The U.S. Secret Service had little to say about a video making the rounds online showing a person moving across the roof of the building where Thomas Crooks shot former President Donald Trump.
Remarkably, the video was recorded by James Copenhaver, one of the victims wounded in the July 13 assassination attempt against Trump. The figure can clearly be seen in the video shared exclusively with Fox News maneuvering on the rooftop several minutes before Crooks opened fire at 6:11 p.m.
Copenhaver was in the stands when the video was recorded, and it boggles the mind how two sniper teams perched atop separate buildings behind the rally stage could not see the movement.
New video shows Thomas Crooks running on the rooftop less than 150 yards from Trump at the Butler, PA rally on July 13th
People need to be prosecuted pic.twitter.com/AU0u7oY7wy
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) July 31, 2024
“The Secret Service is committed to better understanding what happened before, during, and after the assassination attempt of former President Trump to ensure that never happens again,” the agency told Fox News in a statement. “That includes complete cooperation with Congress, the FBI, and other relevant investigations.”
The FBI would only confirm to Fox News that it is aware of the video but offered no further comment.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) responded to the video on X, “We know that USSS snipers confirmed receipt of Crooks’ picture and location at 5:45 PM ET. How could they not see Crooks running along the AGR building ridge?”
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) released the photo below confirming that sighting.
Copenhaver, 74, was shot in the arm and abdomen, and he continues to recover.
“The events that transpired on Saturday, July 13, 2024, at the rally were tragic and completely unnecessary. No person should be fearful to express their support for a candidate or attend an event. My unwavering support for President Trump will continue and I am happy and unafraid to support him on his way to becoming the 47th President of the United States of America,” he said in an earlier statement.
Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel, Pennsylvania, was identified as the would-be assassin. He was killed by a counter-sniper team after he opened fire.
According to the FBI, which is investigating the assassination attempt, Crooks gained access to the unmanned roof of the building by climbing HVAC equipment and piping. He then moved to a position that gave him a direct line of sight to the former president.
Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief for the Buffalo Township, was killed by Crooks — his sister said in a Facebook post that Corey “was a hero that shielded his daughters.”
David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, was also wounded.
It was only by the grace of God and a sudden turn of the head that Trump survived the attempt on his life. An attempt that represents a catastrophic failure by the Secret Service — a stunning level of incompetency that has prompted many distrustful Americans to think the very worst, which is that the attempt on the Republican presidential nominee was facilitated in some manner by the agency.
Here’s a quick sampling of such responses, as seen on X:
Absolutely crazy how close he was. This is just insanity and people need to be in prison and fired for this mess.
— BroncoNation (@Bronconation_80) July 31, 2024
This is unbelievable! No one is going to jail for this. They clearly saw him!
— Sandra (@scrawnee4) July 31, 2024
This confirmed every “conspiracy theory” that the media has tried tried to cover up the past couple weeks
— James Reichert (@_jamesreichert) July 31, 2024
Good God this is getting worse by the minute. There’s only one reason President Trump was allowed to stay on the stage. They knew.
— Neva Ayer (@NevaAyer) July 31, 2024
This was obviously an inside job. I’m afraid they will try again.
— RFK Jr’s brain worm (@deadbrainworm) July 31, 2024
The Secret Service is other totally incompetent or totally culpable
— Caesar (@caesar_pounce) July 31, 2024
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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