Overview
- On July 13, 2024 a gunman opened fire from a nearby roof at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing the president’s ear, killing volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore, wounding two attendees, and prompting a Secret Service counter‑sniper to kill the shooter.
- A DHS Office of Inspector General report released in late June 2026 concluded that the Secret Service missed over 100 radio transmissions, failed to set up a joint communications room with local police, did not detect a drone used for scouting, and did not warn protectors that the shooter had a rangefinder and long gun.
- The OIG issued seven concrete recommendations to fix planning, counter‑drone operations, intelligence sharing, and line‑of‑sight mitigation; the Secret Service has formally concurred with all seven items and marked some recommendations closed while others remain open.
- On the two‑year anniversary the president publicly praised the agents who shielded him and the sniper who stopped the shooter while also saying the agency “blew Butler,” and recently reported FBI emails showing pre‑attack contact between the shooter and a local deputy have renewed scrutiny of the investigation.
- The report follows later arrests and security incidents, fuels victims’ calls for accountability, and could prompt measurable changes in training, communications rooms, and interagency sharing that officials and Congress will now monitor closely.