What we know: Secret Service director calls Trump rally shooting 'unacceptable'

As FBI investigators make incremental progress toward determining what prompted a 20-year-old gunman to open fire at a political rally in Butler County, the Secret Service is facing scrutiny for the security lapse.

Meanwhile, communities around Southwestern Pennsylvania and beyond are grappling with the fallout. Former President Donald Trump was wounded in the Saturday evening shooting that investigators had described as an assassination attempt. He said a bullet pierced the upper right part of his ear.

Trump officially became the Republican nominee for president Monday. He named Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his vice presidential pick.

One rally attendee, Corey Comperatore, 50, of Buffalo Township, was killed while protecting his family. Two spectators — David Dutch, 57, of Plum and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon — were critically hurt.

Local and national media swarmed the Butler Farm Show complex in the days afterward, as well as the Bethel Park neighborhood where Thomas Matthew Crooks lived. He appeared to have climbed onto a nearby roof at the grounds to fire multiple shots from an AR-style rifle before being killed by Secret Service agents. Video released by news outlets showed rally goers pointing the gunman out to police moments before gunfire was heard.

‘Buck stops with me’

U.S. Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle told ABC News on Monday that the shooting never should have happened.

“The buck stops with me,” she said. “I am the director of the Secret Service. It was unacceptable, and it’s something that shouldn’t happen again.”

Cheatle told ABC News that the building has a sloped roof and the decision was made to secure the structure from inside, rather than create a potentially unsafe situation by having law enforcement on the roof.

“I’m being told that the shooter was actually identified as a potential person of suspicion,” she said. “Units started responding to seek that individual out. Unfortunately, with the rapid succession of how things unfolded, by the time that individual was eventually located, they were on the rooftop and were able to fire off at the former president.”

Cheatle said she planned to be transparent during the investigation with lawmakers, the public and internal staff.

“That’s what the public deserves,” she said.

ABC News reported that local police were stationed inside the building, which was being used as a staging area for law enforcement. In a statement released on social media at 1 a.m. Tuesday, the Secret Service said it relies on support police officers and local law enforcement.

“We are deeply grateful to the officers who ran towards danger to locate the gunman and to all our local partners for their unwavering commitment,” the statement said. “Any news suggesting the Secret Service is blaming local law enforcement for Saturday’s incident is simply not true.”

The agency’s management of resources is under scrutiny — President Joe Biden ordered an independent review, and the House Oversight Committee is seeking documents related to the security preparations. Those documents include a list of all law enforcement present and internal communication.

The House Committee on Homeland Security on Tuesday also asked top officials to testify before the panel next week regarding the shooting.

A Secret Service spokesperson told CNN that the agency relied on local law enforcement to conduct security in the area of the building where the shooter was perched. State police said they provided all the resources requested by the Secret Service and that they were not responsible for security around that building.

The Associated Press reported at least a dozen local police officers and sheriff’s deputies were helping with security. Rallygoers reported to police seeing a suspicious person in the area, and a Butler Township police officer encountered the gunman on the roof before the shooting after being hoisted up by another officer.

Butler Township Manager Tom Knights told the AP that the officer lost his grip on the roof and fell 8 feet to the ground. The officer was hurt in the fall, he said.

Gunman’s phone accessed

The FBI reported Monday gaining access to the gunman’s phone and said the search of his home and vehicle were complete. Officials told the AP that nothing related to motive was located in the phone. Authorities reportedly found explosives in his vehicle. Investigators have conducted more than 100 interviews and continue to comb through tips, which include photos and videos.

Officials believe the gunman acted alone. The shooting is being investigated as a potential act of domestic terrorism. Investigators have said the gun used was legally owned by Crooks’ father.

Crooks was a registered Republican who, at 17, donated $15 to a group called the Progressive Turnout Project, which aims to boost Democratic voter turnout, according to Federal Election Commission reports.

He graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022 and worked as a dietary aide at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The Community College of Allegheny County confirmed that he graduated in May with an associate degree in engineering science.

CNN reported, citing a law enforcement official, that Crooks went to a shooting range on Friday and bought a ladder and 50 rounds of ammunition Saturday.

He was a member of the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club, which spans 180 acres, club president Bill Sellitto told TribLive on Tuesday. The club has more than 2,000 members who can use several rifle ranges in West Mifflin and Jefferson Hills. One of those ranges is at least 200 yards.

Crooks was about 150 meters away from the stage where Trump was speaking, the AP has reported.

“Obviously, the club fully admonishes the senseless act of violence that occurred on Saturday,” attorney Rob Bootay said in a statement, offering condolences to the Comperatore family and prayers to the others impacted.

Fundraisers benefit victims

Online fundraisers meant for the victims of the shooting have raked in millions of dollars.

Comperatore was hailed a hero for protecting his family during the shooting. He was a volunteer firefighter and former member of the U.S. Army Reserves. Visitation is scheduled for Thursday at Laube Hall in Freeport, according to his obituary. Funeral services will be private.

His widow, Helen Comperatore, told the New York Post that her husband shouted for the family to get down upon hearing the gunfire.

“He’s my hero,” she told the news outlet.

Members of the Lower Burrell American Legion were hoping for the best for Dutch, a Marine veteran. He and Copenhaver were reported to be in stable condition, officials said.

Staff writers Julia Burdelski and Renatta Signorini contributed to this report.