Trump rally shooting investigation continues
The investigation is continuing into the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, who appeared at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee Monday night the first time he has been seen in public since he was shot and injured at his campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
The crowd at the convention cheered Trump, whose ear was bandaged after it was hit by a bullet on Saturday.
Details are emerging about the moments that led up to the shooting. Bystanders alerted law enforcement to the gunman on the roof of a building about 410 feet away from the stage at least two minutes before the first shot was fired at Trump
A local law enforcement officer with direct knowledge of the incident told CBS News three snipers local tactical teams, deployed to assist the U.S. Secret Service were stationed inside the building the shooter used in his attack. The operations plan had them stationed inside the building looking out windows toward the rally, scanning the crowd.
One of the local snipers inside spotted the gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, outside and looking up at the roof, observing the building and disappearing, according to the officer. The local sniper observed Crooks as he returned to the building, sat down and looked at his phone — apparently scrolling through a newsfeed. At that point, one of the local snipers captured a picture of Crooks.
Next, the local sniper observed Crooks looking through a rangefinder, an instrument routinely used by marksmen to determine the distance of a target, and he immediately radioed to the command post, according to the local law enforcement officer. The local sniper also attempted to send the photo of the gunman up the chain of command.
The command post, according to multiple law enforcement officials, served as a central hub to streamline communications between U.S. Secret Service and the local officers from nearby state and county police forces. It is unclear if the command post received the alert.
Officials then lost track of Crooks, who disappeared, returning moments later for a third time with a backpack. The local sniper team called for backup — alerting the command post that the gunman had a backpack and was walking toward the back of the building.
By the time other local officers responded to the backup request, the gunman had scaled the building, positioning himself above and behind the local snipers inside the building, according to the officer.
Two other municipal police officers who heard the call for back-up attempted to climb onto the roof. Butler County Sheriff Michael Sloupe told CBS Pittsburgh station KDKA that an armed municipal officer with Butler Township was hoisted by another officer onto the roof of the building where the gunman had taken a position. Crooks focused his rifle towards the officer who ultimately let go, falling off the roof. Moments later, the shooter began firing into the crowd.
The FBI is investigating whether the shooter was a politically motivated homegrown domestic violent extremist, and investigators are still combing through his background. Justice Department officials told reporters that investigators have the shooter’s phone and were examining it at the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia.
House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green, a Republican from Tennessee, has invited multiple officials to testify in an oversight committee hearing examining the assassination attempt on Trump.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI director Christopher Wray and Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle have all been invited to testify before the committee on July 23.
“It is imperative that we partner to understand what went wrong, and how Congress can work with the departments and agencies to ensure this never happens again,” Green said in a statement. “Successful oversight requires Congress to work together with these officials as they testify publicly before the House Committee on Homeland Security. The American people, and the individuals and families who receive protective services, deserve nothing less.”
Green previously sent a letter to Mayorkas demanding the security plan for the site of Trump’s rally, communications related to protective resources on Trump’s security detail, and briefing materials used to tell President Biden about the assassination attempt.
Home Depot said in a statement, “we condemn the violence against former President Trump, and our thoughts are with him, the other victims of Saturday’s horrific events, and their families.”
Statement from Trump Campaign and RNC
As was communicated earlier this evening, President Trump is doing well and grateful to law enforcement and first responders for their fast action.
President Trump looks forward to joining you all in Milwaukee as we proceed with our convention to nominate him to serve as the 47th President of the United States. As our party’s nominee, President Trump will continue to share his vision to Make America Great Again.
