How police officer confronted shooter Thomas Crooks seconds before he shot Donald Trump after bear crawling on the roof of building 100ft away as witnesses watched
The critical gaze of the American secret service does not seem to diminish after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump last Saturday in Pennsylvania.
Police confirmed that gunman Thomas Crooks, 20, got into position after climbing a ladder and crawling across the roof like a bear. A member of the public alerted local police to his presence. An officer was hoisted to the roof with the help of another local officer.
When he reached the roof, Crooks pointed his gun at the officer, causing him to take cover away from the roof. Moments later, shots rang out.
The presumptive Republican nominee was shot by Crooks from a rooftop about 100 feet from the stage. Trump’s ear was struck by a bullet, while his supporter Corey Comperatore was tragically killed.
Now, a report from NBC News details showing that agents tasked with securing the area in the city of Butler in the days leading up to Trump’s appearance identified the roof as a security risk.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said security on the roof was the responsibility of local police, but no officers were involved.
A timeline of the dramatic events that took place on July 13
Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old would-be assassin who shot Donald Trump, was once rejected by his high school’s shooting club and was considered dangerous
A member of the public can be seen talking to a police officer before the shots rang out, the building where Crooks was sitting is on the right
Police stand by the body of Donald Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks after he was shot dead by the Secret Service
After the shooting, Trump issued a statement thanking the Secret Service for their “quick response” and offering his condolences to Comperatore
“Someone should have been on the roof or securing the building so no one could get on the roof,” a former Secret Service agent who was briefed on the plans to secure the meeting told NBC.
It may be the biggest security lapse since President Ronald Reagan was shot and wounded in a Washington hotel in 1981.
Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger is shifting blame for the shooting to the agency.
“They had meetings the week before. The Secret Service was the boss. They were the ones who assigned who did what. In the hierarchy of command, they were the top, they were No. 1,” he said.
The former agent who spoke to NBC News said that even if local police “dropped the ball,” the ultimate responsibility lies with the Secret Service.
“Just because it’s outside the perimeter doesn’t mean it’s a vulnerability. You have to contain it somehow,” the agent added.
Trump, who like other former presidents enjoys lifelong protection from the Secret Service, was surrounded by agents who quickly led him away seconds after the gunshots were heard.
Agents killed the gunman, identified by the FBI as Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. An AR-15 semi-automatic weapon was found near his body, officials said.
Trump says he was hit by a bullet in his upper right ear but is otherwise doing well and will travel to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where he will accept his party’s presidential nomination.
Mike Johnson, Speaker of the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives, said panels in the chamber will summon officials from the Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI for hearings.
“The American people deserve to know the truth,” Johnson said.
The House Oversight Committee summoned Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle to testify on July 22.
The Secret Service, charged with protecting current and former presidents, is part of the Department of Homeland Security. The department’s Office of the Inspector General is responsible for overseeing Secret Service operations.
A spokesman for the inspector general’s office declined to respond to questions about whether it would launch its own investigation.
As Trump raised his fist to the crowd, some were heard cheering his name and chanting “USA” and “Make America Great Again”
The FBI said in a statement after the shooting that it would be leading the federal law enforcement agency in the investigation into the shooting.
In a statement, Secret Service spokesman Guglielmi said the agency had added “protective equipment (and) technology (and) capabilities as part of the increased campaign tempo.”
Guglielmi denied allegations that the agency rejected requests from Trump’s team for more security measures.
In a televised speech, the 81-year-old Biden said that Trump, as a former president and the Republican nominee for the Nov. 5 presidential election, already has extra security.
“I have been consistent in my instructions to the Secret Service to provide him with all the resources, capabilities and protective measures necessary to ensure his continued safety,” said Biden, a Democrat.
He said he had “commissioned an independent national security investigation at yesterday’s meeting to assess exactly what happened,” the results of which would be shared with the public.
On Sunday, Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres said he and Republican Congressman Mike Lawler plan to introduce a bill that would provide enhanced security for all presidential candidates.
Paul Eckloff, a former Secret Service agent who retired in 2020, said agents would have inspected all roofs in view beforehand.
Trump is surrounded by Secret Service agents in the moments after the shooting, raising his fist to indicate he was OK in an image that has since gone viral
“This individual was either hiding until he became a threat, or not a threat until he displayed his weapons,” Eckloff said.
Shortly after Trump was injured, the former president was surrounded by Secret Service personnel who formed a human shield. Heavily armed agents in bulletproof vests and carrying assault rifles also took the stage and appeared to scan the area for threats.
According to the campaign, Trump was escorted by officers to a black SUV and taken to a local hospital.
Trump supporters criticized the Secret Service for failing to protect the former president, with billionaire Elon Musk calling on the agency’s leadership to resign.
“How could a sniper with a full armory just crawl onto the nearest roof of a presidential candidate?” conservative activist Jack Posobiec asked on social media.
“There will be a thorough investigation into the incident and a massive realignment,” said Joseph LaSorsa, a former Secret Service agent who served on the presidential detail. “This cannot happen.”
At most of Trump’s campaign stops, local police assist the Secret Service in securing the site. Agents from other agencies within the Department of Homeland Security, such as the Transportation Security Administration, occasionally assist.
Many Trump rallies attract thousands of people, take place outdoors and last for hours.
Before the event, agents scan the site for bombs and other threats, and Trump invariably arrives in an amplified motorcade.
Law enforcement typically sets up perimeter barriers and requires all attendees to pass through a metal detector to enter the venue. Armed security guards search all attendees’ bags and even wallets. Many rally-goers are hand frisked.