Trump Rally Shooting
Video Appears to Show Would-Be Trump Assassin at Rally Hour Before Shooting
Butler, PA — New details have emerged in the investigation of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, including a video that appears to show the would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, at the rally an hour before the shooting. The incident, which took place on Saturday at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, has left one attendee dead and two others injured, raising serious questions about security protocols.
Timeline of Events
According to law enforcement officials, Crooks was first identified as a person of interest at 5:10 p.m. ET, when he was spotted with a rangefinder. By 5:52 p.m. ET, Secret Service snipers had identified him on the roof of a building outside the security zone. Despite this, Crooks managed to open fire at 6:12 p.m. ET, just ten minutes after Trump took the stage. The Secret Service responded within 26 seconds, shooting Crooks dead.
Security Failures Under Scrutiny
The Secret Service has come under intense scrutiny for its handling of the situation. The agency's director, Kimberly Cheatle, has been subpoenaed to testify before Congress. "We welcome the opportunity to testify," said a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson. The timeline revealed that there was a 20-minute window between spotting Crooks and the time he fired his first shot, raising questions about the delay in neutralizing the threat.
The Shooting Incident
Crooks, a 20-year-old Pennsylvania native, managed to climb onto the roof of a nearby building and take a sniper's position. He fired multiple shots, one of which grazed Trump's ear. Tragically, Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old former fire chief, was killed, and two others, David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, were injured. Dutch, a Marine Corps veteran, was struck twice and is currently in stable condition.
Motive Remains Unclear
Investigators have yet to determine the motive behind the assassination attempt. Crooks' phone search history revealed no clear political affiliations, and interviews with his parents indicated that he did not have strong political leanings. The FBI has conducted over 200 interviews as part of the investigation but has not identified any ideological nexus to Trump or his political opponents.
Video Evidence
A new video obtained by Pittsburgh ABC affiliate WTAE appears to show Crooks pacing near the magnetometers where rallygoers were being scanned for weapons, about an hour before the shooting. The video shows Crooks walking around the area and then blending into the crowd, which caught the attention of law enforcement officials.
Public Reactions
The incident has sparked a wide range of reactions. Trump supporters praised the former president for his defiant response, with one supporter even getting a tattoo of Trump raising his fist in defiance. "Donald Trump's the f------ man — let's go," said the supporter in a video filmed in Austin, Texas.
Conversely, others have expressed concern over the increasing political violence. "It's absolutely terrible that our country is so divided," said Luke from New York City. "I'm not a Trump supporter, but violence is always terrible."
Ongoing Investigation
The FBI is leading the investigation, while the Department of Homeland Security has launched an independent review of the security measures at Trump's rally. The presence of explosives in Crooks' car and bomb-making materials at his home has added another layer of complexity to the investigation.
As the investigation continues, the attempted assassination of former President Trump has highlighted significant security lapses and the growing threat of political violence in the United States. The coming weeks will likely see more revelations as authorities work to piece together the events leading up to the shooting and ensure such an incident does not happen again.