that the event communications center was in fact monitoring the Local LEO radio communications.
• 1230 – Secret Service opens the site to event staff and vendors.
• 1300 – The gates open at the Butler Farm Show Grounds.
• Magnetometer screening of approximately 15,000 rally attendees, vendors and event staff begins.
• 1330 – Crooks’ father gave him the DPMS rifle, believing he was going to the range.
• 1355 – Crooks purchased ammunition.
• 1500 – Crooks’ parents notified law enforcement that he was missing with the rifle.
• USSS Attempted to stand up their Counter-Drone technology, however, due to a lack of cellular bandwidth, they aborted the launch.
• 1551 – Crooks for 11 minutes, used his small Chinese-made DJI Drone and gain a “bird’s eye” view of the area. The drone and controller were later found in Crooks’ car.
• At some point between the time Crooks was first sighted and when he ascended to his shooting perch, Crooks was able to again launch his drone, possibly seen to the right of the flag below. This was confirmed via the drone’s telemetry/GPS data. No images were stored on the drone.

• 1626 – Crooks first noted by LEOs, and is caught on video at the event.

• 1700 – The rally starts.
• 1710 – Crooks was observed by LEOs near the magnetometers at the entrance, and noted as acting suspiciously, using a rangefinder, but they lost track of him as he moved away from the entrance and moved to the North, and around the event grounds and toward the AGR International buildings where the Butler and Beaver County ESU C/S Teams was located.
• 1714 – One of the Local LEO C/S Teams took a picture of Crooks, in the vicinity of the AGR International building, using his range finder, but was unable to locate him again, and unable to determine if he was armed.

• 1720 – USSS got their Counter-Drone technology working.
• 1728 – Crooks parked his bicycle under a tree adjacent to the AGR International buildings.

• 1730 – Trump arrives at the site by Secret Service motorcade. He meets with VIPs in a secure, backstage area in the protective site.
• 1732 – Crooks observed by Local LEOs looking at his phone and through his rangefinder.
• 1735 – Crooks was observed on the ground near the AGR International building numerous times, observing the roof, and returning with a backpack.

• 1738 – Local LEOs text images of Crooks to supervisors, who relayed them to the USSS, and send Uniformed officers to the area to assist in locating Crooks.

• 1753 – USSS C/S Team Leader texted the USSS C/S Team teams (Hercules 1 & 2) that Local LEOs were looking for a suspicious person outside of the perimeter, “lurking around the AGR building.” USSS personnel were operating with the knowledge that local law enforcement was working on an issue of a suspicious person.
• 1802 – Trump takes the stage, begins to speak. The USSS Agent in Charge was aware of the potential threat, and allowed Trump to proceed according to Local LEOs. Acting USSS Director Rowe stated that 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.
• Video evidence indicates that USSS C/S Team Hercules 2 was looking intently in the direction of Crooks as Trump took the stage – implying that they were indeed aware of the threat.

• 1805 – Crooks observed with his backpack near the picnic tables to the West of the AGR International building.
• 1804 to 1806 – Crooks, climbing atop AC units, gains access to the roof of the AGR International building, approximately seven minutes before he started shooting.

• 1805 – Local LEOs received confirmation that USSS was aware of the shooter’s location.
• 1806 – Crooks was spotted by spectators on the roof adjacent to and in front of the AGR International building in which Local LEO C/S Teams were observing the event. The spectators shouted and informed local uniformed LEOs, who again confirmed that USSS was aware of Crooks’ location.
• 1808 – A State Law Enforcement Officer in the USSS command center made the USSS Agents aware of the situation, but they did not make a radio notification to the rest of the USSS until 1810 – perActing USSS Director Rowe

• 1810 – Two local LEOs attempted to confront Crooks on the roof. One LEO boosted the other up, and the boosted LEO grabbed the edge of the roof to pull himself up. Crooks then pointed his rifle at the LEO, who retreated as he physically could not draw his gun. The LEO fell as he did so (there has been claims that he was injured, but did not appear to be from the body camera footage below). The LEO then confirmed on the radio that there was a person on the roof who was armed shouting “LONG GUN” into the radio. This was initially denied by Acting USSS Director Rowe, who later clarified as noted above.

• Multiple LEOs converge on the AGR International building and begin to search for Crooks, bystanders become aware that something is very wrong.

• The USSS Agent In charge was on the phone with his superiors and the USSS close protection teams DID NOT remove Trump from the danger area (stage) immediately.
• Acting USSS Director Ronald Rowe stated on July 30, 2024 that “Neither the Secret Service counter sniper teams nor members of the former president’s security detail had any knowledge that there was a man on the roof.” This is in conflict with every other statement of people on the ground. Video HERE.
• USSS and Local C/S teams spotted Crooks, but because they believed a Local LEO tactical team was possibly on the roof, and the aforementioned Local LEO was attempting to make contact, they held their fire to deconflict, and did not shoot at Crooks until AFTER he opened fire. Acting USSS Director Ronald Rowe stated on July 30, 2024 that the USSS C/S teams did not see Crooks at all until Crooks opened fire.

• 1811 – Crooks opens fire with two volleys. The first of three rounds, and the second of five rounds, totaling eight rounds.
  • Trump and three others are hit, Trump reaches up at the pain in his ear, and bends over. Trump’s ear suffers a 2cm hole.

• Trump was hit in the right ear, and only the turn of his head in that precise moment saved him from probable death. Contrary to the many statements on social media that a 5.56mm caliber bullet would have caused catastrophic damage upon a strike to the ear or near miss, there is no evidence, either physical or via historic pathological studies, that supports these claims. Indeed, the physics supports what actually happened – a relatively small hole through the ear. Brandon Herrera and Ballistic High-Speed teamed up to successfully debunk that myth. The video is linked HERE and the image below is from that video.

• Former Fire Chief Corey Comperatore, 50, covers his family with his own body during the first volley, and is shot in the head and killed in the second volley. US Marine Veteran of the Gulf War David “Jake” Dutch, 57 and James Copenhaver, 74, were both hit twice and survived. Dutch and Copenhaver have since been released from the hospital. All three were spectators at the event.

• A member of Butler SWAT (location below) fired at but did not hit Crooks fatally. It is believed that he did hit Crooks’ rifle in the buffer tube, disabling it, sending fragments into Crooks, distracting him for approximately 10 seconds, and causing him to pop his head up.

• USSS C/S Team Hercules 1, pictured below, and located in the diagram shown later, is credited with the fatal shot. USSS C/S Team Hercules 2, pictured above, did not fire, possibly due to an obscured view. Local LEO C/S Teams did not engage at all.
  

• USSS Close Protection Teams rush Trump and tackle him to the ground, knocking him out of his shoes. Some of the Close Protection Team appeared to panic, seek cover, and stay there until it was announced that the shooter was down (audible on the recording). Others displayed poise and bravery, placing themselves between the shooter and Trump.

• 18:12.5 USSS close protection teams begin to evacuate Trump – almost 2 minutes AFTER shots were fired by Crooks. Trump is loaded into an armored vehicle and evacuated to a local hospital.

1813 – At least one member of Beaver County ESU C/S Team (Greg Nicol) left that position in an attempt to find Crooks as many other LEOs and USSS arrived.

• 1823 – Multiple LEOs access the roof, and discover Crooks’ body.
  • 8 spent cartridges were recovered from the roof near Crooks.
• 1825 – A Medic Pronounces Crooks dead.
• 1828 – USSS C/S Team Hercules 1 descends from their perch and leaves.

• 1846 – Local LEOs remove Crooks’ rifle from his immediate vicinity, then observing what they believe to be IED, they partially strip Crooks of items to remove any additional threats. This was later confirmed to be an initiator for the IED in Crooks’ vehicle.
• Following the shooting Secret Service was seen on the roof of the AGR International building with local law enforcement.
• 1946 – Photos of Crooks were sent to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) for facial recognition.

Overviews of the scene:

Other Facts That May Be Pertinent:

• The complete Beaver County ESU/SWAT FPOTUS UNREDACTED After Action Report is available HERE.
• Images that suggest that there was a “second shooter” in the window of the AGR International building downstairs due to muzzle flash, have been debunked, as that window is intact, and is a sealed window that was not able to be opened, as well as the fact that the window is too low to match the trajectory of the rounds.

• A very good analysis of the sound signatures provides forensic proof that both the location and timing of the shots is consistent with the 8 shoots fired by Crooks, the single shot from the Butler SWAT Officer, and the single shot from USSS C/S Team 1.

• Law enforcement searched Crooks’ family home in Bethel Park. Director Wray stated that home was extraordinarily clean – “lab like” with no silverware or trash present.
  • Two devices were recovered from the car, consisting of ammunition boxes filled with explosive material with wires, receivers and ignition devices, were capable of exploding but did not because the receivers were in the “off” position. Another was recovered from his parents’ home.
  • Crooks had a piece of commercially available equipment that appeared capable of initiating the devices. One of these initiating devices was what caused LEOs to partly strip Crooks’ body of items as they believed it to be an IED.
  • Explosives technicians were called to the scene to secure and investigate the devices.
  • The IEDs appear to be composed of an Ammonal/ANFO type explosive made of nitromethane, aluminum powder, and ammonium nitrate, and the construction indicated a higher level of sophistication.

• Whistleblowers notified Senator Hawley (MO) that Acting USSS Director Rowe personally directed cuts to the USSS agents responsible for threat assessments while Deputy Director, and that none of these threat assessment agents were present in Butler when Trump was shot. Further many of them had been sounding the alarm about problems for months.

FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate obfuscated his answers to Congress, about the motives of Crooks – GAB CEO called him out instantly on X.

• FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate says Trump rally shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, may have been motivated by “anti-Semitic and anti-immigration” sentiments based on 700 comments recently discovered. He says, “There were over 700 comments posted from this account. Some of these comments, if ultimately attributable to the shooter, appear to reflect anti-Semitic and anti-immigration themes to espouse political violence and are described as extreme in nature.”
• Gab founder Andrew Torba then released an FBI Emergency Disclosure Request (EDR) that named Thomas Matthew Crooks’ Biden-supporting social media account.

• Abatte: “While the investigative team is still working to verify this account to determine if it did, in fact, belong to the shooter, we believe it important to share and note it today, particularly given the general absence of other information to date from social media that reflect on the shooter’s potential motive and mindset.”
• However, the FBI’s request to Gab specifically identified Thomas Matthew Crooks’s account as “epicMicrowave,” which had posted comments completely opposite to what the FBI told Congress. Moreover, Crooks donated $15 to a progressive PAC on January 20, 2021, and posted comments supporting Joe Biden’s border policies on Gab just weeks later, in early February 2021.

A Secret Service counter sniper sent an email on July 29, 2024 night to the entire Uniformed Division of the USSS (not agents) saying he will not stop speaking out until “5 high-level supervisors (1 down) are either fired or removed from their current positions.”

• The counter sniper also said the agency “SHOULD expect another assassination attempt” before November and complained that he is no longer proud to be a USSS counter sniper after leadership failed the officers at the Trump rally in Butler on 7/13.
• “This agency NEEDS to change,” the sniper wrote in the email. “If not now, WHEN? “The NEXT assassination in 30 days?”
• “Sadly we have fallen short for YEARS,” the counter sniper lamented. “We just look good doing it. I have conveyed these thoughts to not only supervisors (to include the current Captain of CS, but those responsible for training us (SOTS/CS). Only to be brushed off as those with less experience somehow knew more than me.”
• “The team I was once proud to be a part of, is something I have to somehow hide as I move into my next career,” the counter sniper continued. “Who wants to hire a USSS CS guy who failed? That’s the public perception I’m not faced with. The USSS CS team is a stain I will never be able to cleanse.”
• He concluded with these two lines: “The motto of the USSS…CYA. And every supervisor is doing it right now.” – The agency quickly deleted the email. This was presented to Congress on July 30, 2024.

• A brief video posted on Facebook by Crooks’ school district in 2022 showed Crooks participating in a computer coding course and explaining a coding concept to a fellow student. Video HERE
• According to Marcie Grimm, the center’s administrator, Crooks worked as a dietary aide at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, a nursing home less than a mile from his family’s home. Crooks, a colleague said, never expressed political views at work and wasn’t “a radical.” – CNN
• According to classmate Vincent Taormina, Crooks was a known Trump hater and was a “know it all.” , He said to Taormina: ‘Well, you’re Hispanic so shouldn’t you hate Trump?’ , “He insinuated that I was stupid.”
• Both of Crooks’ parents worked as social workers, according to state license records. His father is registered to vote as a Libertarian and his mother is registered as a Democrat, state voter records show. – CNN
• Crooks was severely bullied in school, was very smart, took honors classes, was shy, and was said to be “most likely to be a school shooter”, “no facial expression”, and had “…a target on his back.”- CNN
• Crooks has appeared in several videos shared to social media where he appears to have been bullied.
• Crooks, appeared in a 2023 BlackRock Ad, filmed at Bethel Park High School, which Crooks attended. Video HERE.
• Crooks was registered to vote as a Republican but donated to Progressive Turnout Project, a Democratic-aligned political action committee, on Inauguration Day in January 2021. – CNN (Note- the registration is most likely him attempting to participate in the “Primary” Trump effort by Democrats in closed primary states by registering and voting for an opposition candidate to prevent Trump’s nomination.)
• Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson introduced the “Disgraced Former Protectees Act (H.R. 8081)” in an attempt to remove USSS protection from Trump.
• A “source familiar with Trump’s security detail” has told them that “the…detail has been asking for beefed up protection and resources for weeks, but has been rebuffed time and again by Biden’s DHS. DHS, which oversees Secret Service protective detail ‘wasn’t responsive to those requests’ for more resources, the source said.” – The Federalist
• Crooks tried out for the school’s rifle team but was turned away because he was a bad shooter, said Frederick Mach, a current captain of the team who was a few years behind Crooks at the school. – Yahoo – This was since been disputed by the school, that stated that there is no record of Crooks participating in any of the rifle team’s events in any way.
• An Air Force Veteran who took a shooting class with Crooks stated that he remained quiet about politics but implied that he was not a bad shot.
• The FBI released the crime scene and hosed it off, three days after the incident, and one day before a Congressional delegation was able to examine it in person.
• The FBI also released Crooks body, which was quickly cremated, 10 days after the incident, and did not allow follow up examination of the body or autopsies.
• The FBI’s updates are collated HERE.

Conclusion:

I present all of this to say – the USSS and Local LEOs failed – miserably. 

Hanlon’s Razor elucidates that one should never attribute to malice, that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

Should proverbial heads roll?  Yes. Director Cheatle resigned on July 23. However, NONE of the USSS staff present on July 13, 2024 have been terminated or even placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. In fact, they are all still operational and participating in protection missions.

Should there be a thorough investigation?  Yes. 

Should we assume that the USSS purposefully and willfully assisted in the assassination of Trump?  No. REVISED: Despite my initial response to this, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the level of negligence, hubris, incompetency, and/or petty stonewalling of providing Trump with adequate coverage and support by the USSS greatly contributed to the events of the 13th. Possibly to the level of criminality. Certainly, the actions of the USSS Agent in Charge, the Local LEO C/S Team 2, and the Agents that sought cover instead of either moving toward the gunfire or physically protecting Trump need further investigation, as does the specifics of how and to what ends the entire detail was shorted staff or equipment.

Should the FBI publish a full and transparent record of the facts?  Yes.

Will They? The history of obfuscation and partisan politics by both the FBI as a whole, and as demonstrated by Director Wray most recently, it is apparent that Congress, the media, and whistleblowers will have to keep up pressure on that agency to get a full accounting of what happened.

What this event needs is honest and robust oversight from an independent, disinterested party.