Tag: donald trump

Police and Secret Service agents ignored repeated warnings about a gunman, minutes before he attempted to assassinate former president Donald Trump, an eyewitness has claimed.

The man, a local Trump supporter, made the claims in an interview with BBC News.

The man was just outside the event with a group when they saw the would-be assassin crawling along a nearby roof armed with a rifle.

“We noticed a guy bear-crawling up the roof of the building beside us, 50 feet away from us. So we’re standing there, we’re pointing at the guy crawling up the roof… he had a rifle. We could clearly see him with a rifle, absolutely. And we’re pointing at him. The police are down there running around on the ground, and we’re like, ‘Hey, man, there’s a guy on the roof with a rifle!’ And the police were like, ‘Huh? What?’

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On the heels of an attempt to kill him, former President Donald Trump called Sunday for unity and resilience as shocked leaders across the political divide recoiled from the shooting that left him wounded but “fine.”

A former fire chief attending the rally with family was killed, as was the gunman. Two other people were also critically wounded.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee said the upper part of his right ear was pierced in the shooting. His aides said he was in “great spirits” and doing well.

“I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin,” he wrote on his social media site. “Much bleeding took place.”

In a subsequent social post Sunday, Trump said “it was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening.”

“In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United, and show our True Character as Americans, remaining Strong and Determined, and not allowing Evil to Win,” his post said.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Sunday identified the rallygoer who was killed as Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief from the area, and said he “died a hero.”

“His wife shared with me that he dove on his family to protect them,” Shapiro said. He declined to discuss the condition of two others who were wounded.

The FBI identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, which is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the scene of the shooting. An FBI official said investigators had not yet determined a motive.

Secret Service agents fatally shot Crooks. The gunman attacked from an elevated position outside the rally venue at a farm show in Butler, the agency said.

Not long before shots rang out, rallygoers noticed a man climbing to the roof of a nearby building and warned local police, according to two law enforcement officials.

One local police officer climbed to the roof and encountered Crooks, who pointed his rifle at the officer. The officer retreated down the ladder, and Crooks quickly took a shot toward Trump, and that’s when Secret Service snipers shot him, said the officials, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

The officials also told AP that bomb-making materials were found inside Crooks’ vehicle, and bomb-making materials were found at his home.

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Explosive devices were found inside the car of the gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump during his Saturday rally in Pennsylvania, according to a report.

The car, driven by 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was found not far from the Trump rally in Butler, Pa., sources close to the investigation into the shooting told The Wall Street Journal.

Police received multiple reports of suspicious packages around the area where the shooter was, prompting them to dispatch bomb technicians, authorities told the Journal.

Officials were working to ensure the scene was clear well into the night before searching Crooks’ family home, the sources added.

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The gunman who fired shots at former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday night has been identified by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. 

Crooks was from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, about an hour south of Butler. He was killed by a Secret Service sniper at the rally, officials said. 

In a statement, the FBI said: 

“The FBI has identified Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the subject involved in the assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump on July 13, in Butler, Pennsylvania. This remains an active and ongoing investigation, and anyone with information that may assist with the investigation is encouraged to submit photos or videos online at FBI.gov/butler or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.”

“We do not currently have an identified motive,” said Kevin Rojek, FBI Pittsburgh special agent in charge, at a briefing late Saturday night. 

A law enforcement official said early Sunday that there are no foreign terrorism ties known at this time and the suspect was not on the radar of law enforcement, although they are still running his name down.

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