 "\"Officer! Officer!\" Rallygoers alert cops minutes before shooting at Trump")
A new video surfaced over the internet showing some attendees noticing the gunman on the nearby roof minutes before he fired multiple shots at the rally of former US President Donald Trump's campaign in Butler, Pennsylvania.
After the assassination attempt on July 13, some rallygoers informed reporters that they alerted authorities about that suspicious man on the roof of a nearby manufacturing plant.
The viral video shows people directing police to the roof. Later, authorities confirmed that the 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks fired at Trump before being shot by the Secret Service snipers.
In one of the viral videos, people could be heard shouting, "Officer! Officer!" pointing towards the building. Followed by another voice, "Yeah, someone is on the roof".
The new video supports the statement made by the attendees after the incident that they informed police about the suspicious men who climbed onto the roof of the business, Agr International, which is involved in the business of industrial equipment.
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The shooter is seen on the roof of a shed which is 150 metres or 400 feet away from the stage where Trump was addressing the people. He stayed down and crawled forward after getting on to the roof.
Major Security Failure
According to "The Washington Post", the law enforcement was made aware of Crooks before he fired the shots at the former President. Resultantly, it becomes tough for the Secret Service to answer this which analysts believe is a major security failure. Trump was wounded in the fire, two members were injured and one lost his life.
The Secret Service did not respond immediately and the director Kimberly Cheatle sent a memo to her agents praising the safe movement of Trump post-firing. President Biden said an independent review would take place regarding to the security of the rally.
Alejandro Mayorkas, Homeland Security Secretary, called for an independent investigation calling this assassination attempt a 'security failure'.
A Secret Service spokesperson told CNN that the agency did not personally sweep the building but relied on local police to secure the location. The building was reportedly beyond the security perimeter.
The Washington Post states that the Secret Service monitored the event inside the secure area, and police are responsible for the local township and county departments.
Now, the FBI is investigating the incident and an independent review panel has been set up to investigate the reason behind the security breach.