Shocking new footage has emerged from the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, showing local police officers surrounding the building where the shooter, Thomas Crooks, opened fire, over two minutes before the shooting occurred. The video captured the moment when gunfire erupted and Crooks was shot and killed by the Secret Service, with witnesses noting that it was likely a headshot based on the “big poof of hair” seen.
The clip was filmed during a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, where Trump can be heard speaking to the crowd in the background as the police officers moved around the building, without any attempt made to get him off the stage. The video posted online by user realDJStew724 depicts the tense moments leading up to the shooting, with bystanders advising each other to take cover as the situation escalates.
After several minutes of tense standoff, someone shouted, “He’s got a gun!” followed by gunfire and bullets flying overhead. The crowd reacted with shock and confusion, with one witness noting that Crooks had been shot in the head by law enforcement. The video also shows Trump getting to his feet, bloodied, and raising a fist, while the rally continued behind them.
Law enforcement sources revealed that there was at least 25-30 seconds between a local cop confronting Crooks on the building’s roof and the shooting. The details suggest that there was enough time to potentially get Trump off stage before the shooting, but issues with communication between the Secret Service and local police may have hindered their response and awareness of the threat.
The ongoing FBI investigation into the rally aims to uncover how law enforcement responded in those crucial seconds leading up to the shooting, and the potential breakdowns in communication that occurred. Former FBI agent James Galiano highlighted the challenges in coordinating different agencies in high-pressure situations, emphasizing the need for clear communication protocols to prevent such incidents in the future.
Further investigation revealed additional shortcomings in security, including the unsecured roof where Crooks launched the attack, despite law enforcement being alerted to his suspicious activities beforehand. Crooks had been surveilling the rally with a drone and had a stash of weapons in his car, which law enforcement failed to investigate. Galiano emphasized the importance of assuming the worst-case scenario and mitigating all possible risks to prevent cascading failures in security systems.
