BUTLER, Pa. — Chief Investigator Rick Earle spoke with U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly of Butler, who chaired the congressional task force into the attempted assassination of then-candidate and former President Donald Trump.
Kelly was also at the campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show last July when the shots rang out.
This Sunday will mark one year since that tragic shooting at the rally in Butler that killed one man, wounded two others and grazed Trump’s ear.
The congressional task force led by Republican Congressman Kelly found numerous security failures and missteps by the Secret Service, including issues with communications, planning and response.
But one year later, there are still many unanswered questions about the shooter and his motive.
RELATED COVERAGE >>> 11 Investigates: Former Pittsburgh motorcycle officer who escorted Trump recalls shooting, backlash
Earle recently spoke with Kelly, who said he is still searching for answers even though the work of the task force is over.
Earle: “Do we know today what we didn’t know a year ago? Do we know any more about a motive, why this guy did this?”
Kelly: “No, we really don’t.”
The motive is still a mystery, according to Kelly.
Earle: “What about Thomas Crooks, the shooter? Do you know anything more about him today than you did a year ago?”
Kelly: “No, you know this is the thing that’s so frustrating. We know a little bit about Thomas Crooks, but not a lot.”
They do know now that his mental health, according to family members, began declining a year before the shooting.
His father told investigators he was talking to himself, dancing alone in his bedroom.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> What we know about Bethel Park man suspected of attempted assassination at Trump rally in Butler
It’s been one year since the 20-year-old from Bethel Park, who earned an associate’s degree in engineering science and worked at a nursing home, scaled a building near the Butler Farm Show and fired eight shots, grazing Trump in the ear, killing Corey Comperatore and wounding two others.
Seconds later, Crooks — described by former classmates as a loner who was bullied in high school, wore hunting clothes and liked to play video games — was killed by a Secret Service sniper.
“It sounded like a firework going off, and then I saw the President go down,” Kelly said. “I thought, ‘Oh my God, they’ve killed the president.’”
Kelly was at the rally with his family, but they were not seated near him. He had some anxious moments, but soon discovered they were okay.
Amid the chaos, Kelly recalled a defining moment he said he’ll never forget.
“I think the calming effect that the president stands up, he’s surrounded by Secret Service and he goes, ‘Fight, fight, fight,’ and the whole crowd starts chanting, ‘USA, USA, USA, USA.’ There’s just something about those moments in history that you’re there for it,” Kelly said.
Kelly chaired the House task force into the attempted assassination.
“Everything that could go wrong that day went wrong,” said Kelly.
Among the glaring issues, he said, there were two separate command posts that day, and local law enforcement didn’t have radio communication with federal agencies. They were forced to communicate by cell phone.
The feds also had a drone but didn’t use it, and the building Crooks scaled was outside the secure perimeter, even though it was only 150 yards from the stage.
Kelly expressed concern and frustration that local law enforcement was unfairly criticized early in the investigation. He praised the work of local law enforcement agencies and said the failure came at the federal level.
Kelly said the task force determined that poor planning and operational missteps by the Secret Service led to the massive security failure, and ultimately the director’s resignation, and now the suspension without pay of six Secret Service agents confirmed just this week.
“I can’t believe they weren’t on top of this,” Kelly said. “How could they have failed at every step of the way?”
And what’s even more concerning, Kelly said, nearly 90 minutes before the shooting, law enforcement noticed a man later identified as Crooks acting suspiciously, but they lost him in the crowd.
“Why would you let President Trump come out and get on that podium if you were not sure that the grounds were safe and secure?” asked Kelly.
One year later, Kelly says his thoughts and prayers are with the Comperatore family.
“They went from being so elated about being able to go there to going home, losing their father, losing their husband, and I think that’s the thing that has stuck with me more than anything else,” said Kelly.
Given the divisive political climate in the country, Kelly said his goal is to make sure the Secret Service is now up to the task.
And while the work of the task force is over, Kelly said he’s still searching for answers about the motive and the shooter.
During the one-on-one interview with Earle, Kelly hinted he may have some new information but wasn’t ready to release it just yet.
Stick with Channel 11, as Earle continues to follow any new developments in this case.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
