OAN Staff James Meyers
11:54 AM – Monday, July 15, 2024
A new report suggests that the 20-year-old gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump purchased 50 rounds of ammunition just hours before taking shots at the 45th president in a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
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Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, bought multiple rounds of ammunition at a local gun store hours before taking a shot at Trump, grazing him in the ear, killing a firefighter in the crowd, and seriously wounding two others during his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, according to the New York Post.
The gun shop owner reported the purchase to investigators, the sources said.
Crooks shot Trump in the ear with an AR-style firearm that his father had purchased legally prior.
The 20-year-old was perched down on the roof of a manufacturing plant close to 130 yards from Trump’s rally when he shot off eight rounds. Secret Service counter snipers responded by shooting back and killing him instantly. However, some reports claim that the gunman had already been pointed out to police by nearby onlookers prior to the shooting.
Multiple witnesses claimed that they had warned law enforcement in regards to a suspicious looking man who was holding a gun and crawling on top of the structure.
“Look, they’re all pointing,” the man behind the camera is heard saying as it pans from the stage to the roof of an industrial building where a figure is seen crawling. “Yeah someone’s on top of the roof – look.”
According to former classmates, Crooks was an intelligent loner type who was “relentlessly” bullied in high school. He was reportedly a registered Republican, but he also made donations to the liberal ActBlue political action committee back in 2021. Additionally, responses differed after his peers were questioned on his political ideology. Some have claimed that was “right wing” while others have maintained that he had expressed disdain for Trump and the GOP previously. However, these claims are still merely hearsay and have not yet been confirmed by evidence, as the investigation is still ongoing.
Crooks did not leave behind any sort of manifesto or clear motive posted online as of Sunday.
Disturbing images shared online of the shooting’s aftermath showed a Secret Service sniper standing over the gunman’s body, whose bloodied face was pushed down on the roof in an all-gray outfit.
Video footage also recorded Trump falling to the ground to protect himself and getting tackled by nearby Secret Service agents just moments after the gunshots took place.
After standing up, Trump told his security detail to “wait” before pumping his fist and shouting “Fight” to the anxious crowd.
“Let me get my shoes!” Trump said, soon after the incident.
Former fire chief Corey Comperatore, 50, was killed in the crosshairs of the attack as he protected his wife and two daughters. David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, also sustained critical injuries, but are now listed as “stable.” All three men are Pennsylvania natives.
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