A video recorded by James Copenhaver, who was seriously injured during the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, shows a shadowy figure moving across the roof of the American Glass Research building, where the shot that struck him was fired. The footage, taken minutes before the shooter opened fire on Trump and the rally audience in Butler, Pennsylvania, was obtained by Fox News.
According to a report from Fox, the footage reveals a person appearing on the roof of the building adjacent to where the former president was speaking. At 6:11 p.m., just three minutes after Copenhaver began recording, Thomas Matthew Crooks, armed with an AR-15 style rifle, opened fire. After hitting Trump in the ear, counter-snipers returned fire and killed Crooks. Police later discovered eight shell casings near the shooter’s body.
“In his attempt to assassinate the former president, Crooks killed 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, a husband, father and former fire chief at the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Department. Crooks also critically wounded Copenhaver, 74, and David Dutch, 57. Both victims were shot twice, according to those familiar with both victims. Copenhaver was discharged from Allegheny General Hospital on July 26 but is still recovering in a rehabilitation center, according to attorney Joseph Feldman at the Law Offices of Max C. Feldman. The first injury Copenhaver sustained was to his arm and the second was to his abdominal area, Feldman told Fox News Digital on Wednesday,” the report said.
After watching the video, some people are now questioning why the sniper didn’t spot the figure on the rooftop earlier, whether it was the assassin Crooks or not. “This video proves that the acting Secret Service Director lied yesterday,” Human Events’ Jack Posobiec wrote on X. “The shooter wasn’t prone the whole time at all, he was running around.”
WATCH:
Just before the gunfire erupted, Trump and many in the crowd swiftly shifted their attention to a chart of immigration statistics displayed on a large screen. “He had almost seen or heard something whiz past him, which we’re assuming was a bullet. He felt it on his arm, and he looked down at his arm…and felt pain initially, but he hadn’t even realized he had been shot a second time at that point. It could have been shock,” Feldman stated, speaking of Copenhaver. As all of the chaos erupted, it took Copenhaver a little bit of time to realize he had been shot.
“FBI officials told reporters during a press call on Monday that Crooks gained access to the roof of the AGR building by climbing HVAC equipment and piping. He then traversed multiple rooftops before he found his position on top of the AGR building, where he had a direct line of sight to the former president,” Fox added. In the days leading up to the assassination attempt, Crooks had been researching previous assassins, including the notorious Lee Harvey Oswald, who shot and killed former President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963.
During Tuesday’s testimony on Capitol Hill, the acting director of the Secret Service informed lawmakers that his agency had planned for local law enforcement to provide counter-snipers around the perimeter of former President Donald Trump’s rally on July 13. However, this came as a surprise to officers in Butler, Pennsylvania, who stated they were never requested to do so.
The New York Times reported on Acting Director Ronald Rowe Jr.’s testimony before the House Oversight Committee, where he affirmed that an investigation into the assassination attempt is still underway. Lawmakers, frustrated by the lack of accountability, questioned why no one had been dismissed for the significant security lapse. Rowe expressed disappointment that state and local security partners did not position a counter-sniper on the roof where a 20-year-old man was able to shoot at President Trump, grazing his right ear. “They should have been on the roof,” the chief said in what amounted to a mirror excuse of that given by former Director Kimberly Cheatle, who resigned last week.
“His comments were sure to rankle some of the officers who assisted at the rally. Details about what happened have been inconsistent and confusing, as the multiple federal, state and local law enforcement agencies involved have offered their own accounts,” The Times reported. “Local law enforcement officials have previously said the countersnipers were given permission from the Secret Service to surveil the fenced-in grounds from the warehouse windows because of the heat that day.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.