FBI Identified Threat to Trump 10 Days Before Butler Attack; Counter-Snipers Present But Failed to Prevent Shooting

The FBI's Counterterrorism Division flagged concerning threat information directed at former President Donald Trump on July 3, 2024, and recommended the Secret Service deploy counter-sniper assets ahead of his July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Counter-sniper teams were positioned at the event but failed to prevent shooter Thomas Crooks from executing the attack from an elevated position, killing one attendee and wounding three others. The ten-day gap between threat identification and the attack has prompted questions about threat prioritization and coordination protocols between federal agencies.