Witnesses from the rally in Pennsylvania say they warned police that a shooter was scaling a building several minutes before the gunman opened fire on President Donald Trump.
As THAIMBC News reported, the shooter, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired several shots at Trump as he spoke, striking him in the ear.
The FBI has confirmed that the shooting is being investigated as an assassination attempt.
However, a video shared on social media shows a live BBC News interview from Saturday with a witness.
The man says he tried to warn police prior to the assassination attempt on Trump.
He also claimed the Secret Service “blew his head off,” referring to the shooter.
Shots were fired Saturday evening at Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
During a live interview with BBC News following the incident, one eyewitness claimed he and his friends saw the shooter and tried to warn police.
The man claimed he and his friends “noticed a guy crawling” military-style “up the roof of the building” next to them.
He said they spotted him scaling the building minutes after Trump began speaking.
“He had a rifle,” the man told the BBC.
“We could clearly see he had a rifle.”
He said police responded with confusion and an apparent lack of awareness about what was happening.
“They didn’t know what was going on,” he continued.
“We’re like, ‘Hey, right here on the roof, we can see him from right here! We can see him.’”
The man then apparently asked himself, “Why is Trump still speaking? Why have they not pulled him off the stage?”
He then alleged security personnel did nothing for several minutes as the shooter got into position. “Next thing you know, five shots rang out,” the man claimed.
WATCH:
this BBC interview with a guy outside the security perimeter who claims he saw the shooter before he fired is absolutely wild pic.twitter.com/vJpKZTxSAe
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) July 13, 2024
Law enforcement and Secret Service were apparently on the opposite side of the roof to where the shooter was crawling, which was pitched away from their line of sight, the man said.
BBC News asked what happened to the shooter, and if the man saw anything.
“Oh yeah, they blew his head off,” the man replied.
In addition, another witness said he saw the shooter on the roof and informed police officers.
However, he says that he was ignored.
The witness also revealed that several other people in the crowd had seen the shooter on the roof and were raising concerns.
WATCH:
Following the death of the alleged shooter, Secret Service agents “crawled up on the roof, they had their guns pointed at him” to make sure he was dead, “and that was it, it was over.”
His campaign confirmed Trump was “fine” following the incident.
In a moment for the history books, Trump could be seen shouting “FIGHT!” to his supporters as he was whisked off stage by Secret Service agents.
WATCH:
![Trump campaign statement says President Trump safe following gunshots in vicinity – [UPDATE: Shots were fired at P. TRUMP!]](https://i0.wp.com/www.thaimbc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/567tryrtyuet.jpg?resize=218%2C150&ssl=1 "Trump campaign statement says President Trump safe following gunshots in vicinity – [UPDATE: Shots were fired at P. TRUMP!]")
![Trump campaign statement says President Trump safe following gunshots in vicinity – [UPDATE: Shots were fired at P. TRUMP!]](https://i0.wp.com/www.thaimbc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/567tryrtyuet.jpg?resize=324%2C235&ssl=1 "Trump campaign statement says President Trump safe following gunshots in vicinity – [UPDATE: Shots were fired at P. TRUMP!]")
