In July’s assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, a gunman gained access to the roof from which he fired by climbing on top of an air conditioner, a source briefed on the investigation into the shooting said.
Trump was shot in the ear during a July 13 rally in Butler, Penn., killing one protester and wounding two others before a Secret Service sniper shot and killed the 20-year-old gunman.
According to the source, video recorded from a nearby ice cream shop shows the shooter using an air conditioner to climb onto the roof of the building to get to his position about 450 meters from where Trump began his speech.
The video has not been reviewed by NBC News, and it’s unclear if it will be released.
Investigators have been trying to find out how the shooter got onto the roof undetected. They found that Thomas Crooks of nearby Bethel, Penn., bought a ladder before the incident, but ruled out that it was used to get onto the roof.
Several witnesses say they saw Crooks on the roof moments before the shots rang out, and local police climbed up, saw him with a gun and radioed a warning. But that warning never got through to the Secret Service agents protecting Trump, the agency head testified, and about 40 seconds later, shots were fired.
Investigators have said they believe Crooks used a gun with a collapsible barrel that allowed him to move through the crowd without the weapon being detected.
The building was outside the security zone set by the Secret Service, but it offered a clear shot at the former president. A plastic and glass company operates there.
Earlier this summer, Kimberly Cheatle resigned as director of the US Secret Service after lawmakers called for her to resign following the shooting.
Several Secret Service officials have been placed on leave for their actions leading up to and in response to the assassination attempt, including the Secret Service special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh field office, whose office was responsible for coordinating the security plan with local law enforcement. until the demonstration.
Last week in Asheboro, NC, Trump held his first outdoor event since the assassination attempt, speaking from behind bulletproof glass.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
