On July 13, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania.
Newly released bodycam footage from the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit reveals how law enforcement responded to the threat, with snipers monitoring Crooks throughout the day.
“This is him,” one official says, confirming his identity.
NEW My office has obtained docs from law enforcement on July 13 assassination attempt of Pres Trump I’m writing Secret Service Acting Dir Rowe & DHS Scty Mayorkas AGAIN 2get badly needed answers/clarity pic.twitter.com/LyQMzYGCkD
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) July 23, 2024
While Crooks opened fire from a rooftop with an AR-15-style rifle, resulting in one death and two critical injuries among attendees, he was ultimately neutralized by the Secret Service.
Investigations into Crooks’s background highlight his complex political affiliations, having donated to a Democratic group while registering as a Republican later.
The incident raised serious concerns about security measures for political events, especially in light of the Secret Service’s apparent resource allocation disparities between Trump and Jill Biden’s events that day.
Following the incident and a congressional hearing, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned, reflecting growing bipartisan calls for improved security for presidential candidates amidst heightened political tensions.
The FBI is also investigating how law enforcement may have missed recognizing Crooks as a threat prior to the shooting.
