Breaking: Secret Service Launches Investigation After Gunman Injures Trump at Pennsylvania Rally

The U.S. Secret Service has initiated an investigation into how a lone gunman, armed with an AR-style rifle, was able to get close enough to shoot and injure former President Donald Trump at his rally in Pennsylvania. 

The incident, which occurred at the Butler Farm Show grounds, has raised serious questions about security protocols at such events.

Witnesses at the rally recounted the moments leading up to the attack. Two attendees claimed to have seen the shooter, describing how he moved across rooftops, apparently scouting for the ideal vantage point to target the former president. 

The FBI has identified the gunman as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.

The assailant, who was ultimately killed by Secret Service personnel, fired multiple shots from an elevated position outside the rally venue. This allowed him to get perilously close to the stage where Trump was speaking. 

According to an analysis by the Associated Press, which examined more than a dozen videos and photos from the rally, the shooter was astonishingly near to the stage. Satellite imagery confirmed that the gunman’s position was less than 150 meters (yards) away from Trump.

A video posted on social media and verified by the AP showed the body of a man in gray camouflage lying motionless on the roof of a nearby manufacturing plant. This roof, situated just north of the rally venue, provided a clear line of sight to the stage. 

For context, 150 meters is a distance from which a proficient marksman can reasonably hit a human-sized target, and U.S. Army recruits must demonstrate this capability to qualify with the M16 rifle in basic training. 

The AR-15, the civilian version of the M16, was the weapon used by the shooter.

The Secret Service’s investigation will likely focus on how Crooks managed to gain access to such a strategic location and the measures that can be implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future.