A gunman attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., on the evening of July 13.

Security failures, including delayed responses and miscommunications, allowed the attacker to fire shots that wounded Trump and two others, killing former fire chief Corey Comperatore, as National Review reports.

Local law enforcement officers identified the assailant, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, more than 90 minutes before the shooting occurred.

Crooks was first spotted near the AGR International industrial building at around 4:26 p.m., where the rally would later take place.

Drone Footage and Early Detection

Prior to the attack, Crooks was seen flying a drone around the rally perimeter from approximately 3:50 to 4 p.m. It is believed that he might have been live-streaming the footage.

Despite being on the radar, Crooks's presence did not prompt immediate action from authorities.

At 5:38 p.m., a member of the Beaver County sniper team sent photographs of Crooks to another group chat of snipers.

The pictures showed Crooks using a range finder, indicating potential preparation for the attack. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle later testified that Crooks had been spotted between two to five times before the unfortunate incident.

Multiple Sightings Before Shooting

The snipers observing Crooks noted his activity and location. “Someone followed our lead and snuck in and parked by our cars just so you know,” mentioned one of the Beaver County snipers.

Concerns were raised over Crooks knowing the snipers' positions, with the sniper adding, “I’m just letting you know because you see me go out with my rifle and put it in my car so he knows you guys are up there. He's sitting to the direct right on a picnic table about 50 yards from the exit.”

Despite these observations, no decisive action was taken to mitigate the potential threat.

Secret Service Response and Aftermath

The Secret Service was slow to respond, with a reported meeting among patrol officers to discuss Crooks’s presence happening only six minutes before the attack, at 6:06 p.m.

At 6:12 p.m., Crooks began firing eight shots into the crowd from the building’s rooftop, resulting in the injuries of Trump and two others, as well as the death of Corey Comperatore. A Secret Service sniper eventually neutralized Crooks during the attack.

Investigation and Resignation

In the aftermath of her testimony on July 22 before the House Oversight Committee, Cheatle resigned from her position.

The Beaver County Emergency Services Unit compiled an after-action report detailing the attack, including sniper assignments and sighting locations.

Congressional Response

The FBI took the lead on investigating Crooks’s devices and the broader aspects of the attack. This incident has spurred the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to hold a hearing on the various security failures.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives voted to create a bipartisan task force to delve into the shooting, which will be led by Representative Mike Kelly from Pennsylvania. The task force aims to inspect the lapses and communication breakdowns that facilitated the tragic event.

Concluding Notes on the Attack

The attack on former President Trump has exposed significant security vulnerabilities and coordination lapses among law enforcement and protective agencies.

Early warnings and sightings of the attacker failed to prompt a sufficient response, culminating in a tragic outcome. The ongoing investigations by both the FBI and Congress hope to shed further light on the incident and prevent similar failures in the future.