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A police sniper’s quick response likely saved numerous lives during the assassination attempt at Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, last month. According to a preliminary report by Congressman Clay Higgins, the sniper’s bullet struck the gunman’s rifle, causing damage that temporarily knocked him down and disrupted his aim.

On July 13, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, the would-be assassin, fired eight shots from a warehouse rooftop, injuring the former US president and several others in the crowd, and killing one person. However, the Butler SWAT operator’s precise shot prevented further harm, The Guardian reported. 

The local law enforcement officer reportedly “ran towards the threat”, firing from 100 yards away and hitting the gunman’s rifle with “a single shot”, temporarily knocking him off balance. 

“The 9th shot fired on J13 was from a Butler SWAT operator from the ground about 100 yards away from the AGR building [where the gunman was positioned]. Shot 9 hit Crooks’ rifle stock and fragged his face/neck/right shoulder area from the stock breaking up,” the report said.  

The report called the SWAT operator a “total badass”, adding that “when he had sighted the shooter Crooks as a mostly obscured by foliage moving target on the AGR rooftop, he immediately left his assigned post and ran towards the threat, running to a clear shot position directly into the line of fire while Crooks was firing 8 rounds.”

Crooks was wounded by fragments from the damaged rifle and was subsequently killed by a federal sniper as he attempted to get back up. “A 10th and final shot” was fired by another Secret Service sniper, striking the gunman in the head and ending the threat, the report read. 

New records obtained by ABC News show local authorities discussing security for the rally, including requests for extra support. The Secret Service reassigned officers from President Biden’s detail to President Trump’s after Biden dropped out of the election race. The director of the Secret Service resigned after facing criticism for the agency’s response to the shooting. The FBI is investigating the protection failure, and Congress has started inquiries.

Following the incident, Donald Trump’s campaign team has announced plans to bolster security protocols, including the installation of bulletproof glass around stages at future outdoor rallies. The former president did not have the protection during his 13 July rally in Butler when Crooks’ bullet nearly hit him squarely in the head.