The Department of Homeland Security inspector general report reveals that while local law enforcement actively tracked Crooks, the Secret Service received only five phone calls and three text messages. Because the agencies operated on separate communication channels, the warning signs never reached the agents guarding Donald Trump. The security lapse extended to the air as well; Crooks flew a drone over the site for nearly nine minutes without detection. The agency’s counter-drone system was inoperable, managed by a single, undertrained operator who failed to test the equipment before the event. This latest investigation adds to a growing catalog of government findings that detail systemic failures in protective planning, confirming that the agency remained unaware of the shooter’s position on a nearby rooftop until the first shots were fired.
Secret Service communications breakdown preceded Trump rally shooting
A critical failure to establish a shared command center left Secret Service agents blind to 102 local radio transmissions regarding a suspicious individual at the July 13 Butler, Pennsylvania rally. This breakdown prevented the protective detail from learning that Thomas Crooks had been identified as a threat before he opened fire.
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