FBI Director Testifies on Security Lapses in Trump Assassination Attempt

FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the House Judiciary Committee on July 24, 2024, regarding the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. This hearing, the third in a series, shed new light on the events and security lapses that allowed the attack to occur.

Wray’s testimony highlighted that the shooter, 20 year old nuring home employee Thomas Crooks, had shown a disturbing interest in past political assassinations, including conducting a Google search on “how far away was Oswald from Kennedy?” shortly before the attempt on Trump’s life.

Crooks, who fired from a rooftop approximately 150 yards from the stage, used a DPMS Panther Arms  AR-15 style rifle to shoot Trump and other attendees, resulting in one fatality and three injuries, including Trump himself.

The FBI‘s investigation has not yet determined Crooks’ motive, but it has been established that he acted alone, with no evidence of accomplices or co-conspirators. Wray emphasized that Crooks was not previously on the FBI’s radar, and a search of his home uncovered 14 firearms. The gunman’s family is cooperating fully with law enforcement. 

Details Emerge on Shooter’s Preparations and Secret Service Failures

Security failures were a significant focus during the hearing. Whistleblowers revealed that the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) faced staffing shortages due to concurrent events, such as the NATO summit and an event attended by First Lady Jill Biden, which compromised the thoroughness of security planning for Trump’s rally.

The shooter was spotted as a suspicious individual 62 minutes before opening fire, and Secret Service snipers had him in their sights 20 minutes before the attack, raising questions about why Trump remained on stage despite the identified threat. Also, if Secret Service snipers indeed had Crooks in their sights a full 20 minutes before he began firing, why did they not take him out once they saw that he had a firearm and posed an immediate threat to the life of the former President of the United States?