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RedState
Article misinformation risk ★★★★★ ★★★★★ 0.0/5 No material problem · 1 checked claim

What One Secret Service Agent Was Really Doing (Googling) As Trump’s Would-Be Assassin Opened Fire

RedState reports that a new Department of Homeland Security inspector general (IG) report found a Secret Service counter-drone operator was searching online for the rooftop (AGR building) location when would-be assassin Thomas Crooks opened fire on Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, and that local law enforcement had identified Crooks on the roof two minutes earlier but the protective detail was not alerted.

Open the original RedState article ↗

Accurate
Public importance 35/100

“Local law enforcement identified a suspicious person (Thomas Crooks) on the AGR complex roof at 6:09 p.m. and called Secret Service and Pennsylvania State Police communications, but the president's protective detail was not alerted before Crooks opened fire two minutes later.”

Attributed to RedState (citing DHS Office of Inspector General report)

✓ Proof standard met 6 reachable references Independent-source requirement passed
Original context and attribution

RedState reports the DHS IG finding that local law enforcement warned Secret Service/PSP at 6:09 p.m. about a person on the AGR roof, yet the protective detail remained unaware until shots were fired at 6:11 p.m.

What the proof shows

The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (OIG) report — as summarized by multiple independent outlets and quoted by RedState — says local law enforcement radioed the communications rooms about a suspicious person on the American Glass Research (AGR) complex roof around 6:09 p.m.; Secret Service communications personnel did not identify the AGR location (the counter‑drone operator reportedly searched online for it) and Secret Service decision‑makers protecting the speaker were not notified before the gunman fired at about 6:11 p.m. Multiple reputable news summaries cite the OIG finding that the communications room missed many radio transmissions (the OIG found only a handful of phone/text contacts reached the Secret Service communications room), and that protective detail was not made aware prior to the shots. The RedState wording is a faithful summary of the OIG findings, though the OIG report gives additional context about why the transmissions were missed (no joint communications room, equipment malfunction, delegation of the warning to the counter‑drone operator) rather than concluding the warning was intentionally ignored.

Corrected version

According to the DHS Office of Inspector General, at about 6:09 p.m. local law enforcement radioed a warning that a suspicious person was on the AGR complex roof and contacted Secret Service/Pennsylvania State Police communications; Secret Service communications personnel did not identify the AGR’s location (the counter‑drone operator reportedly searched online for it) and did not notify the protective detail before the gunman opened fire at about 6:11 p.m.

Automated evidence confidence: 0%

References and proof

Every link was reachable when published. Each proof point states how that source bears on the claim.

Independent reporting Supports

What One Secret Service Agent Was Really Doing (Googling) as Trump’s Would-Be Assassin Opened Fire ↗

RedState
Proof point

Local law enforcement at 6:09 p.m. called Secret Service and the Pennsylvania State Police communications room, 'warning them of a suspicious person on the AGR complex’s roof.' ... 'Instead of asking local law enforcement personnel for the AGR complex's location, the counter drone operator searched online for it, and was still searching when Crooks fired his first shots.'

Independent reporting Supports

Secret Service missed 'multiple opportunities' to prevent Trump assassination attempt: watchdog ↗

Fox News (reporting on DHS OIG)
Proof point

As a result, the Secret Service missed 102 radio transmissions regarding an increasingly intense search for a suspicious individual, including alerts that the suspect was on the roof with a long gun. ... Because the Secret Service communications room only received a handful of phone calls and texts, agents failed to recognize the urgency of the threat and never warned Trump's protective detail to delay the speech or remove him from the stage, the OIG said.

Independent reporting Supports

Secret Service member was Googling rooftop location of Trump’s would-be assassin when shots rang out in Butler, Pa.: DHS report ↗

AOL (syndicated reporting quoting DHS OIG)
Proof point

At 6:09 p.m., local law enforcement called the Secret Service and Pennsylvania State Police communications room 'warning them of a suspicious person on the AGR complex's roof,' according to the DHS report. ... 'Instead of asking local law enforcement personnel for the AGR complex's location, the counter drone operator searched online for it, and was still searching when Crooks fired his first shots.' At 6:11 p.m. — just two minutes later — Crooks fired eight rounds.

Official data Supports

The Secret Service Missed Opportunities to Prevent and Disrupt the Attempted Assassination of President Trump on July 13, 2024 (OIG-26-13) (redacted) — summarized in coverage ↗

DHS Office of Inspector General (final report, redacted)
Proof point

DHS OIG report OIG-26-13 (redacted) — investigators reconstructed the timeline and found that local law enforcement radioed warnings and that the Secret Service communications room personnel did not identify the AGR location and decision‑makers protecting the speaker were not informed before shots were fired (report date referenced in news coverage: June 30/July 2, 2026).

Independent reporting Supports

Secret Service Missed 102 Warnings Before Trump Assassination Attempt in Butler: Report ↗

NTD (reporting on DHS OIG)
Proof point

The report, released June 30 by the department’s Office of Inspector General, chronicles ... local law enforcement passed 102 radio transmissions about an increasingly intense search for a suspicious person. The Secret Service received only five phone calls and three text messages; the protective detail was never warned that Crooks had a range finder, a long gun and had climbed onto the AGR roof.

Independent reporting Supports

Secret Service report details communication failures preceding July assassination attempt ↗

Associated Press
Proof point

Communication breakdowns with local law enforcement hampered the Secret Service's performance ... the report details a series of 'communications deficiencies' before the shooting ... the agency lacked detailed knowledge about the local law enforcement support that would even be in place.

COMMUNITY EVIDENCE

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