On July 13, 2024, there was an attempt to kill a former president and current presidential nominee at a campaign rally. 24 hours later, federal law enforcement cleaned every bit of biological evidence from the scene. Why?
The questions that the whole country is asking in the aftermath of the failed assassination attempt against Donald Trump are being probed by lawmakers. One, GOP Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins, has already released a preliminary report on the findings of the investigation he is leading on behalf of the House of Representatives task force.
According to the August 12 report—which was delivered to the group’s chairman, Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania—the FBI is not giving much reason for confidence that their investigation of the assassination attempt is being done well. Notably, the federal agency “released the crime scene” only three days after the incident took place—which the report pointed out was done “much to everyone’s surprise.”
Higgins explained that he spoke with first responders from that day who showed “surprise,” “dismay,” and “suspicion” regarding this decision. He also emphasized the reality that the agency was “fully aware” that Congress was preparing to “investigate” the assassination attempt. The Louisiana lawmaker criticized the FBI by saying it “does not exist in a vacuum” and that they must have been aware that releasing the crime scene as early as they did “would injure” any “immediate observations” made in the future.
The report also specified that the agency “cleaned up biological evidence,” which Higgins said is an “unheard of” action that “cops don’t [ever] do.” The detail about sweeping up key evidence before an investigation is complete comes shortly after the bombshell news broke that the shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was shot dead on the scene by the Secret Service, had his body given over to family for cremation services only 10 days after the incident.
Higgins said that this was done without the knowledge or approval of the county coroner, who has jurisdiction over the body, and described it as a “disturbing fact.” The FBI, however, snapped right back at the lawmaker, saying that accusations that the agency is hindering the investigation are both “inaccurate and unfounded.”
A spokesperson for the agency has said that the body was handed over to Crooks’ family following communication with state and local authorities as well as the coroner’s office, meaning they followed “normal procedures.”
Higgins explained in his preliminary report that he sought an in-person examination of the shooter’s body on Monday August 5, only to find it “gone.” The motive for the young man’s actions—which left Trump with an ear injury, two others seriously wounded, and one heroic father dead—remain unclear, as previously noted by the FBI.
Another notable finding highlighted in the report is that members of the Secret Service “did not retrieve” their designated radios which were “set aside” for their use by the tactical team from Butler County police.
This points back to the high scrutiny placed against the federal protection agency for simply failing to communicate with collaborating authorities on the day of the rally, raising questions as to whether the shooting could have been avoided had the agents been working in protocol.