A new video taken by James Copenhaver, one of the victims severely wounded in the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump at the July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, appears to show would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks moving into position on top of the American Glass Research (AGR) building shortly before gunshots rang out.
According to Fox News, the video, which was released on Wednesday, shows a figure moving quickly across the AGR building’s roof at approximately 6:08 p.m. on July 13. The outlet cited officials who claimed that Crooks began shooting a collapsible AR-15-style rifle at the former president at roughly 6:11 p.m.
In the first couple seconds of the video, a figure can clearly be seen moving across a rooftop before disappearing and reappearing a few seconds later further down on the roof.
Crooks was killed by counter snipers shortly after the gunfire started. According to Fox News, law enforcement officials later recovered eight bullet shell casings near the shooter’s dead body.
During the assassination attempt against Trump, Crooks killed retired fire chief Corey Comperatore and severely injured 74-year-old Copenhaver and 57-year-old David Dutch. According to Fox News, both Copenhaver and Dutch were shot twice.
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Fox News reported that attorney Joseph Feldman announced that Copenhaver was released from Allegheny General Hospital on July 26 but currently remains in a rehabilitation center for additional recovery.
According to Fox News, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officials previously told reporters that Crooks was able to get on top of the AGR building by climbing piping and HVAC equipment. FBI officials explained that Crooks was able to move across multiple roofs before claiming his position on top of the AGR building, which provided the shooter with a direct line of sight to the stage where Trump was speaking.
Wednesday’s video quickly sparked responses on social media. Media personality David Pollack tweeted, “It seems like a conspiracy at this point to suggest that this wasn’t an inside job.”
“How did they not see him?” one social media user wrote. “How did he get up there with a rifle and have time to set up and get 8 shots off? He must have had help! I thought this must be the most extreme incompetence but this is looking more and more like an inside job!” Meanwhile, another social media user said, “That’s crazy how close it looks and NO ONE watched that roof.”
