ILA government watchdog report revealed that the US Secret Service missed 102 local radio transmissions regarding the gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump during a 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The failure occurred because the Secret Service had not established a joint communications room with local law enforcement, which was tracking a suspicious individual later identified as Thomas Crooks. According to the report by the US Department of Homeland Security's inspector general, the Secret Service only received five phone calls and three text messages about Crooks, leading to a lack of warning to Trump's protective detail. Additionally, the Secret Service's anti-drone system was inoperable due to an under-trained operator who did not test the equipment beforehand, allowing Crooks to fly a drone undetected for nearly nine minutes. The report recommended improvements in information sharing and addressing 'line of sight vulnerabilities' ahead of events.
Bias read (Center): The article presents findings from a government watchdog report without overtly favoring any political side. It includes specific details from the report and quotes from the Secret Service, providing a balanced account of the incident and the subsequent investigation.
