A chilling new video has been released showing Thomas Matthew Crooks casually walking through a crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania, nearly two hours before he opened fire on former President Donald Trump and attendees at a campaign rally. The short clip, released by the clothing company Iron Clad USA, shows Crooks dressed in shorts and a “Demolitia” T-shirt walking past vendors selling Trump merchandise ahead of the July 13 rally. He was wearing the same T-shirt when he opened fire on Trump and is not carrying anything in the eerie video. Crooks later climbed onto the roof of a nearby building and fired eight shots, ultimately grazing Trump’s right ear and fatally striking one attendee, Corey Comperatore. Two others were also hit and suffered serious injuries.
The U.S. Secret Service is conducting a mission assurance review in response to the failed assassination attempt on Trump. A preliminary report by Rep. Clay Higgins found that all eight shell casings were recovered and are in possession of the FBI. Crooks’ position on the roof provided him with excellent concealment from a northern counter-sniper team due to foliage and branches, according to the report. Higgins believes that a shot fired by a Butler SWAT operator damaged Crooks’ rifle, preventing it from firing after his eighth shot. Additionally, the FBI released Crooks’ body for cremation just 10 days after he was killed, raising concerns about the handling of such a significant case.
The Secret Service is committed to examining the processes, procedures, and factors that led to the operational failure in order to ensure that such an incident never happens again. The release of the new video footage has sparked further investigation into the events leading up to the assassination attempt and the response by law enforcement agencies. The footage shows Crooks casually walking through the crowd before carrying out the attack, highlighting the need for increased security measures at public events.
The release of the video footage has reignited interest in the failed assassination attempt on Trump and the events leading up to the attack. The footage, released by Iron Clad USA, shows Crooks walking past vendors selling Trump merchandise before opening fire on the former president and attendees at the rally. The Secret Service is reviewing various footage from July 13 as part of its mission assurance review to prevent similar incidents in the future. Rep. Clay Higgins’ preliminary report highlights the concealment of Crooks on the roof and the damage done to his rifle after a shot was fired by a SWAT operator.
The investigation into the failed assassination attempt on Trump continues as law enforcement agencies review the events leading up to the attack and the response by security teams. The release of the video footage has raised questions about the handling of the case, including the early release of Crooks’ body for cremation just 10 days after he was killed. The Secret Service is committed to ensuring that operational failures like this are not repeated in the future, with the release of the new video footage sparking further scrutiny into the incident. As the investigation progresses, more details are expected to emerge about the events surrounding the failed assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
