U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly's task force says Trump assassination attempt was preventable

Firsthand accounts from law enforcement officials at the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Butler County detail a critical lack of communication, according to a report released by a congressional task force.

The shooting by gunman Thomas Crooks grazed Trump’s ear, injured two men and killed Corey Comperatore of Buffalo Township.

A new report highlights security failures including gaps in communication between local police and Secret Service, according to a report from CNN.

It ultimately concludes that “the tragic and shocking events of July 13 were preventable and should not have happened.”

There was a lack of planning, no unified command post or dedicated radio link, and no day-of joint meeting, according to the report based on 23 interviews with law enforcement officials and countless pages of documents from other authorities.

The interim report was issued by a bipartisan congressional committee formed to investigate the shooting.

Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, a longtime resident and representative from Butler County, launched the task force on the assassination attempt in July. In addition to Kelly, the committee has six Republicans and six Democrats, most of whom have legal, military or law enforcement backgrounds.

Kelly and other legislators have taken time to tour the site and called out failures made by the Secret Service.

A message left with Kelly’s spokesman was not immediately returned Monday.

The flaw in communication, the committee said, caused critical lapses in keeping track of suspected gunman Crooks’ whereabouts, the report said.

Testimony follows a chaotic sequence of events from when Crooks was first spotted to when he was gunned down by sharpshooters.

The task force also found that the American Glass Research complex and the areas around it were not part of the secure perimeter, and that local sniper teams inside the research complex were not positioned to monitor it.

The House created the the bipartisan task force in the weeks following the assassination attempt.

Interviews will continue, with a final report expected in December.