A witness who was outside President Trump’s Butler, Pennsylvania, rally told BBC on video that he saw the shooting suspect “crawling, bear crawling, up the roof beside us, 50 feet away from us.”
The suspect has been named by the FBI as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.
At first, the witness said, he didn’t know why a man was “crawling up the roof. There are only a few buildings around here. Why isn’t the Secret Service on every building?”
Another video, which you can watch below, showed what rally attendees said was the suspect’s body on a roof. The attempted assassin appears to be wearing camouflage clothing. Numerous false names are being shared on X and other social media platforms.
BREAKING: Trump rally attendees claim the suspect was on top of a building near the rally and was k*lled by the Secret Service sniper team.
The reports are currently unconfirmed but a new video shows a body on top of a nearby structure.
A body was also seen at the event being… pic.twitter.com/RIsRRWnAt5
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 13, 2024
The witness’s account raised serious questions about how the gunman was allowed to access the roof without the Secret Service securing it or noticing.
OMG. pic.twitter.com/64tckobsYE
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 14, 2024
We “pointed at the guy crawling up the roof. You could clearly see him with a rifle,” the witness, whose name was not given, told BBC on video. He said he and others in his group frantically tried to point the man out to the Secret Service and police, but no one acted for several minutes. And he questioned why Secret Service agents weren’t positioned on every roof in the area.
Secret Service taking out the Assassin at the Trump rally. pic.twitter.com/CkkuUjU5J4
— TENET Media (@watchTENETnow) July 14, 2024
In a statement on Truth Social, Trump said that he was “shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
He wrote that “nothing is known at this time about the shooter” and offered condolences to the family of the person killed and the person “badly injured.”
Man at Trump rally claims to have seen the shooter on a roof and to have seen the shooter killed by the secret service. BBC interview: pic.twitter.com/bT6eTtIMRx
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) July 13, 2024
X CEO Elon Musk shared the BBC’s video, writing, “The head of the Secret Service and the leader of this security detail should resign.”
Although Trump survived the assassination attempt, the Secret Service said in a news release that “one spectator was killed, and two spectators were critically injured.” The Secret Service said that “a suspected shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue.”
The shooter is dead after “Secret Service personnel neutralized the shooter,” the release says.
Shots fired at Trump rally.
Character assassination, failed.
Attempt to deplete savings, failed.
Attempt to silence, failed.Only option left, actual assassination attempt, FAILED.
I’ve been saying repeatedly, double down on private security!
— Patrick Bet-David (@patrickbetdavid) July 13, 2024
Another horrific video shows a wounded man being carried by law enforcement off the bleachers, with what appeared to be a towel over his face. Be forewarned that this video contains graphic and disturbing images.
🚨WARNING🚨
Graphic:
An innocent woman was shot and killed at the Trump rally today in Butler, PA.
Pray for our country.
Video courtesy of @C3PMeme pic.twitter.com/XZbf9w0Yfd
— Brenden Dilley (@WarlordDilley) July 13, 2024
“His family watched his happen. They were in the bleachers when he got hit and went down. They were trying to figure out what was going on. They were screaming for help. They put a towel over the man’s head. The body was removed from the bleachers,” another witness told CNN. “The police came back right after and tried to move the family. They were all in shock. They weren’t processing what was going on. He was dead the minute he was hit. It reminded me of the Zapruder film from Kennedy. His head snapped and that was it.”
CNN reported, through sources, that the suspect was a “sniper” on a roof outside the venue. The gunman is dead. BBC’s witness saw the Secret Service kill him.
An emergency room physician in a bloodied shirt said in a separate video interview that the deceased rally attendee was jammed between the benches of the bleachers. He was shot in the head. There was a lot of blood and brain matter. He did CPR. But it was too late.
ER doctor says he tried to treat an individual shot in the head at the rally. pic.twitter.com/M0MQexWklV
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) July 13, 2024
The BBC’s witness said the gunman was in muted colors. He saw the rifle flinging around as the man was trying to crawl, he said.
The witness said the police were running around, and he and others shouted at the police that “There’s a guy on the roof with a rifle.”
🚨 HOW WAS THIS SHOOTER ABLE TO GET WITHIN 150 YARDS OF PRESIDENT TRUMP WITH A RIFLE? pic.twitter.com/oYlH7GsMQb
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 14, 2024
He wondered why police had not pulled the man off the stage, as the witness had pointed at him for two-three minutes, the man said.
Then, five shots rang out, the man said.
He said he was 100% sure the man was the gunman.
The witness said the Secret Service was looking at him, but he said the man was behind where the Secret Service could see.
He asked why the Secret Service wasn’t on all of the roofs.
🚨 #BREAKING: NEW VIDEO OF MOMENT SECRET SERVICE RETURNS FIRE AFTER TRUMP SHOT pic.twitter.com/01Iz0Nknoi
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 14, 2024
The “Secret Service blew his head off,” the man said of the suspect.
He said he saw that happen.
“He was dead. And that was it. It was over,” the man said.
The man added, “If I walked up close to there with anything the Secret Service considered a problem, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you right now.”
