Staff Reports
In a shocking display of negligence, law enforcement spent the crucial moments before a failed assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump checking their shoelaces rather than eyes on a potential shooter. Video evidence now reveals desperate bystanders tried to warn police about the presence of Thomas Matthew Crooks, an armed and dangerous 20-year-old perched atop a building. Inexplicably, these cries for help went unheeded.
The footage shows concerned citizens flailing their arms and shouting as Crooks settled into his rooftop nest with a clear view of Trump’s campaign rally. At least one Butler Township officer appeared to notice the warnings, but he might as well have been looking for UFOs for all the good it did. Bystanders endured nearly 90 seconds of futile attempts to alert security before the inevitable chaos erupted.
🚨Wild video shows the shooter crawling into position while folks point him out to law enforcement at Trump rally. pic.twitter.com/pYRvkSWZSb
— Moshe Schwartz (@YWNReporter) July 15, 2024
Just imagine this—Trump’s supporters gather in anticipation of his electrifying speech in Butler, Pennsylvania, and law enforcement is outdone by a Gomer Pyle approach to handling security. One brave patriot, Ben Maser, informed police not once, but twice about Crooks and got silence in return. Video analysis clearly shows bystanders straining to save lives for a painstaking 86 seconds before bullets started flying. Incompetence at its finest.
Adding to this bungling bonanza, WPXI reports that Crooks had been on law enforcement’s radar a full half-hour before the shooting. Apparently, Beaver County’s Emergency Services Unit had clocked him as a sketchy character and even snapped a photo. What did they do with this incriminating evidence? Absolutely nothing, as it turns out.
Not only did law enforcement fail to act when Crooks was climbing his sniper’s perch, but another keen-eyed officer also reported him earlier on the ground. Both law enforcement and the Secret Service are now under serious scrutiny for what amounts to a colossal security failure.
Former President Trump narrowly escaped with his life, turning his head at the last second so the bullet grazed his ear. However, the negligence had tragic consequences. Corey Comperatore, a former volunteer fire chief, lost his life while protecting his family. This hero wasn’t alone; two others were seriously injured in this catastrophic mishandling of security.
Conservative Americans have every right to be furious. If this is the level of “protection” offered to a former President, what hope does the average citizen have? It’s high time for accountability and a serious overhaul in how we protect our leaders.
