New Details in Trump's Assassination Attempt Reveals How "Suspicious" Gunman Evaded Secret Service

Americans were shocked at how a "lone" gunman could shoot Donald Trump during his Butler, Pennsylvania rally on July 13, 2024. The ex-president was surrounded by security officers and Secret Service agents but despite that, a 20-year-old identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired at Trump. While the motive still remains unclear, new details reveal how he avoided security and positioned himself on the rooftop. 

Apparently, according to new information, the Secret Service left the building from which the would-be assassin was able to shoot Trump, in possession of the local police unit, as per Daily Mail. Col. Christopher Paris, Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner, admitted in front of Congress on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, that the Butler County Emergency Services Unit was responsible for the building's security.

He also explained how Crooks smartly dodged the police officers despite being identified as "suspicious." Paris told Congress that two law enforcement officers were stationed at the second-story window of the building which the shooter climbed. They saw him wandering around the security perimeter and abandoned their stations to follow him. While they were on the ground searching for him, he quickly climbed up the rooftop evading the police officials.

"I am aware that two were in the building," Paris responded. I was told they were in a window. I was told at a certain point they began searching along with other local officers in immediacy after Crooks had been identified as suspicious by them. Crooks never made it through the secure perimeter into the venue space itself. He was identified by those members as suspicious, in part, because of that. And then at some point, he produced the range finder which heightened that suspicion." 

Crooks, a Butler resident, who lived barely at an hour's distance from Trump's rally venue, fired shots at the Republican front-runner while he was addressing the MAGA crowd. Luckily, he missed the gunfire by a split second but it hit his right ear, leaving it injured and blood-soaked. The chaos ensued and the Secret Service agents present at the time rushed to the stage to cover him up in case of a second shot. Shortly after, a police sniper located the gunman and shot him dead. 

Meanwhile, Americans still have plenty of unanswered questions and the pressure is mounting on the FBI to investigate the matter and the motive. In an exclusive interview with ABC News, US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle confirmed, "In this particular instance, we did share support for that particular site and that the Secret Service was responsible for the inner perimeter. And then we sought assistance from our local counterparts for the outer perimeter." 

So far, the FBI has investigated the suspect's vehicle and home in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. They found two improvised explosive devices, one in his car and the other at his home. "Over the last several months, Crooks received several packages, including some marked as possibly containing hazardous material, according to a review of his shipping history," said the Department of Homeland Security bulletin. 

Amid growing criticism, Cheatle, the Secret Service director, resigned from her post after security failures in Trump's assassination attempt on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, as per BBC.