The new footage obtained from the assassination attempt on Donald Trump shows local police officers with guns drawn surrounding the building where Thomas Crooks opened fire before the shooting began. The video captured the gunfire, the moment Crooks was shot and killed by the Secret Service, and the crowd’s reaction to the incident. Trump can be heard speaking at his rally in the background, but no attempt was made to get him off the stage despite the unfolding danger. The clip was taken at the AGR International factory as Crooks aimed his AR-15 rifle at the former president.
After a tense two minutes and ten seconds of bystanders advising each other to take cover, a loud bang ensued, followed by a barrage of gunfire and bullets flying overhead. The bystanders hunkering down tried to make sense of the situation as the shots continued. Witnesses reported seeing a big poof of hair go up in the air, indicating that Crooks was likely shot in the head. The details suggest that there was enough time to evacuate Trump off stage before the shooting occurred, but communication issues between the Secret Service and local law enforcement may have hindered the response.
Law enforcement sources revealed that there was a gap of 25-30 seconds between a local cop confronting Crooks on the building’s roof and the start of the shooting. The footage raises questions about how law enforcement reacted in the crucial minutes leading up to the shooting and whether there were opportunities to prevent the incident. The ongoing FBI investigation into the rally could shed light on the shortcomings and communication breakdowns that occurred that day. Former FBI special agent James Galiano emphasized the importance of effective coordination and communication in crisis situations like these.
The footage also highlights other failures and missed opportunities by law enforcement that could have prevented the shooting. Crooks had been surveilling the rally grounds with a drone hours before the incident, but authorities failed to investigate it. Additionally, he had an arsenal of weapons and explosives stashed in his car nearby, which could have been discovered if law enforcement had acted on the suspicious activity earlier. Galiano criticized the failure to address these red flags and emphasized the need to anticipate worst-case scenarios in security planning.
Galiano described the cascading systems failures that can occur in high-stress situations, where one oversight or mistake can lead to a series of subsequent failures. He stressed the importance of thorough planning and mitigation of all possible risks to prevent such incidents. The investigation into the assassination attempt is expected to reveal more details about the sequence of events and the communication challenges faced by law enforcement on the day of the rally. The video footage provides valuable insights into the response to the shooting and the critical moments leading up to the tragic event.
