PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A local sniper likely saved lives at former President Donald Trump’s rally in Butler Township last month when his only shot hit the assassin’s weapon.

A report by Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins said a SWAT officer from Butler fired at the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, from about 100 yards away. The shot struck the gunman’s stock and shattered his face, neck and right shoulder area as the stock broke into pieces.

Crooks fell to the ground, but recovered after a few seconds and jumped back up, the report said. The shot delayed the shooter long enough for a U.S. intelligence sniper to fire the fatal shot.

Representative Mike Kelly speaks about the investigation into the assassination

A Pennsylvania congressman who spent three days on the ground in Butler Township submitted his preliminary report to the U.S. House task force investigating the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly of Butler released this report on Thursday.

“The faith, trust and confidence that the American people must have has been so shaken,” said Kelly, a Republican who represents Pennsylvania’s 16th District.

The Butler native is chairman of the U.S. House task force investigating the July 13 assassination attempt and was at the rally that day. Now, more than a month later, he has more questions than answers.

“One thing we know is that if they can’t give you a definitive answer, it’s because there was no definitive plan,” Kelly said.

Two weeks earlier, acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr. testified before Congress, showing a photograph of the AGR roof and insisting that local snipers in a nearby building should have seen the shooter on the roof.

Local police officers present at the rally said they told the Secret Service they did not have enough personnel to do so.

“First of all, I was disappointed that someone in that position would make that assumption and say here’s the problem: the people on the ground weren’t doing their jobs,” Kelly said.

“Law enforcement came that day to assist, not to take the place of the federal agents who were there,” Kelly added.

Eight minutes before the shooting, officers saw the gunman walking between buildings in the AGR complex. This information was relayed from the precinct command post to the separate Secret Service command post.

At the same time, a video shows panicked police officers and patrol officers with guns drawn searching for the shooter while Trump speaks on stage.

“Why do you think they didn’t take former President Trump off the stage?” KDKA-TV’s Jennifer Borrasso asked Kelly.

“I have absolutely no idea,” Kelly said.

Police officers were unable to reach the gunman before he fired eight shots, wounding Trump, David Dutch and Jim Copenhaver and killing Corey Comperatore.

“If they suspected that someone was there who had nothing to do with it, they would have simply kept him away. Corey would still be alive today, the other two injured people would be unharmed. The president would not have been injured.”