In an unexpected twist, newly surfaced video footage has thrown a wrench into the timeline of the events leading up to the attempted shooting of President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. This video, captured by a vendor named Joe Tomko, shows the alleged shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, wandering through merchandise stalls just hours prior to the incident, raising eyebrows about his previously reported whereabouts.
The footage, timestamped at 4:26 p.m. on July 13, reveals Crooks dressed in the outfit he wore when he was later fatally shot by the Secret Service. This sighting aligns with a report from a local police sniper who spotted a man resembling Crooks sitting by a picnic table around the same time. Yet, text exchanges among snipers from Beaver, Butler, and Washington County suggest otherwise, indicating Crooks was seen in a different location at that same moment.
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Tomko, who owns Iron Clad USA, stated that he deliberated over the video for two days before handing it to investigators, noting the lack of security in the vendor area. This area allowed open access from the street, enabling attendees to pass through before reaching the main rally area with airport-style security checks.
The timeline further thickens as another sniper, James Woods, reported seeing someone matching Crooks’ description about 50 yards from an exit at the same time, alerting his colleagues to the suspicious person. Crooks then vanished until just after 6:00 p.m., when he was seen running with a backpack by sniper Greg Nicol, who lost track of him amid converging police forces.
The video captures Crooks scaling a nearby building at approximately 6:06 p.m., prompting a swift response from local police and the Secret Service. A radio alert at 6:09 p.m. indicated a person on the roof, culminating in a tense standoff at 6:11 p.m. Crooks, realizing he was surrounded, fired eight shots, grazing Trump’s right ear, before being taken down by a Secret Service counter-sniper.
Despite his actions, Crooks had no known criminal record or mental health issues. A standout student who recently earned an engineering science degree, Crooks’ motives remain a mystery. The FBI continues to investigate, scrutinizing his movements and online searches, which included high-profile figures and violent events, hinting at potential premeditation.
This unexpected video evidence has not only cast doubt on the initial timeline but also raised questions about the security measures at the rally. As the investigation unfolds, authorities are piecing together Crooks’ actions and motives, seeking to comprehend the full scope of this alarming incident.
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