House hearing reveals more details of attempted assassination on Trump

On Tuesday, July 23, the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security held a hearing to question witnesses regarding the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on July 13. Pennsylvania State Police Colonel Christopher L. Paris and National President of the Fraternal Order of Police Patrick Yoes testified at the hearing, revealing more details about the incident.

According to The Hill, Colonel Paris testified at the hearing that after identifying Thomas Matthew Crooks as a suspicious individual, two Butler Emergency Services Unit (ESU) officers stationed on the second floor of the American Glass Research (AGR) building left their positions to track Crooks.

A video played at the hearing showed that from the original positions of the two officers, Crooks’ final location could be clearly observed.

The rooftop where Crooks opened fire was only about 147 yards away from the stage of former President Trump’s rally, but it was beyond the Secret Service’s security perimeter.

Paris also mentioned that when the shooter Crooks failed to enter the secure area before the rally, local law enforcement initially identified him as a “suspicious” individual.

Members of the Butler Emergency Services Unit became concerned when they saw Crooks using a rangefinder and decided to contact the command center supervised by the Secret Service. However, after receiving the information through phone and text from a Pennsylvania State Police officer in the command center, it was passed on to the Secret Service, and further action was required.

When questioned at the hearing whether he knew what the Secret Service contact person did after the photos were sent to that number, Paris said he was unaware.

This informal communication process raised concerns for the House Committee on Homeland Security, questioning why the threat assessment was not conveyed through formal channels such as digital broadcast and whether that text message was the root of the communication breakdown.

Paris mentioned that prior to opening fire, the shooter had been on the rooftop for about 3 minutes, but he added that he did not have a precise timeline. Video footage showed that after Crooks climbed onto the rooftop, someone in the crowd tried to alert law enforcement to watch out for him, but it was unclear how long he stayed on the rooftop.

Paris stated that before being subdued by Secret Service agents, the shooter Crooks fired eight shots at the location of the Trump rally. He further pointed out that after Crooks was shot dead, eight shell casings were found near his body.

Despite the assistance from local and state law enforcement agencies in the security measures for former President Trump’s rally, they did not have a say in the guards’ arrangements at the rally site – even including how they were stationed on the building where Crooks opened fire.

One of the main questions raised by lawmakers at the hearing was why there were no agents or officers stationed on the rooftop given its proximity to the rally stage.

Fraternal Order of Police National President Patrick Yoes stated at the hearing, “I would say that the primary responsibility for making those phone calls, making those decisions and coming up with those action plans still lies largely with the Secret Service.”

Two days before the rally on July 11, an area commander conducting a walkthrough reported to Paris that the rooftop where Crooks later attacked Trump may pose a security risk. At that time, a Secret Service agent reassured the commander that Butler’s ESU would be responsible for that area.

Republican U.S. Senator Josh Hawley posted a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on social media on Monday, July 22.

Senator Hawley’s letter mentioned that he received information from a whistleblower stating that on July 13, the day of Trump’s rally, law enforcement officers were actually stationed on the rooftop but left due to the hot weather.

In the letter, Hawley requested Secretary Mayorkas to answer the following questions by July 26:

1. If the whistleblower’s allegations are true, when did the individual abandon the rooftop position?
2. Please provide all security plans detailing which law enforcement units were deployed to the rooftop and the building.
3. Were there any law enforcement officers who did not report to their designated locations that day?

On Tuesday, Secret Service Director Chetrell announced her resignation. In an email to colleagues, she stated, “I have made a difficult decision with a heavy heart to step down from my supervisory position.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson responded to Chetrell’s resignation, stating that there might be other leadership positions held accountable for what happened, mistakes, and errors. The goal is to ensure that such mistakes do not recur.

Bipartisan members of the U.S. Congress have pledged to continue investigating the attempted assassination of former President Trump. Additionally, President Joe Biden has called for an independent bipartisan investigation into the incident.