On July 13, an assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump in a small Pennsylvania town ignited numerous investigations and considerable political fallout. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, R, released new footage Tuesday, July 23, from the Beaver County Emergency Services Unit that provides insight into the events leading up to and following the attack by Thomas Crooks.
The footage shows moments where law enforcement officials were next to Crooks’ body on a rooftop, discussing prior sightings of Crooks acting suspiciously. It shows potential security missteps, including indications that local officials and the U.S. Secret Service might have been aware of Crooks’ presence before the attack.
In the footage, an officer is heard discussing how a sniper had previously spotted and sent photos of the suspect. Crooks was killed by counter-snipers after injuring Trump and killing a bystander.
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Grassley stated that this new evidence indicates serious lapses in security protocols. In response to these failures and mounting political pressure, U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned Tuesday, taking responsibility for the oversight.
In related developments, Matthew Crooks, the father of Thomas Crooks, was seen in public on July 22 for the first time since the incident. When approached by reporters from Fox News Digital, he declined to comment.
“No comment,” Matthew Crooks said. “We’re going to release a statement when our legal counsel advises us to do so. Until then, we have no comment. We just want to try to take care of ourselves right now. Please, just give us our space.”
The Crooks family is reportedly cooperating with the FBI to help determine the motive for the shooting.
Hours before the attack, Crooks’ parents had contacted local police, concerned about their son’s whereabouts. It is unclear if they knew he had access to his father’s AR-15.
Investigators discovered Crooks’ cellphone and a transmitter near where he was neutralized. According to the FBI, the devices were connected to explosives in the vehicle he drove to the event.
Authorities are currently examining Crooks’ phone and social media activity as part of the ongoing investigation, but findings have not yet been released.
Tags: Chuck Grassley, Donald Trump, FBI, Kimberly Cheatle, Trump investigations, U.S. Congress, United States Secret Service
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
ON JULY 13 — AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IN A SMALL PENNSYLVANIA TOWN SPARKED A FLURRY OF INVESTIGATIONS AND POLITICAL FALLOUT.
TUESDAY — IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY RELEASED NEW FOOTAGE OBTAINED FROM THE BEAVER COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES UNIT, SHEDDING LIGHT ON THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO AND FOLLOWING THE ATTACK BY THOMAS CROOKS, WHO WAS KILLED BY COUNTER-SNIPERS AFTER INJURING TRUMP AND KILLING ONE BYSTANDER.
THE FOOTAGE REVEALED CRITICAL MOMENTS — LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ON A ROOFTOP NEXT TO CROOKS’ BODY AND DETAILED DISCUSSIONS AMONG OFFICERS ABOUT PRIOR SIGHTINGS OF CROOKS ACTING SUSPICIOUSLY. IT EXPOSED POTENTIAL SECURITY MISSTEPS, NOTABLY THAT LOCAL OFFICIALS AND THE U.S. SECRET SERVICE MIGHT HAVE BEEN AWARE OF CROOKS’ PRESENCE BEFORE THE ATTACK.
OFFICERS:
“This is the guy that the sniper saw? Yes this is the sniper that beaver county saw and sent us pictures.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
GRASSLEY SAID THIS NEW EVIDENCE POINTS TO SERIOUS LAPSES IN SECURITY PROTOCOLS
IN RESPONSE TO THESE FAILURES AND MOUNTING POLITICAL PRESSURE — U.S. SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR KIMBERLY CHEATLE RESIGNED TUESDAY, ACKNOWLEDGING HER RESPONSIBILITY IN THE MATTER.
AMIDST THE FALLOUT — THOMAS CROOKS’ FATHER, MATTHEW CROOKS, WAS SPOTTED IN PUBLIC THIS WEEK FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE INCIDENT — HE DECLINED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS WHEN APPROACHED BY REPORTERS FROM FOX NEWS DIGITAL.
MATTHEW CROOKS
“No comment! No comment! We’re going to release a statement when our legal counsel advises us to do so – until then, we have no comment. We just want to try to take care of ourselves right now. Please, just give us our space.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
THE FAMILY IS REPORTEDLY COOPERATING WITH THE FBI TO HELP DETERMINE A MOTIVE FOR THE SHOOTING.
HOURS BEFORE CROOKS OPENED FIRE AT THE RALLY HIS PARENTS CONTACTED LOCAL POLICE EXPRESSING CONCERN FOR THEIR MISSING SON. THEY WERE WORRIED ABOUT HIS WELFARE, ALTHOUGH IT’S UNCLEAR IF THEY KNEW HE HAD ACCESS TO HIS FATHER’S AR-15.
INVESTIGATORS FOUND CROOKS’ CELLPHONE AND A TRANSMITTER NEAR WHERE HE WAS NEUTRALIZED WHICH F-B-I SAY WERE CONNECTED TO EXPLOSIVES IN THE VEHICLE HE DROVE TO THE EVENT .
AUTHORITIES ARE EXAMINING CROOKS’ PHONE AND SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY AS PART OF THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION, HOWEVER FINDINGS HAVE NOT YET BEEN RELEASED.
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