A fire in Bangor has damaged a more than century old former funeral home-turned-residence. Emergency crews were called to the 200 block of Market Street shortly after 5:30 p.m. Monday. Flames and heavy smoke were coming from the roof. A ladder truck was used fight the fire from above. We're told no one was hurt. It's unclear how the fire started.
The FBI is revealing more details on the steps gunman Thomas Crooks took leading up to his assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Investigators say Crooks used aliases to make more than two-dozen online purchases of firearms-related products beginning in the spring of last year. He also used assumed identities to buy chemicals from the internet in order to make bombs, according to officials. The FBI believes Crooks had planned to detonate explosive devices that were in his car in order to create a diversion that would have allowed him to escape from the shooting scene.
Some local law enforcement members say federal officials failed to properly prepare them for the Butler Township Trump rally. Beaver County SWAT sharpshooter Jason Woods has told ABC News that his team was supposed to get a face-to-face briefing from Secret Service agents prior to July 13th campaign event where Trump was grazed by a bullet, but that briefing never happened. The local officials also reiterated that they sent photos of gunman Thomas Crooks to those in command prior to the shooting and they never received a response. The Department of Homeland Security is investigating the assassination attempt as is a Congressional committee task force.
Western Pennsylvania Congressman Mike Kelly has been named the chair of a House task force put together to investigate the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Kelly represents Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District that includes Butler -- where the shooting took place. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries announced the formation of the task force yesterday that will be made up of seven Republicans and six Democrats, including Pennsylvania's Chrissy Houlahan and Madeleine Dean.
Local, state, and federal law enforcement will work together during Donald Trump's rally in Harrisburg tomorrow. WGAL-TV reports the Secret Service will be the lead agency for safety at the event, just as they were earlier this month in Butler when a shooter tried to kill the former president. State and Capitol police officers will work inside the venue as well. This will be Trump's visit to Pennsylvania since the July 13th shooting.
Pennsylvania lawmakers are looking to end some charges against the victims of sex trafficking. State Senator Cris Dush says the state needs to protect victims, and not charge them as criminals. His proposal would allow prosecutors to opt-out of charging children with prostitution and related crimes. Dush said sometimes those charges end up losing victims, and allowing perpetrators to go free. The new proposal, however, likely won't go very far at the Capitol in Harrisburg until next year.