- Suspect Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire on Donald Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
- According to the Washington Post, local police encountered Crooks on a rooftop before opening fire but then retreated.
- Law enforcement and the U.S. Secret Service have faced increased scrutiny in the wake of the incident.
According to the Washington Post, a city police officer at a Donald Trump rally in Pennsylvania encountered a gunman before the assassination attempt, but he retreated.
Butler County Sheriff Michael T. Throop told the newspaper that officers inspected the roof after an unnamed law enforcement agency requested help identifying a “suspicious person” at the rally, The Washington Post reported.
After officers reached a height where they could see the rooftops of buildings near the rally, the gunman, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, turned and pointed his gun at officers, who then fell to the ground, the media reported.
Throop said the officer did not have his gun in his hand at the time because he was holding on to a roof ledge.
“He let go because he didn’t want to be killed,” Sloop told the outlet.
Crooks then fired at Trump, and Secret Service agents quickly surrounded the president, who later acknowledged in a Truth Social post that he had been hit by a bullet in the ear.
A Secret Service sniper shot and killed Crooks.
The Butler County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
Law enforcement and the Secret Service have faced criticism following the incident.
A former Defense Intelligence Agency official told BI it was “incredible” that Crooks was able to get to the roof and shoot Trump.
An Associated Press review of the footage found that Crooks was “alarmingly close” to the stage, and the news agency said the roof was within 164 yards of where Trump was standing on stage.
President Joe Biden ordered an independent investigation into security at Trump’s rally on Sunday in the wake of the shooting.
“I have ordered an independent national security investigation into yesterday’s rally, and I will share the findings of that independent investigation,” Biden said.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said the House would investigate the events at the rally. On Saturday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced in a Twitter post that it would take a lead role in the investigation.
Trump will speak at the Republican National Convention. Milwaukee this week.
“At this moment, it is more important than ever that we come together, show our true character as Americans, remain strong and resolute, and do not let evil win,” he said in a Truth Social post.
