State Police Chief Reveals Officers Abandoned Post to Hunt Trump Rally Gunman Before Incident

The revelation comes amid growing questions about a multitude of security failures that allowed the 20-year-old gunman to get onto the roof and fire eight shots.

WASHINGTON — Two local law enforcement officers stationed in the complex of buildings where a gunman opened fire at former President Donald Trump left their post just before the shooting. The head of Pennsylvania State Police, Col. Christopher Paris, shared this information Tuesday, raising questions about whether a crucial security position was vacated as the shooter ascended onto the roof.

The officers, part of the Butler County Emergency Services Unit, had been monitoring a second-floor window within the AGR International Inc. complex. Paris testified before a congressional committee, stating the officers identified Thomas Matthew Crooks exhibiting suspicious behavior and left their post to search for him.

Paris could not confirm if the officers would have seen Crooks climb to the roof if they had stayed at their original position. However, a video taken by a lawmaker visiting the scene indicates the roof could have been visible from some vantage points within the building.

This testimony gave new insights into the security measures for Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, while also amplifying concerns about the decisions made by law enforcement before Crooks began shooting.

Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger, overseeing the emergency services unit, did not respond to requests for comments from the Associated Press. Similarly, the Secret Service remained silent on who ordered the officers to leave their post.

The shooter managed to fire eight rounds with an AR-style rifle into the crowd shortly after Trump began his speech. One spectator was killed and two were injured. Trump sustained a minor ear injury.

In a significant fallout, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned Tuesday. Her resignation follows intense criticism from lawmakers over the Secret Service’s failure to protect Trump. Cheatle described the incident as the agency’s “most significant operational failure” in decades.

The House Homeland Security Committee had requested Cheatle’s testimony, but she declined to appear. During the hearing, her absence was noted by an empty chair with her name card.

Multiple investigations into the shooting are ongoing, including those by the Biden administration and Congress. Both Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries support a bipartisan task force dedicated to investigating the assassination attempt. The House might vote as soon as Wednesday to establish this task force, consisting of seven Republicans and six Democrats.

Authorities reported that Crooks, acting suspiciously with a rangefinder, vanished before officers could locate him around the building. When an officer climbed to the roof to investigate, Crooks pointed his rifle at him. The officer did not fire, and Crooks commenced shooting towards Trump seconds later.

Cheatle admitted the Secret Service received multiple warnings about Crooks before the shooting but did not know he was armed. She disclosed that the roof had been identified as a potential threat days before the rally but was not considered an immediate danger.

Investigators are still trying to understand Crooks’ motives. A search of his phone revealed images of Trump, President Biden, and other officials, along with searches related to the Democratic National Convention and Trump’s appearances. Crooks had also researched major depressive disorder.