Thomas Matthew Crooks was caught on camera walking around Trump rally, video surfaces

The video reportedly came from a small business owner who was selling patriotic hats before Donald Trump's rally.

Published on: Aug 20, 2024, 07:31:43 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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Thomas Matthew Crooks was spotted several times at Donald Trump’s Pennsylvania rally before he opened fire in an attempt to assassinate the former president. One such video has been recently released, where the shooter can be seen walking around the Butler rally location.

Thomas Matthew Crooks was seen walking around the Pennsylvania rally location before the shooting (Bethel Park School District via AP)

Collin Rugg, who shared the video on X, said that “it appears that the original video came from a small business owner who was selling patriotic hats before the rally.” The business owner made the discovery upon going back through the footage.

Other times that Thomas Matthew Crooks was spotted at the rally

Another video that was previously released appeared to show Crooks suspiciously walking around before attempting to assassinate Trump. This video surfaced at a time when a report claimed Crooks was spotted with a rangefinder before the shooting. Minutes before the tragedy unfolded, a sniper from a local tactical team that had been deployed to assist the Secret Service at the former president’s rally took a photo of the gunman and saw him looking through a rangefinder.

Another chilling video, released a few days back, showed a figure running across the AGR International roof outside the rally grounds shortly before the assassination attempt on Trump. The video, taken by James Copenhaver, who was eventually injured in the shooting, appeared to show Crooks running along the rooftop and then crouching down to take position over the rally. Crooks seemed to be in clear view of Trump, who was on the stage.

Secret Service snipers managed to kill Crooks, but only after he had already wounded the former president. Firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed, while two bullets struck Copenhaver, 74, and another two hit attendee David Dutch, 57.

Meanwhile, a recent report claimed that Crooks practised firing rounds at his local gun club dozens of times before carrying out the attack, including on Christmas Day. The 20-year-old reportedly dedicated about 80% of his time to rifle practice, visiting the Clairton Sportsmen’s Club in Pennsylvania. Sen. Chuck Grassley’s office said in a statement that Crooks was involved in “intense preparation” before the attack.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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