The Beaver County, Pennsylvania SWAT team, tasked with guarding President Trump's rally on July 13, reported a significant communication failure with the Secret Service prior to the gunman’s assassination attempt, claiming the only communication with Secret Service agents happened after the shooting.
Jason Woods, a lead sharpshooter on the SWAT team, told ABC News they anticipated a face-to-face briefing with the Secret Service prior to the rally, which never occurred. This absence of coordination raised immediate concerns for Woods and his team.
Woods expressed that this delay in communication was “too late.” The situation has highlighted substantial gaps in coordination between national and local law enforcement agencies, raising serious questions about the security protocols in place that day.
In a statement to ABC, a spokesperson avoided directly addressing Woods' claims but emphasized the agency’s commitment to fully understanding the incident to prevent future lapses.
Woods’ team included countersnipers stationed at the American Glass Research (AGR) building, used as a staging area for local law enforcement aiding the Secret Service. Text messages published by The New York Times revealed that countersnipers identified the gunman, Thomas Crooks, two hours before the shooting. One message indicated that Crooks had moved to a picnic table about 50 yards from an exit, and later photos of Crooks went viral on social media.
Despite these warnings, The Washington Post reported that Secret Service agents on Trump's detail never received the alerts from the countersnipers. Crooks eventually climbed onto the AGR building’s roof and fired at Trump, with the FBI confirming that the former president's ear was struck by a bullet.
The attempted assassination has led to intense scrutiny of the Secret Service. Former agents and advisers have criticized the agency for what they describe as an enormous security failure. On July 22, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle called the incident “the most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades” and resigned the following day amidst ongoing criticism of the agency’s handling of the event.
