BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's inspector general released a report on July 3, 2026, detailing security failures by the U.S. Secret Service during the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt on Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.

According to the report, the Secret Service did not receive 102 local radio transmissions regarding the gunman, Thomas Crooks. The agency failed to establish a joint communications room with local law enforcement prior to the event. Local law enforcement had received reports about a search for a suspicious person later identified as Crooks. The Secret Service received five phone calls and three text messages about Crooks but did not alert President Trump's protective detail about these concerns.

Crooks accessed a nearby rooftop with a direct line of sight to Trump. While Trump was speaking on stage at the campaign rally, Crooks opened fire. A bullet grazed Trump's ear, causing an injury, and a bystander was killed during the shooting. Law enforcement shot and killed Crooks at the rally.

Hours before the shooting, Crooks flew a drone over the area for nearly nine minutes. The Secret Service counter drone system was inoperable at the time of this drone flight. The system was manned by a single operator who did not test it before the event. It took the operator hours to attempt to fix the counter drone system issue.

The inspector general's report included recommendations concerning information sharing and addressing line of sight vulnerabilities. The Secret Service stated it concurred with the recommendations. A Secret Service spokesperson said, "Many of these recommendations were already identified and have since been implemented as part of our ongoing reform efforts."