![Thomas Matthew Crooks yearbook photo (left) Police car outside of Thomas Matthew Crooks' home (right)](https://theblast.prod.media.wordpress.mattersmedia.io/brand-img/123/0x0/2024/07/17142904/thomas-matthew-crooks-police.jpg?)
Thomas Crooks’ Attack Captured In Harrowing Footage Of Police Raid
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on July 24, 2024 at 12:15 PM EDT
Questions continue to surface surrounding Thomas Matthew Crooks and the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump.
On July 13, the 78-year-old took the stage at a Pennsylvania rally, when suddenly, gunshots were fired from a nearby roof.
Over one week later, police body cam footage was released, which shows the moments following Thomas Matthew Crooks' death.
Police Body Cam Footage Of Pennsylvania Rally Released
![Home of Thomas Matthew Crook Suspected Shooter of Donald Trump](https://theblast.prod.media.wordpress.mattersmedia.io/brand-img/123/0x0/2024/07/17120724/thomas-matthew-crooks-home-scaled.jpg?)
In the video, obtained by ABC, law enforcement officers were seen climbing up a ladder to the roof of the building where Crooks was positioned with his AR-style rifle.
The disturbing footage shows the gunman’s body lying beside the assault rifle he used to injure former President Donald Trump and fatally shoot rally attendee Corey Comperatore. Blood was seen streaming down the inclined roof as officers searched for a device near Crooks' body.
A person off-camera is heard saying, "Beaver County snipers seen him, sent the pictures out. This is him," as Crooks' body is shown on the roof.
One officer retrieved a phone and a rangefinder from the gunman. Police also found and collected at least eight shell casings on the rooftop. Secret Service agents were then overheard discussing the evidence and noting the presence of Crooks' bike and backpack in the vicinity.
Law Enforcement Came Face-To-Face With Thomas Crooks Moments Before Shooting
![Thomas Matthew Crooks wearing glasses](https://theblast.prod.media.wordpress.mattersmedia.io/brand-img/123/0x0/2024/07/15121511/Thomas-Matthew-Crooks-wearing-glasses.jpg?)
The body cam footage comes after the Butler County Sheriff's office confirmed that an officer came face-to-face with the suspect moments before the 20-year-old opened fire at the Donald Trump rally.
"All I know is the officer had both hands up on the roof to get up onto the roof. Never made it because the shooter had turned towards the officer, and rightfully and smartly, the officer let go," Sheriff Michael Slupe said.
An officer on the scene spotted the suspect on the building's roof, roughly 400 to 500 feet from the stage. He proceeded to climb up to conduct an investigation.
“Now timing is everything … He turns around and at this point in the speech, obviously as we all know, the president is looking way back to his right and he gets hit on the ear,” the sheriff said, per The New York Post. “Can you imagine 10 seconds before that? That the president was looking straight ahead and where that bullet could have potentially landed."
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle Resigns
![Cheatle testifies after Trump Assassination Attempt](https://theblast.prod.media.wordpress.mattersmedia.io/brand-img/123/0x0/2024/07/23105323/kimberly-cheatle-1-scaled.jpg?)
The footage also comes one day after Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned from her position.
“In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that, I have made the difficult decision to step down as your Director," she wrote in a letter to Secret Service staff, according to NBC. "The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders and financial infrastructure. On July 13th, we fell short on that mission."
“The scrutiny over the last week has been intense and will continue to remain as our operational tempo increases," Cheatle added. "As your Director, I take full responsibility for the security lapse.”
Homeland Security Secretary Breaks Silence On Donald Trump Rally Shooting
![Trump's ear wounded in Pennsylvania rally attack](https://theblast.prod.media.wordpress.mattersmedia.io/brand-img/123/0x0/2024/07/14104822/donald-trump-rally-scaled.jpg?)
After the shooting, many are questioning why the Secret Service allowed Donald Trump on stage, or how Thomas Crooks got as close as he did to the stage the former President was on.
"A direct line of sight like that to the former president should not [have] occur[ed]," Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said on "Good Morning America." "That is precisely why President Biden directed that an independent review of the incident occur."
"That will be done in close coordination with the FBI, which is conducting a separate criminal investigation, the importance of which cannot be overstated," Mayorkas told George Stephanopoulos. "We have to learn everything about the assailant, who of course, the Secret Service so bravely and heroically neutralized, and we are going to really study the event independently and make recommendations to the Secret Service and to me so that we can assure the safety and security of our protectees."
Mayorkas added. "Which is one of our most vital missions in the Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security and across the government."
Donald Trump Addresses Attempted Assassination
![Trump addresses the The Republican National Convention in Milwaukee](https://theblast.prod.media.wordpress.mattersmedia.io/brand-img/123/0x0/2024/07/19091404/donald-trump-ear-bandage-scaled.jpg?)
About ten minutes into his speech, Trump displayed a chart on a screen to his right. "To view the chart, I began turning like this," he explained at at the 2024 RNC before slightly shifting his head to the right. "I was about to turn a bit more, which I’m very fortunate I didn’t, when I heard a loud whizzing sound and felt a sharp impact on my right ear."
"I said to myself, 'Wow what was that? It could only be a bullet.' And moved my right hand to my right ear, brought it down. My hand was covered with blood," Trump added. "Just absolutely blood all over the place. I immediately knew it was very serious that we were under attack."
The former president was immediately escorted into a nearby SUV and taken to the hospital.
A motive is still under investigation.