A law enforcement officer encountered shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks before he fired at former President Donald Trump Saturday during a Pennsylvania rally, The Associated Press reported Sunday.
Crooks pointed his rifle at an officer who climbed onto the building roof, prompting him to retreat down the ladder, two anonymous law enforcement officials told the AP. Crooks then fired his weapon at Trump.
Rally attendees had earlier alerted police that a man was climbing onto the roof of a building near the rally, the two officers told AP.
Trump’s ear was wounded in Saturday’s assassination attempt. Before Secret Service rushed him off the stage, Trump gestured to the crowd by raising his fist, video shows.
One attendee, identified as former volunteer fire chief Corey Comperatore, was fatally shot Saturday. Two others were critically injured.
County sheriff tells @washingtonpost a local officer came face-to-face with the gunman seconds before the shooting but dropped back down to the ground because the officer was gripping the roof and didn’t have a gun in his hand https://t.co/hssKOxulkW pic.twitter.com/VeV5tiY2lp
— Isaac Stanley-Becker (@isaacstanbecker) July 14, 2024
Butler County Sheriff Michael T. Slupe told The Washington Post Sunday that a police officer encountered Crooks moments before he fired at Trump.
A witness told BBC News during an interview Saturday that he tried to warn police about the assassination attempt after noticing “a guy crawling” up the building and seeing that he “clearly” had a rifle, but he said the police responded with confusion. The individual alleged security did nothing for several minutes.
“They didn’t know what was going on,” the witness told BBC News. “We’re like, ‘Hey, right here on the roof, we can see him from right here! We can see him.'”
All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline, and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
- Jack Smith, Fani Willis forced to defend Trump prosecutions in simultaneous testimonies - December 18, 2025
- Exclusive: Biden State Dept. appeared to ignore emails from would-be Trump assassin - December 16, 2025
- Trump DOJ seeks to block officials from testifying in Judge Boasberg probe - December 12, 2025
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
BPR INSIDER COMMENTS
Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!
