“So, This Is The Guy,” Bodycam Footage Reveals Raw Reaction After Attempted Assassination of Donald Trump

Earlier this year, on July 13, a tragic incident unfolded during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at Republican leader Donald Trump. Body-cam footage, released after a request from Congress and shared by Senator Chuck Grassley, provides a raw and unsettling look at the aftermath of the assassination attempt.

The video, taken from the rooftop where Crooks lay dead, captures the moment law enforcement responded to the scene. At around 7 p.m., a Secret Service agent is heard commenting on the situation with a stark, “So, this is the guy.”

The agent’s tone is blunt, reflecting the gravity of the situation. He later inquires if the body seen on the rooftop is the same one that “the snipers saw,” to which another officer affirms, as the camera pans over the bloody scene. Investigators discovered significant evidence at the site, including an AR-style rifle, a remote transmitter, and a cellphone.

Further investigation into the shooter’s vehicle uncovered even more alarming items: two explosive devices, a drone, a tactical vest, and four magazines of ammunition. Despite the seriousness of the attack, Trump survived with only a graze to his right ear.

However, one rally attendee, 50-year-old retired firefighter Corey Comperatore, was tragically killed, and two others, David Dutch and James Copenhaver, were critically wounded, as reported by the BBC. The investigation revealed multiple missed signals that could have prevented the attack.

Sources familiar with the situation disclosed that the Secret Service had been informed by State Police about a suspicious individual carrying a rangefinder at 5:51 p.m.—nearly 30 minutes before the shooting occurred. This has led to intense criticism of the Secret Service, which was already under scrutiny for prior incidents.

The fallout was significant, culminating in the resignation of Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle, who referred to the event as the agency’s “most significant operational failure.” Cheatle’s resignation letter expressed her desire not to be a distraction from the agency’s mission in light of the intense scrutiny.

Eyewitness accounts corroborated the timeline, with several rallygoers reporting seeing a suspicious man with a rifle on the rooftop just minutes before the shots were fired. In one unsettling moment, bodycam footage showed Secret Service agents arresting individuals who had been filming the incident, even though it was unclear if they were involved. “There are people detained who were filming… maybe they were involved, maybe they weren’t,” a Secret Service agent said, as reported by CBS News.