A chilling assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump unfolded Saturday night at a political rally, resulting in one attendee's death and another's critical injury. The 20-year-old suspect, a Pennsylvania resident, was reportedly taken down by the Secret Service after positioning himself on a nearby rooftop – approximately 30 feet from the target – and opening fire.
Shots from rooftop: How the Trump assassination attempt unfoldedhttps://t.co/rfIEtp5Ton#Trump #TrumpRally #AssassinationAttemptAgainstTrump #Election2024 #US pic.twitter.com/z6svNuVC8O
— Israel Hayom English (@IsraelHayomEng) July 14, 2024
"What we witnessed tonight can only be described as an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump," stated Kevin Rojek, FBI spokesperson. "This remains an active crime scene. Our team is working tirelessly to uncover the perpetrator's identity and motivations." Rojek confirmed that the attack resulted in one fatality and two severe injuries.
The location of the shooter in the assassination attempt on Trump (Google Earth)
A witness recounted the harrowing moments to the BBC, describing how they spotted the gunman before law enforcement. "We noticed someone crawling on a rooftop about 80 feet away from us, pointing a rifle," the witness said. "We immediately alerted both the police and Secret Service agents, telling them, 'There's an armed man on the roof, he's crawling!' But they seemed to have missed him, probably because he was behind the building's edge."
BREAKING: Eye-witness says he saw the suspect climb on top of a nearby structure outside of the event and notified the police who didn't take action.
"The guy army crawled up the building 50 feet from us... he had a rifle."
"He's crawling! I'm thinking, why is Trump still… pic.twitter.com/imHWOvsQKm
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 13, 2024
Trump suffered minor injuries from shrapnel before being swiftly evacuated from the scene. The Washington Post reported that the incident turned fatal for one rally attendee while another was left fighting for their life with critical injuries.
Video: The assassination attempt of Donald Trump /
US authorities have identified the would-be-assassin as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Pennsylvania, the New York Post said.
The news network also noted that Trump's Secret Service detail had recently been bolstered in response to escalating threats against the former president. The agency is tasked with protecting both current and former US presidents.
