The lead sharpshooter from a local SWAT team working with the U.S. Secret Service during the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that they had “no communication” with the agency until after the shooting.
In an interview with ABC News reporter Aaron Katersky, the local SWAT team from Beaver County, Pennsylvania, discussed security concerns related to the attempted assassination of former President Trump. On the day of the rally, the SWAT team was stationed on the second floor of the building from which shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks later fired. The lead sharpshooter noted that the SWAT team was supposed to have a “face-to-face briefing” with the Secret Service agents upon arrival, but it briefing never took place.
“We were supposed to get a face-to-face briefing with the Secret Service snipers whenever they arrived, and that never happened. So I think that that was probably a pivotal point where I started thinking things were wrong because that never happened, and we had no communication with the Secret Service,” the lead SWAT sharpshooter said in the interview. Katersky then directly pressed the lead sharpshooter of the team, pressing him for any communication from the Secret Service “at all on that Saturday.” He clarified that there was nothing from the agency “until after the shooting.” “And by then —” Katersky jumped in before the SWAT sharpshooter said, “It was too late.”
Katersky further detailed how the local SWAT team had flagged Crooks as “suspicious” before the shooting, sending texts with descriptions and photos of the 20-year-old. However, due to a lack of communication between the groups, none of this information was passed on to Secret Service leaders. The SWAT team had been assigned to the second floor of the American Glass Research Building 6 by the Secret Service and could only see into the crowd at the Trump rally. Katersky noted the team relayed that their lack of seeing Crooks was not due to the roof being sloped or hot weather but was at the fault of where the Secret Service placed them.
After the attack on Trump, former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle faced significant backlash as reports highlighted numerous security lapses from the day. Despite immediate calls for her resignation, Cheatle held her position until July 23. She submitted her resignation the day after testifying before the House Oversight Committee, where both Republican and Democratic lawmakers criticized her for the security shortcomings during the event.
“I take full responsibility for the security lapse,” Cheatle said in a staff email obtained by The Associated Press. “In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director.”