The former president was wearing no protective gear at a rally in Butler on July 13 when a bullet struck him almost squarely in the head.
According to Rep. Higgins' report, Butler's SWAT officer fired the first shot at the Trump assassin from about 100 yards away.
The sniper “ran toward the threat and ran into a position where he could fire directly inside the line of fire,” the lawmaker said.
According to reports, he fired one shot at the gunman, hitting part of his rifle.
This temporarily displaced the gunman from his position, but “just seconds later” he “was back up” and was shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper.
Crooks killed one member of the crowd and seriously wounded two others in the attack.
Since then, security around the former president has been strengthened.
New records obtained by ABC News, external Detailing internal discussions among local authorities about security plans for the day of the assassination attempt, the Butler County Sheriff cited the “circus” and large crowds the gathering would bring. The records also include text messages showing local authorities’ frustration after the shooting.
Local authorities have discussed asking the Secret Service to provide snipers and surveillance support, as well as counter-attack teams and rapid response units.
In an email ABC News sent to the Butler County district attorney, Adams Township Police Department Sergeant Edward Lenz detailed plans to provide two snipers, a rapid response unit and two mobile response teams.
“The counter-attack team will respond and address any attacks targeting presidential candidates within the venue,” he wrote, “whether these attacks are coordinated attacks by multiple attackers or a single attacker.”
He said the rapid response unit would respond to “any high-risk incidents that occur outside the event venue.”
The records come after Secret Service agents were moved amid threats against Trump, 78. The move was made possible because Mr. Biden’s travel schedule was curtailed after he dropped out of the race, The New York Times reported.
The reassigned officers will be tasked with traveling with or ahead of President Biden and providing security at the event, sources said, according to the newspaper.
U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on July 23 following a House hearing on the assassination attempt.
Politicians on the House Oversight Committee criticized her for being uninformative when answering questions about security plans and for the way police responded to reports of the gunman's suspicious behavior before the shooting.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old gunman, fired eight shots at Trump from a rooftop just outside the rally's security perimeter before being shot dead by a Secret Service sniper team.
The FBI is currently investigating the security failures, and political leaders in the U.S. Congress have also launched an inquiry.
