Trump Shooter Climbed Roof with Gun as Police Watched, Witness Says

In a chilling account of the events leading up to the shooting at Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a witness has come forward with details that raise serious questions about security measures at the event. Greg Smith, who was present just outside of the rally, told the BBC that he spotted a man with a rifle crawling on a rooftop near the venue minutes before shots were fired.

The incident, which occurred on Friday evening, has sent shock waves through the political landscape and reignited debates about the safety of public figures at campaign events. According to Smith’s testimony, the gunman was visible on a building just outside the rally grounds approximately five minutes into Trump’s speech.

“We noticed the guy bear-crawling up the roof of the building beside us, 50ft away from us,” Smith recounted. “He had a rifle; we could clearly see a rifle.” What followed, according to the witness, was a frantic attempt to alert authorities to the imminent danger.

Smith described a scene of chaos and apparent lack of coordination among security personnel. “We’re pointing at him, the police are down there running around on the ground, we’re like ‘Hey man, there’s a guy on the roof with a rifle’… and the police did not know what was going on,” he said. The witness estimated that he and others tried to draw attention to the gunman for three to four minutes before the shooting began.

Smith shared his bewilderment at the apparent oversight, asking, “Why is there not Secret Service on all of these roofs here? This is not a big place.” He unequivocally labeled the incident a “security failure, 100% security failure.”

The sequence of events as described by Smith paints a picture of a rapidly unfolding crisis. “I’m thinking to myself ‘Why is Trump still speaking, why have they not pulled him off the stage’… the next thing you know, five shots ring out,” he recalled. In the aftermath of the gunfire, Smith witnessed Secret Service agents neutralizing the threat. “They crawled up on the roof, they had their guns pointed at him, made sure he was dead. He was dead, and that was it – it was over.”

The Secret Service has confirmed that agents “neutralized the shooter” and “quickly responded with protective measures,” according to spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. The incident is now being investigated as an attempted assassination, underscoring the gravity of the security breach.

The human toll of the attack extends beyond the former president, who was seen with blood on his face and later reported that a bullet had grazed his ear. Tragically, one crowd member was killed, and two others were critically injured, according to official reports.

The psychological impact on attendees, particularly children, was significant. Smith later told the BBC that his child was “crying and begging me to take him home” after the shooting. “There were a lot of kids up there with us who were terrified, they’re still terrified,” he added, highlighting the broader trauma inflicted on rallygoers.

Trump spoke out directly to his supporters after the shooting through a Truth Social post informing them that he was fine. He also thanked Secret Service and law enforcement for their quick reaction, shared condolences for supporters who were killed and injured and said he would still be going to Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention.