Recently uncovered video depicts the first-known visual record of the prospective Trump assassin at a rally.
At 4:26 PM, a recording by Joe Tomko, a souvenir dealer, captures Crooks and other rally-goers strolling by commercial booths offering Trump merchandise, situated across the field from the American Glass Research facility. Later, Crooks would discharge eight bullets from the rooftop of one of these buildings, causing the death of one spectator and wounding two others.
Tomko's recording seems to be the initially discovered evidence of Crooks' presence on the day of the event. Scant visual material showing Crooks on the event grounds has been disclosed, and the existing images are blurry and taken from afar.
The recently surfaced video provides a clear depiction of Crooks, clad in a grey T-shirt and shorts. His behavior does not display any suspicious signs and he appears unarmed, walking towards the AGR facility. Tomko filmed the footage less than an hour prior to law enforcement first capturing an image of Crooks, estimated to be around 600 yards northwest of Tomko's position, based on CNN's location data and a metadata examination.
A SWAT officer stationed in an AGR building adjacent to the building from where Crooks would eventually shoot, noticed Crooks at 5:14 PM, resting below the window the officer used to mount his rifle. In an interview with CNN, the Beaver County sniper, Greg Nicol, expressed concerns over Crooks' unusual behavior, which led him to take a photograph.
Approximately fifteen minutes later, Nicol spotted Crooks aiming a range finder at the stage where Trump was scheduled to speak, triggering a frantic 39-minute-long search for Crooks. This incident exposed a significant communication breakdown between law enforcement agencies, leading to what's generally regarded as a severe Secret Service failure.
Tomko, who shared his time selling patriotic headgear at the event, discovered Crooks in his footage a week later and expressed shock. “I couldn't believe it," said Tomko. "I knew right away the video needed to be shared with the FBI first.” Two days following, Tomko submitted the video to the FBI and was subsequently interrogated by federal agents, he claimed.
Tomko then released the video – featuring the most distinct image of Crooks at the rally – on social media.
The FBI chose not to comment on Tomko's video.
The discussion about Crooks' actions at the rally sparked political debates, with critics questioning the security measures in place. Tomko's video, which showed Crooks behaving suspiciously before the incident, became a subject of intense interest in politics.
