Four days after the failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the investigation into the shooter’s motives continues. Trump, who is still recovering, was spotted with a bandage over his ear at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.
Now, new footage obtained by Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 provides insights into the actions of 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks before the attack. The video, captured by an anonymous individual initially intent on recording the crowd size, shows Crooks in the area an hour before the shooting commenced, offering a crucial piece of evidence for investigators.
The video shows Crooks hanging around a structure just beyond the protected area of the gathering. As the lens moves through the setting, various police cars are observed approaching the structure. When the video turns back to the structure, Crooks is again in view, indicating he had been present in the vicinity for more than an hour prior to the shooting started.
“When I saw the video last night, when I was going back through my my video clips and saw him, I was chilled to the point where I couldn’t fall asleep right away,” said the individual who recorded the video. “I didn’t sleep well. There’s – there’s something. Something really went wrong with this.”
On Wednesday, Fox News disclosed that the parents are assisting the FBI in their investigation to uncover the reason for the 20-year-old’s fatal gun attack. However, it is unclear what information the parents shared with the police before the incident. The 20-year-old’s family had made urgent requests to local law enforcement to locate their son just moments before he took position on the rooftop with the intention of fatally shooting the former president.
The troubled recent high school dropout managed to shoot eight bullets from a top-notch rifle he pilfered from his dad before being shot and killed. The Bureau is also looking into the reason a nearby police officer retreated from Crooks just before the shooting began. Meanwhile, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has stood by the agency’s choice not to station an agent on the roof, where Crooks could see Trump clearly from the stage.
The rooftop of the building used by Trump’s would-be assassin had previously been designated as a security risk prior to his Saturday rally in Butler, Pa., but for some reason, it was left unattended without a police or Secret Service presence, according to a new report. Sources with knowledge of the agency’s operations told NBC News that the building, owned by a glass research company, had been identified as a potential risk.
The building is located next to the Butler Farm Show, the outdoor venue where Trump was speaking. Following the incident, lawmakers have called for a comprehensive review of security protocols. The chief of the Secret Service confirmed that the agency would participate in an independent security review to prevent future breaches.
