The recently released bodycam footage of the attempted assassination of former President Trump provides new insights into the seconds leading up to the shooting at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The footage shows the suspect, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, walking on the roof of a building just minutes before he fired his deadly rounds. The footage also captures a police officer walking near the building, unaware of Crooks’ presence on the roof. Crooks accessed the building by climbing up HVAC equipment and piping, then traversed multiple rooftops to find his shooting position about 150 yards away from where the former president was speaking.
Investigators have determined that Crooks purchased a ladder hours prior to the assassination attempt but did not use it at the rally. The newly uncovered video corroborates Crooks’ timeline and shows him maneuvering on the rooftop. Crooks fired eight shots during the attempt, grazing Trump’s right ear and fatally striking firefighter Corey Comperatore. Rally-goers James Copenhaver and David Dutch were also injured in the shooting. Another shot was fired by a Butler SWAT operator from the ground, hitting Crooks’ rifle stock and causing injuries to his face and shoulder. The southern Secret Service counter-sniper team also fired a shot that entered Crooks’ left mouth area and exited the right ear area.
Newly released video footage shows Crooks casually walking through a crowd in Butler, Pennsylvania, nearly two hours before the shooting. He was dressed in shorts and a “Demolitia” T-shirt, without carrying anything, as he passed a line of vendors selling Trump merchandise. Text messages sent by local law enforcement responsible for monitoring former President Trump’s Pennsylvania rally flagged Crooks as suspicious at least 90 minutes before he opened fire. Officers had noticed him using a range finder but did not approach him.
The video footage sheds light on the moments leading up to the attempted assassination of former President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. It reveals the movements and actions of the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, as he navigated rooftops to find a position to fire at the rally attendees. The footage captured by police body cameras also shows a police officer patrolling the area, unaware of Crooks’ presence on the roof. Crooks fired eight shots during the attempt, injuring several individuals and causing the death of a firefighter.
Investigators have determined that Crooks purchased a ladder but did not use it at the rally, instead accessing the roof by climbing HVAC equipment and piping. The newly uncovered video corroborates Crooks’ timeline and shows him in the vicinity of the shooting location before the incident. Text messages sent by local law enforcement flagged Crooks as suspicious before the shooting, indicating that officers had noticed his behavior prior to the assassination attempt. The video footage and additional evidence provide a clearer picture of the events surrounding the attempted assassination and the actions of the shooter leading up to the incident.
The footage also shows Crooks walking through a crowd in Butler hours before the shooting, giving insight into his movements and demeanor before the attack. He was wearing a distinctive T-shirt that he also wore during the shooting, suggesting a level of premeditation. The video footage, along with other evidence, raises questions about how Crooks was able to evade security measures and gain access to a higher vantage point to carry out his attack. Overall, the newly released video and additional evidence provide valuable insights into the events surrounding the attempted assassination of former President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, shedding light on the shooter’s movements and actions leading up to the tragic incident.
