Shocking new video footage reveals local police officers and a Secret Service agent standing over the body of would-be Donald Trump assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks. The video appears to confirm that the 20-year-old sniper had been identified as a suspicious person before he opened fire.
The bodycam footage, made public by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, captures the scene of Crooks' motionless body with a trail of blood on the roof where he injured Trump and fatally shot a heroic firefighter earlier this month at a rally in Pennsylvania. The AR-15 style rifle Crooks used to shoot Trump can also be seen lying next to his slain body on the rooftop.
Chilling New Video and Bombshell Revelations
A man, who appears to be a Secret Service agent, tells a Beaver County Emergency Service Unit officer that Crooks' body matched the description of the suspicious person they had been alerted about earlier.
"So, this is the guy," the Secret Service agent tells a Beaver County Emergency Service Unit officer, confirming they knew about the threat and prompting questions about how the situation was managed.
"This is him," the Beaver County emergency services unit officer replies.
According to the footage, the emergency services officer also mentions that a police sniper had taken photos of Crooks, including images of him on a bicycle.
"That's the sniper that sent the original picture and seen him come from the bike and set the book bag down and then lost sight of him," the officer tells the apparent Secret Service agent.
The two law enforcement officials then reviewed photos of the suspicious individual on an iPhone.
Crooks' gunfire grazed Trump's ear and struck three rally attendees, resulting in the death of Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old volunteer firefighter and married father of two.
A Secret Service agent quickly shot and killed the gunman.
Law enforcement sources previously told that the Secret Service had been alerted about Crooks and even identified him as a "threat" 10 minutes before the rally, yet still allowed Trump to go on stage.
According to sources, the federal agents were also cautioned about a "character of suspicion" present on the grounds over an hour before the shooting began. However, the warning did not mention that he was armed.
Exposing Secret Service' Failure
Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican, has called on the Secret Service to release more information to the public as the agency faces intense criticism over security lapses at Trump's campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
"Federal agencies, particularly the Secret Service, have failed to be transparent with the American people," Grassley said in a statement.
"This assassination attempt is a matter of substantial public interest, and the public's business ought to be public."
Grassley released the video on the same day that Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned amid pressure from lawmakers.
The Iowa senator also shared a letter he sent to the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, demanding answers to unresolved questions about their "catastrophic failure" on July 13.
In the letter, Grassley stated that he had received information indicating that the Secret Service shared jurisdiction with local police over the AGR International building where Crooks had positioned himself.
The Secret Service had previously claimed that they were only responsible for the rally grounds, while local police were tasked with securing the AGR building.
Grassley included an unverified map that displayed the various state law enforcement sectors into which the rally grounds had been divided, but the AGR building was not included in any of these sectors.
"Is this document accurate?" the lawmaker asked in the letter.
Grassley also attached a law enforcement contact information sheet from the event, indicating that a "UAS" operator—an Unmanned Aerial System, commonly known as a drone—was available during the event.
"Did the USSS, local, or state law enforcement deploy UASs or counter UASs for the July 13, 2024 rally?" Grassley asked, noting reports that Crooks had deployed a drone of his own to case out the rally grounds before the shooting.
In the rooftop video, law enforcement personnel also refer to a drone at one point.
Grassley also urged the Secret Service to clarify whether the water tower, set back from the AGR grounds but with a view of the entire AGR campus and potentially Trump's stage, had any relevance to the day's events.
