A Butler SWAT operator played a critical role in delaying an attempted assassination at former President Donald Trump's rally in Butler Township last month.
According to a report from Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins, the local sniper's precise shot hit the gunman's rifle, buying crucial time before Secret Service intervention.
As reported by CBS Pittsburgh, the SWAT operator fired from approximately 100 yards away, striking the rifle stock of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the alleged assailant. The impact caused the stock to fragment, injuring Crooks' face, neck, and right shoulder area. Although Crooks briefly went down, he recovered within seconds, but the delay allowed a United States Secret Service sniper to take the fatal shot.
U.S. Representative Mike Kelly, who represents Pennsylvania's 16th District and chairs the U.S. House task force investigating the incident, has released his preliminary report. Kelly, a Butler native who was present at the July 13 rally, expressed concerns about the event's security measures.
Kelly stated, "The faith and trust and confidence the American people have to have has been shaken so badly." He added that after more than a month since the incident, there are still more questions than answers regarding the security protocols in place that day.
The congressman's investigation follows testimony from acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. before Congress two weeks earlier. Rowe presented a picture of the AGR roof, suggesting that local counter snipers positioned inside a nearby building should have spotted the shooter on the roof.
Local law enforcement officials working at the rally reported that they had informed the Secret Service about their limited manpower. This revelation has raised questions about the coordination between local and federal agencies during high-profile events.
Kelly expressed disappointment with Rowe's testimony, stating, "I was disappointed, first of all, that someone in that position would go ahead and make this supposition and say here's the problem, the local guys didn't do their job." He emphasized that local law enforcement was there to assist, not to replace federal agents.
According to the report, eight minutes before the shooting, officers observed the gunman moving between buildings at the AGR complex. This information was relayed from the county command post to the Secret Service's separate command post.
Simultaneously, as Trump was speaking on stage, video footage shows police and state troopers frantically searching for the shooter with their weapons drawn. Despite these efforts, law enforcement was unable to intercept the shooter before he fired eight shots, resulting in injuries to Trump, David Dutch, and Jim Copenhaver and the tragic death of Corey Comperatore.
When asked why Trump was not removed from the stage during this time, Kelly responded, "I have absolutely no idea." He further commented on the missed opportunity to prevent the tragedy:
If they were suspicious of somebody being there that shouldn't be there, just keep them back. Corey would be alive today, the other two men that were wounded would not be wounded. The president would not have been wounded.
A Butler SWAT operator's precise shot played a crucial role in delaying an assassination attempt at former President Trump's rally in Butler Township. The incident has prompted a congressional investigation led by Rep. Mike Kelly, raising questions about security protocols and coordination between local and federal agencies. The tragedy resulted in one fatality and multiple injuries, including to the former president. As investigations continue, there is a focus on improving security measures for high-profile political events to prevent similar incidents in the future.
