The gunman who shot and wounded former President Donald Trump managed to fire eight shots in a little less than six seconds before Secret Service snipers took him out, according to a new report.
The Secret Service agents have been praised for quickly neutralizing the threat to Trump, but Thomas Matthew Crooks had enough time to fire multiple rounds — nicking the former president in the ear, killing a hero firefighter and wounding two other attendees — at the July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
A total of 10 shots were heard during the chaos and Crooks was able to loose eight in quick succession within the span of 5.2 seconds, a CBS News analysis shows.
The rate of fire is consistent with the AR-15-style rifle Crooks used, according to audio experts Rob Maher of Montana State University and Steven Beck of Beck Audio Forensics.
Along with breaking down Crooks’ shooting and the response, the analysis suggested that the second shot the gunman fired after hitting Trump in the ear was the one that struck Marine veteran David Dutch, who was seen falling on the floor of the bleachers.
James Copenhaver, the other injured rallygoer, appeared to be hit sometime during the second half of the shooting.
The final two shots were likely from a Secret Service counter-sniper team firing from two different locations to stop Crooks, with the first bullet fired less than half a second after Crooks’ eighth shot, according to the audio and video analysis.
Because Crooks stopped shooting after the ninth shot was fired, the experts believe it hit Crooks. A 10th and final shot came 10 seconds later — possibly a coup de grâce fired by Secret Service snipers to ensure Crooks was dead.
The analysis did not specify when former fire chief Cory Comperatore, who shielded his wife and daughter from the gunfire, was fatally hit.
Law enforcement previously confirmed that Crooks had fired eight times on Trump and his supporters, with Pennsylvania State Police Col. Christopher Paris telling a congressional panel on Tuesday that eight casings were recovered from the gunman’s location.
The shooting is the focus of several law enforcement and government probes looking into how Crooks was able to get on a roof within 130 yards of Trump with a clear view of the former president.
The fallout from the security failure ultimately led to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle’s resignation on Tuesday.
By Ronny Reyes
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