Milwaukee City Wire

On Sunday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) released preliminary findings relating to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during his July 13, 2024 campaign rally in Butler, PA. Immediately following the shooting, Senator Johnson’s office began contacting federal, state, and local government entities as well as private companies seeking information about the security failures at the rally. The preliminary findings released today are based on the initial information the senator’s office obtained over the last week.

The senator is sharing this information with the public to be transparent and to ensure that all entities examining the assassination attempt are equipped with this information. The five preliminary findings are listed below:

- Secret Service did not attend a security briefing provided to local special weapons and tactics (SWAT) and sniper teams the morning of July 13, 2024;

- Local law enforcement said communications were siloed and they were not in frequent radio contact directly with Secret Service;

- Local law enforcement notified command about Crooks prior to the shooting and received confirmation that Secret Service was aware of the notification;

- Following the shooting Secret Service was seen on the roof of the American Glass Research (AGR) building with local law enforcement; photos of the shooter were sent to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) for facial recognition; and

- Secret Service was initially not going to send snipers to the rally, according to local law enforcement.

A timeline is also enclosed with these preliminary findings highlighting significant events based on information obtained by the senator’s office.

On July 14, 2024, Senator Johnson wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray demanding a preservation of records, information relating to the security of the Butler rally, background information on the alleged gunman, and all texts and communications between law enforcement agents, including Secret Service personnel, relating to the rally from July 11, 2024 to July 14, 2024. To date, "the Department of Justice (DOJ), DHS, and FBI have failed to provide any of the requested information and have not even confirmed that they will preserve relevant records."

Senator Johnson’s office will continue to pursue "the truth" and in doing so encourages anyone with relevant information on "the July 13 assassination attempt or alleged shooter" to come forward via email at Whistleblower_PSIJohnson@hsgac.senate.gov.

A full explanation of "the senator’s preliminary findings," a timeline of significant events reported "to his office," and unanswered questions can be viewed here.