Around 30 seconds before shots were fired during a rally in Butler, Pa., where Donald Trump was present, a local police officer had reportedly alerted about a man with a gun in the vicinity. However, this crucial information did not reach the Secret Service in time as their agents were located at a separate command post and were unaware of the radio communication, as per NBC News.
The incident has prompted reflection within the Secret Service, with Ronald Rowe Jr., the acting director, acknowledging the need to reassess the placement of their security rooms to prevent such communication breakdowns in the future. The shooting incident, which took place on July 13, raised questions about why Trump was not removed from the stage when a gunman was spotted on a nearby rooftop less than 150 yards away before opening fire. The shooter, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, began shooting shortly into Trump's speech, resulting in injuries to the former president, one fatality, and two others wounded, as reported by NBC News.