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Dramatic bodycam footage has emerged from Butler Township police, revealing the tense moments before an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump during a July campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
Suspect Thomas Matthew Crooks, armed with a DPMS AR-15 rifle, opened fire from a rooftop, resulting in one death and critically wounding two others while grazing Trump’s ear.
The footage shows police officers attempting to locate Crooks amidst the chaos as they navigate the building and call for reinforcements.
🚨Breaking: New bodycam footage obtained by FoxNews via a records request to Butler Township"shows a police officer being lifted up to the roof of the AGR building where would-be Trump assassin Thomas Crooks was perched." pic.twitter.com/omsrRG1seu
— John Greenewald, Jr. (@blackvaultcom) August 8, 2024
Crooks, a quiet and academically gifted individual, had been at a shooting range prior to the attack and had searched online for information about Trump and violent incidents.
Law enforcement discovered bomb-making materials in Crooks’ vehicle and residence after he was captured by a Secret Service sniper.
The incident raised serious concerns about security lapses, as Crooks had been under surveillance for over an hour before the attack and had conducted reconnaissance of the rally site using a drone, which the Secret Service failed to do due to technical issues.