Sheriff says officer climbed onto roof and found shooter before attack on Trump

A Pennsylvania police officer climbed onto the roof and came face to face with Thomas Matthew Crooks (20 years old) moments before the attack that attempted to kill the former American president. On Monday (15), he reported to Sheriff Michael Slupe to the Press agency.

Trump Assassination Attempt: Details and Reactions

Crooks managed to shoot the former president with an AR-15 rifle, hitting him in the ear, despite the agent's efforts to stop him. Immediately after the attack, U.S. Secret Service agents surrounded the former president and removed him from the scene. In his first interview since the incident, which is being investigated by the FBI as a possible act of domestic terrorism, Trump said, “I should be dead.”

According to Michael Slupe, one officer was lifted by another to reach the edge of the roof and locate Crooks. When he spotted the suspect, the suspect pointed his rifle at him, causing the officer to lose his balance and fall from the roof.

This detail sheds light on the dynamics of the attempted murder. As he was hanging during the confrontation, the police officer was unable to draw his weapon, according to the sheriff.

Butler Town Manager Tom Knights said the officer lost his balance and fell about 8 feet without pulling back. “He was literally hanging off the edge of a building and he took the defensive position he needed to take at that moment. He couldn't catch himself,” Knights said.

The officer, who has 10 years of law enforcement experience, seriously injured his ankle in the fall and was wearing an orthopedic boot, Knights said.

Additionally, a member of the Beaver County emergency services unit spotted Crooks on the roof about a half hour before the shooting, NBC affiliate WPXI reported Monday (15).

^{Donald Trump with security agents after being the target of a shooting attack last Saturday (13) (Photo: reproduction/TV Globo)}

Motivation and Profile of Crooks in the Trump Assassination Attempt

Investigators are still trying to figure out the motive behind the attempted assassination of Trump, the Republican Party candidate for president of the United States. Although FBI technicians have accessed data from Crooks' phone, they have not yet found a possible motive for the crime.

The case is being investigated as a possible act of domestic terrorism. However, the lack of a clear ideological motive on the part of Crooks, who was shot dead by Secret Service officers, has fueled conspiracy theories. The FBI believes Crooks, who had bomb-making materials in the car he drove to the rally, acted alone.

According to the newspaper “The Washington Post”, federal investigators discovered that the AR-15 rifle used in the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was purchased legally 11 years ago.

Crooks, described as a shy youth, was bullied and rejected from the school's shooting club due to his lack of skill with weapons.

He graduated from Bethel Park High School in 2022. In a video from the graduation ceremony, Crooks is seen walking across the stage to receive his diploma, looking thin and wearing glasses. The school district said it will cooperate with the investigation.

Bullying

Jason Kohler, who attended Crooks' high school, reported that he was frequently bullied and would often sit alone during recess. Kohler said other students made fun of him for the clothes he wore, including hunting gear.

“He was bullied almost every day,” Kohler told reporters. “He was an outcast, like a lot of kids are these days.”

During the attack on Trump, Crooks was wearing a T-shirt from Demolition Ranch, a popular YouTube channel where the creator posts videos of himself firing pistols and rifles at targets, including human dummies.

Matt Carriker, the Texas-based creator of Demolition Ranch, did not respond to attempts to reach him by phone or email on Sunday. He posted a photo of Crooks wearing his branded T-shirt, with the comment “What do you mean?”, on his social media accounts.

Featured photo: Suspect in attack against Trump on the roof (reproduction/TV Globo)